Search - O.H.M. :: Grounded to the Inner Current

Love that "next-level"-type hip-hop? Look no further...

O | Europe | 06/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The beautiful thing about being into an artform when it's still young and evolving is that one has the chance to witness the beginnings of different strains of the original formula rearing their heads for the first time. Hip-Hop is still a relatively young artform, about 25 years old. Initially dismissed as a fad, it's power as a global musical phenomenon is now undisputed. Of course the other side to the global, commercial face of hip-hop is the really interesting stuff. To those who have been around hip-hop for a reasonable amount of time, it's that different sound that get's us excited. Pushing the envelope and breaking new ground is, to us, the crowning achievement of an artform that can distill the most avant-garde and disparate elements of sound into a three minute track that sounds both 'street' and 'otherworldly', like walking with both feet planted firmly on the ground, but your head in another dimension altogether. Instrumental in pushing the envelope from the mid-nineties onwards have been the fiercely independant and critically lauded WordSound Records posse from Brooklyn NY. Being able to continually bank on a label to release a great record time after time isn't something common. It's unheard of, these days.



I listen to this CD, released in 1996, and am astonished at the unmatched levels of creativity and freshness. Apparently signed to the label as a result of his walking into the WordSound compound, demo tape-in-hand, K. Bennu aka O.H.M. has crafted a rare collection of gems for us to get into on this, his first (and as far as I know, last) LP, Grounded To The Inner Current. This CD (also released on hard-to-find vinyl) simply rips straight through your stereo. Described in the press release as "Mutant Beat" could be a little misleading, as O.H.M. is definately grounded in the Hip-Hop beat, indeed the only thing these 13 tracks have in common is that they all walk to that beat. O.H.M. has his own distinctive style of production and once you get your hands on this disc you'll be as hooked on the "mutant instrumental hip-hop" as I am. All the tracks are beautifully crafted, feature a plethora of samples that are juxtaposed with insanely derranged precison to create a feeling that is at once Brooklyn and Outer Space. This is music for your mind to wander off to and go to new places. Those who bought the classic 'WordSound 23: Shake the Nations' compilation will already be familiar with that banger "The Mystery of Senior Sanchez" which best exemplifies O.H.M.'s skill with the vocal samples to create a mood so disturbing yet irreverant but above all BANGIN'. The beats on "Grounded.." are just too sick. This is the product of a really talented creative soul who obviously had maximum love for hip-hop and wanted to take it to new places. And don't sleep on the stunning cover art. These collages, by a P. Dougher, truly mirror the music inside. You'll find all the influences from Nubian Africa to Ancient Egypt to the Housing Projects of Brooklyn via this warped genius' mind reflected in the art. In fact, I'm off to hunt the 'net for the wax version, just to frame that cover art. Mr Bennu, where are you? Bless us some more with those mutant beats... in these times, we need to get grounded to that Inner Current once again."