Labelled a playlist, OVID’s follow up to his ‘Unruly‘ project debut, ‘To The Moon‘, is a buffet of sonic delights if you have a taste for things that are sweet and sharp. Hopscotching across the border between EDM, indie pop, R&B, and dreary-eyed rapping, OVID is an omnivorous producer and artist as he provides a utopian vision of what music can be in 2018, assisted by guest features from Panky3s, Zilla and Sahyel.

‘To The Moon‘ is steeped in oceanic pressures as well as stratospheric swirl, testing the outer limits of synth texture and OVID’s ability to convey his anguished feelings over droning synths. Though his emotions are turned inwards, dealing with heartbreak, the extreme noise eliminates the possibility of socializing while the music is playing, leaving listeners alone with their thoughts; It’s music for dreaming.

The opening track, “PTSD|DND (DND on the Beat)” is punctuated by cuts from voice recordings giving some context for OVID’s harrowed emotions; “The Ones That Cut You Off, The Ones That Didn’t Believe in You”. The song starts with a slow and haunting percussion as he speaks to an ex who he blames for turning him into a strip club going savage. But the beat takes a distorted turn on the second half of the song. Over the layers of stretching and bouncy synths, he turns to his ‘homies’ and questions their loyalty. OVID’s trust issues with friends is a sentiment heard on couple other tracks on the project, like “Real Ones| Hater” featuring Sahyel, “Friends|HODL” and “Change Up”, all set to amplified synths harmonies that OVID produces himself.

On the fifth track, “ILY2”, OVID’s vocals are stretches into abstract bellows and moans, processed into strips and steam. They’re mixed to become modest conduits for the whole, making his emotional lyrics all the more striking. His glittering falsetto gives a vivid depiction of his feelings singing, “Sometimes When I’m Laying on My Own, And I Feel Emotional, I Wanna Get Next To You, And Make Love Under The Covers All Night Until The Daylight Comes”.

Pre-released single “The Feeling”, in an invitation to dance. But he quickly returns to somber reflections on the following tracks. The nihilism on moody track, “Illuminated / Angel Wings on a Trip” takes a subtle bloom on “F.ace E.verything A.nd R.ise” thanks to the confident bars heard through Zilla’s feature. Arguably though, the production has always been the most interesting element of OVID’s projects. And ‘To The Moon’ showcases his still-sharp ear for cool, electronic sound.

You can stream To The Moon by OVID below.

https://soundcloud.com/onuohaxo/sets/to-the-moon

Featured Image Credits: Soundcloud/onuohaxo

You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: See NATIVE’s review of OVID’s “The Feeling”