FRESH JUICE: Degrees of Freedom by Ozwald

Ozwald returns to fellow Irish imprint Flood with the impressive drum fuelled ‘Degrees of Freedom’.

Words by Oisín Campbell/ Design by Michael Savage

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Buy/ Stream here: floodireland.bandcamp.com/album/degrees-of-freedom

After debuting on Flood back in the pandemic burdened 2020 with the equally impressive ‘Prey’ EP, Dublin based Ozwald returns for round two serving up a hard drum special on what is the first dice roll of the year from both label and artist.

Described as a natural successor to ‘Prey’, Ozwald builds upon those early productions releasing a very audible pent up energy in these tracks that had been put on hold over the last two years.

Title track and EP opener ‘Degrees Of Freedom’ introduces the artist’s change in direction with a clear shift in focus to more raw percussive sounds. Steady in its build up, it becomes wild & animalistic in its delivery with a shimmying drum run that gains gradual weight in its developing rhythm.

(Pictured: Ozwald)

Following this is the essential tribal drum anthem ‘No Vibe’. There’s a really deep rattle to this with alarming background vocals only adding to the intensity of the percussion and bass line. A rip-roaring synth breakdown catapults the ritualistic drum patterns that bit further by intertwining elements of rave.

‘She’s A Wreck’ picks up the pace somewhat on what is a more of a kick orientated number. Simplistic in form, it's yet another floor filler that becomes inflamed in further wildly background vocals & energies.

Closer ‘Swarms’ is an additional anthemic voyage that initially embodies an all natural hard drum sound that is then met head on by yet another tantalizing rave breakdown. This is a peak time drum dunt and it typifies the sound we have become accustomed to on one of the most consistent Irish dance labels there is.

Ozwald comes up big on his sophomore Flood release and it’s a real cracker from both to open up the year with.

Discover the extended Flood discography here: Flood

Discover the extended Ozwald discography here: Ozwald