Oxis Dives Into the Unknown Depths of Oceanic Electronica in Debut Album 'Oxis 7'
Oxis captivates listeners with her debut album, Oxis 7. Despite this being her seventh release, her official debut is a revelation, fusing the organic world of the deep sea with digital surrealism. This digital surrealism, a unique aspect of her music, blends electronic sounds and experimental techniques that create a dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere. She presents a body of work saturated in yearning, weaving sonics and tones that span from the calmest of currents to the most engulfing storms of sound.
Claiming on social media that the twelve-track collection was made "7,000 feet below the surface," she carves a place for herself in the indie space that is impossible to ignore, using her talent to create a record that can be best described as oceanic electronica. Within her craft, she shares her personal bond with her music, adding a unique layer to her artistry, transforming her from a mere artist to a fellow voyager on this sonic odyssey.
The album opens with the meditative "Xipha," which boasts a litany of entrancing guitar loops, gliding synths, and samples of what seems to be distant whale sounds? (Marine biologists check this for me.) These unique sound elements create a hypnotic fugue, over which she croons, "Watch me..." resolving the fragment with the statement "...fly." For the uninitiated, the name "xipha" is most likely referring to an ancient and extinct family of fish whose descendants include the misnomered flying fish, and to be honest, listening to this track stimulates this freeing, euphoric feeling, as if racing into the sunrise.
Breezing through the jovial "Flounder" and the anxiety-tinged, percussion-led "Nemus," listeners are introduced to a standout track on the record, "Long Sardine." This track first introduced me to this enigmatic artist and is the reason I'm so hooked on her extensive discography. It opens with fluttering beats and a steady backbeat before additional layers of effervescent guitar riffs and pulsing bass coat the track. She asks her beloved, "Could you please stay a while?" chanting this beautiful mantra full of longing and hope into this intricate and exquisite ether of her creation.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating tracks on Oxis 7 is also its shortest, the penultimate "Barracuda." Transitioning from the forlorn and existential "Tila," where Oxis wonders if her love felt the same or if she was going insane, summery acoustic guitar riffs float from the depths of despair. A shy yet heartfelt voice confesses to her, "You can stay, you can stay now," starting as an admission but evolving into a plea as mesmerizing vocal adlibs and whispers bleed into the evocative production.
The album closes on a high with "Pike." It starts with an eerie collage of warped, ghostly vocals fading into the distance, making way for repetitive, unyielding pulses and synths. Then, like an impending crashing wave, electric guitar riffs build in the background, supporting Oxis's ethereal vocals as she drones, "I think I'll start a riot / Bury myself deep, and hide it / I'll wait until tomorrow/ I think I'll start a riot." Lush textures and production glitches take over the goosebump-inducing effort, building the tension further into a sweet release that tempts you to play the album all over again.
Listen to Oxis 7 below:
