Oort
Oort EP

I didn’t really know what to make of this CD when I received it and I’m still not entirely sure now! To quote from their biog (because otherwise I’d confuse us all further) Oort is ‘a new project designed to test the production capabilities of the green room’, which I gather is a recording/production studio.

Intriguingly, the track names include such gems as ‘ceres’, ‘tsoj’ and ‘apophis’. Now what’s wrong with good old-fashioned no-nonsense song titles like ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’?

As someone who prefers lyric-based songs, appreciating half an hour of virtual classical synthesizers was always going to be a problem, but you know me; not one to shy away from a challenge. As Richard O’Brian of The Crystal Maze would say ‘To the Virtual Zone!’

Synths begin the game and are gradually joined by sounds of crickets, birds and other creatures at dusk. Just before the three minute mark a whirring helicopter hovers overhead and a strong, quickening heartbeat becomes audible. It’s all very atmospheric and rather chilled. Unfortunately the finale is a sound not unlike half a dozen musical instruments being dropped on the floor. I just can’t shake the feeling of being back in class messing about with stuff I had no idea how to make decent music with.

Track two ‘aarhus’ has an electro beat and a synthesized bass with some Dr Who/The X Files sound effects. There’s also a noise which emulates the wind in the trees or it could be the waves lapping on the shore. ‘naef’ starts in the same vein and I’m looking at my watch. To liven matters up there’s an effect that sounds like Felix the Cat walking across an out-of-tune piano to get his owner’s attention. Ouch. There’s a double bass effect in track four with a tinny drum or cymbal and wind instruments (I think) in track five; although bear in mind I’m straining to remember back ten years to GCSE music here!

The people behind Oort are clearly very creative and know what they’re doing technically, but it’s not my cup of tea. It’s too artificial for me. I have no doubt that this CD achieves its aim of showcasing a variety of production capabilities, but surely there must be a more interesting way to do it?