Delve into a troublesome mental debate about reality with Oklo’s debut EP

Bethany Hemmings | 4th February 2018

London via Manchester based group, Oklo are to release their debut EP ‘International Waters’ on April 3rd via GODEATGOD.

Channeling their influences from artists such as Burial and Massive Attack, ‘International Waters’ highlights some of life’s contemplative issues in the lyrics, accompanied by ambient psychedelic beats.

‘International Waters’ album art

The lyrics on the EP urge you to delve into a troublesome mental debate about one’s reality. They force you to realize the flaws that surround our daily lives by highlighting the issues with nature and nihilistic tendencies.

The EP’s leading track ‘I Climatize’, is well a produced and climactic track that the band describes materialized “as a literal reflection on our surroundings morphing at a rapid pace. It is an ode to the age of Anthropocene.’’

Alike ‘I Climatize’, the other tracks on the album are bursting with ingenuity. Track ‘’Machines Row Inland’’ is more serene than the rest but is as reflective. The seamlessly silky sounds of the leading guitar allow you to transcend into a mental state of ambiguity.

Oklo’s music is no doubt a fascinating listen, but occasionally the vocals are lost in an abundance of heavily layered beats and sounds that are sometimes difficult to differentiate.

Despite this, Oklo are a refreshing addition to the new music scene. Their ability to creatively respond to the issues of our time and to break the binaries of their genre is a commendable quality of a new band and is a quality that will certainly allow them to reach climatizing heights.