BOTW Track: oOoOO – ‘Mouchette’

You could certainly be forgiven for thinking that as a secondary teaser – following on from the previously unveiled ‘Stay Here’ – for oOoOO’s forthcoming debut album Without Your Love, ‘Mouchette‘ is a strange choice. Undoubtedly one of the record’s more brooding, evocative pieces, it lacks the expansive, attention-grabbing punch of ‘The South”s cavernous synths, or the melodic dexterity of ‘Without Your Love’. What it does possess, however, is a carefully cultivated aura of mystique and intrigue; something that’s characteristic of the San Francisco producer’s – real name: Christopher Dexter Greenspan – work across Without Your Love.

‘Mouchette’ is all about the understated pay-off. When a series of lurching, off-beat bass stabs enter towards the end of the track, they lend proceedings a dub/reggae flair and transform it from an interesting sonic experiment into a nocturnal dancehall maelstrom. Subtle, innovative and powerful, it’s a devastating mutation and one that hits home with more returning strength on each subsequent spin. As with much of Greenspan’s productions, there something substantial hiding in the haze:

– Alex Cull

Without Your Love is available on Nihjgt Feelings from June 24. You can pre-order it here.