Product Description
Content Introduction This is Oval's romanticism! A dazzling musical utopia of awakening and ecstasy! Markus Popp, also known as Oval, is a Berlin-based musician who, in the mid-'90s, released groundbreaking experimental electronic sound works using CD skipping (his 1995 album "94diskont." was ranked 132nd in Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s," published in 2022), and has continued to present new possibilities for electronic music, spreading his followers all over the world. With Oval's latest album, "ROMANTIQ," which marks his first worldwide release since "SCIS" (THRILL-JP 51 / HEADZ 243) in January 2020 (on the long-established Chicago indie label Thrill Jockey Records), Marcus Popp has once again reinvented the possibilities of electronic music. The project, also known as "ASMR 2.0," is an art project with actress Vlatka Alec, released in December 2021 under the name OVAL on Marcus's own label, UOVOOO. The work also reflects the creations of the art project "OVIDONO" (which also featured Eriko Toyoda of So), and was created through an audio-visual collaboration with digital artist Robert Seidel (born in Jena, Germany, and now based in Berlin, who also created the artwork for "ROMANTIQ"), who designed the album cover for "OVIDONO." This collaboration (for the grand opening of the Deutsches Romantik-Museum, which opened in September 2021) resulted in the creation of three-dimensional sound spaces reminiscent of diverse architectural structures. Setting himself apart from the folktronica and post-classical of the past, Marcus Popp's unique blend of live instruments (organic) and electronics (digital), honed like a craftsman since 2010's "O," has reached a new realm, creating overwhelmingly original and romantic music, as if his talent as a so-called musical composer and melody maker has suddenly blossomed. A magnificent masterpiece album that brilliantly sublimates a vast amount of information, becoming the most beautifully refined work to date, nostalgic yet futuristic, and richly emotional. ?? Worldwide simultaneous release (May 12, 2023) ?? Includes 2 bonus tracks only on the Japanese CD version ?? Only the Japanese CD version uses mastering by Marcus Popp himself (digital distribution uses mastering by Rashad Becker, the same as the worldwide Thrill Jockey version) ?? Only the Japanese CD version has an original jacket design different from the Thrill Jockey version, mainly using Marcus Popp and Robert Seidel's favorite images. Media Reviews and More: Markus Popp, also known as OVAL, is a Berlin-based musician who, in the mid-90s, released groundbreaking experimental electronic music using CD skipping (his 1995 album "94diskont." was ranked 132nd in Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s," published in 2022), continuing to present new possibilities for electronic music and spreading his followers around the world. This album is a magnificent masterpiece, brilliantly sublimating a vast amount of information, and is the most beautifully refined and emotionally rich work to date, both nostalgic and futuristic. (C)RS
