by Alicia Barker | @AliciaLBarker
Smooth, sexy and sweaty. Nicaragua Nights is the latest release from Adelaide producer Oisima, taking you back to summertime when the living was easy and the drinks ice-cold.
A multi-instrumentalist, Oisima has been independently releasing EPs and mixes since 2011. His 2012 Goddess EP and frequent festival appearances winning him local and international fans.
Describing his sound as a combination of jazz, electronic and beats and Oisama’s (aka Anth Wendt) debut album is just whimsical enough to separate it from the hordes of electronica plaguing the Australian music scene.
Nicaragua Nights opens with the tinkling of piano riffs and chilled beats of ‘Indios’, and the at once tight but laid-back vibes don’t stop there.
A stand-out tune is ‘Grovers Lament’, making the most of rich instrumental layering and vocal drones.
Saxophones, keys and sampling from coins dropping to jazz vocals keep the hypnotic groove of the record going.
The sweet harmonies of Perth artist Mei Saraswati add to the trippy and exotic feel of ‘Sun of Truth’, one of the many highlights on Nicaragua Nights.
Relaxed beats are at the core of Nicaragua Nights. While tunes like ‘Cactus Canyon’ and ‘Mmmhmm…’ are instrumental and similar to each other, this creates an organic ebb and flow to the album as a whole.
The vocal performances of Annabel Weston in ‘Makes Me Feel Alright’ and ‘Everything About Her’ are overpowered by the instrumentals, and some cheesy samples detract from the overall sound.
Nicaragua Nights is sometimes tense and rhythmical, sometimes completely hypnotic. Oisima welcomes you into his sun-bleached, spaced-out world with open arms and hands you a cold one.
4/5
Nicaragua Nights is out now via Create Control.