Just stumbled across Swiss-Ghanaian singer-songwriter, Joy Frempong aka OY and had to share her fabulous experimental-music-as-art …music with you. For more information about Joy visit: http://www.myspace.com/oyrempong
and https://www.facebook.com/Oyfanpage
The following info about about Joy Frempong. It was taken from: http://www.relevantbcn.com/dj-s-bands-producers/oy-a-k-a-joy-frempong
Originally from Ghana, but now residing in Switzerland, Joy Frempong a.k.a. ‘OY’ has lived in many places and dabbled in a variety of different musical circles, working with Jazz ensembles, Hip hop acts and improvisational musicians, but it has only been in the past year or so that she has really began to develop, nurture and solidify her own signature sound.
In the fall of 2009 Frempong’s distinct and truly unique acrobatic voice was featured on a full length release when she collaborated with fellow Swiss musicians ‘Filewile’, on their dub-laced, electro-pop record ‘Blueskywell’. Joy’s experimental lyrics, her poignant words that swing from childish rants, to state of the world commentary, helped to set the band apart, and they’ve since been nominated for the Jury Prize at the 2010 Swiss Music awards.
In February of this year Frempong, under the handle ‘OY’, released a wondrous debut album. This project of epic proportions was mixed by Berlin based electronic producer and musician Frederik Knop a.k.a. pOnk, and was mastered by NYC’s Tidy Kid.
The cheekily titled ‘First Box Then Walk’, was released on Swiss label ‘Creaked Records’, and is home to twenty-seven beautifully crafted, nostalgia-riddled tracks.
In regards to the albums theme, Joy says “I asked my friends to mail me some childhood memories. I received many funny and beautiful, poetic and absurd stories”. These stories included one about a girl “who would box around the corner before walking because it might be dangerous to walk and bump into some dangerous being”, this memory became the album’s namesake.
The collection of other people’s memories, as well as her own childhood stories were the inspiration for the songs that became a brilliant, and at times eerie full length record brimming with bright, fun lyrics but also managing to successfully capture the insecurities and world-weary air of the little child within us all.
Frempong’s sensibility and attention to detail are a key part of this release; her carefully crafted lyrics exude innocence and some serious emotional depth. The album features stories about being scared of snakes under the bed, biting kittens, witches who live in the toilet and wild Trolls living in the forest.
The exceptional music, created using samples, toys, piano and synths, pairs well with Joy’s thick, rich vocals. The music is wildly eclectic, constantly switching genres from Jazz, to hip hop, to electronica, but still managing to maintain a solid tone throughout.
OY is a stand-alone vocalist and producer; her live performances are captivating and refreshingly experimental. Over the next year she will be touring in support of her new album, so be sure to catch her when she hits your city.
No comments:
Post a Comment