ep review: slow motion music, oliver tank

Oliver Tank’s second EP, Slow Motion Music is dramatic from the first few notes of ‘Stay’. The track, featuring the ethereal vocals of Fawn Myers, employs the use of percussion, synth and reverb to create a sonic landscape full of open spaces. Right from the outset, it is clear that this EP will be a satisfying, lush listen that, like the title suggests, slows things down considerably. ‘You Never Know’ follows, a track that washes over you in subtle, gradual waves. Soaring vocals – both Tank’s and Hayden Calnin’s – are the centerpieces, whereas the instrumentals on ‘Time Slows Down When You Walk Into The Room’ command the spotlight, in an impressive, not aggressive way. Sounds mingle together to create a perfectly hushed but layered guiding point for the lyrics.

Taku produced ‘Different Speeds’ is refreshing in its simplicity; an understated vocal performance following a melody that slowly gains new heights as the song progresses. Autotune heralds the opening of ‘Home’, which builds in an unhurried fashion, with instrumentals that manage to sound hollow and full at the same time. ‘Her’ features two set of vocals (or so it seems), which weave in and out of each other to create the perfect balance of masculine and feminine. The EP signs off with Blessing In Disguise, where distorted vocals have matched themselves to a piano-driven melody. The short track almost sounds like something off Kanye West’s career diverging album 808s and Heartbreak, which isn’t surprising, considering Oliver Tank’s obvious penchant for minimalist songwriting.

An exciting effort in the midst of the Aussie electronic music boom, Slow Motion Music gives listeners a slice of time in which to just sit still, letting the lush sounds wash over them. Tank is an artist who doesn’t just offer you solely a sound, instead offering up his music with an atmosphere to match, an atmosphere which is sparse, hushed, dreamlike and overwhelmingly beautiful.