Knowing some of my favourite musicians personally and being surrounded by their talent is incredibly humbling to me and I’m blown away by how great music is right now. Ola ‘Oddboy Ten’ is one of those artists. I met him this earlier this month, sharing massive mutual words of appreciation for our work. I have been a fan of how Ola has incorporated incredible photography and videography in the lead up to this new release titled Ulogy. I have to quickly give a big shoutout to Aiden Harmitt Williams who has helped capture the beauty of Oddboy Ten’s aura and spirit. Powerful photos. Check his work out here.
As for the music, all I can say is that it is a profound body of work that encapsulates so much creative freedom and spirituality in its tone, themes and overall aura. The keys throughout this record are incredible, especially on “The Opening,” where they are playfully sprinkled in the background, while an infectious bassline leads the groove as well as incredible drum patterns that add a bounce to the track. Oddboy Ten comes through with soothing vocals that feel powerful and incredibly soulful. The track closes with him playfully getting excited over rice and stew. “Iya” is my favourite track on the EP, for a number of reasons. The keys leading the melody are heavenly, the the beat on this track is just infectious and head-bob worthy. If I’m not mistaken, it is that piercing clarinet melody that gives me chills when listening to it. The break-down in the end is also amazing. “First Floor” with Lex Amor is heartfelt. Lex already knows what I think about her and her talent – her intimate lyricism and vocal tone just fits beautifully with the vibe of the track. Oddboy comes in with a personal verse too, and ends the track with his usually soulful vocals singing “I’ve found a place where I won’t hesitate.” It sounds gorgeous, and shows how he is comfortable with his own creativity, growing and learning every day. “Run Around” with Sue Lily is another highlight, with the vocals sounding like they are being drowned by the beat, but it is a peaceful ending to the track. Sue Lily’s vocals are amazing on this track as well.
In addition to all this, I sat down with the man himself for his first ever proper interview, which is always exciting. I wanted to dig deeper into the themes within the EP, which is something I didn’t initially write in the review. A lot of religious imagery was used in the build up to the project with “The Parable of Oddboy,” a concept that derived from him wanting to show the world his path, his growth as an artist and as a person. There was one lyric I wanted to touch on in particular that I think really captured the theme and the overall message of the project. “I found a place where I won’t hesitate,” which was a lyric off “First Floor” with Lex Amor, captured for me the essence of what it is like to truly find your “why,” a place where you are so sure of your identity and your talents that you go in head first with any challenge you face without having a second thought. I think all of us try and find that within ourselves, and it is why we are constantly growing as human beings. There’s always something more to search for, something to attain that enables us to be at peace with our decisions. Don’t worry though, there’s much more of us getting deep philosophical our in-depth conversation below. Coming to you with raw and uncut content.
To conclude, Oddboy Ten comes through with an incredible new EP, it’s hard to think this is his debut solo project. With Ulogy he delves into the sublime world of free-jazz, soul and electronic music that perfectly encapsulates his spirit and aura. Big ups to you bro, honestly, you killed it!
Also, massive shoutout to Rhythm and Reason for existing, you guys mean so much to me and I’m forever thankful for the music you release to the world.
Listen to Oddboy Ten’s Ulogy EP below via Spotify and make sure you support!
In Search of Media 
Pingback: Honourable Mentions: Albums 2018 – In Search Of Media