In 2021, YEDM did a New Artist Spotlight on Portlander experimental artist Jason Wann and his conceptual venture SINES which, at the moment, was on its third multi-track launch. Through that album, known as A Series of Moments, Wann mixed all the perfect bits of synth pop and gave them a trendy twist with dabbles of feminine vox accompaniments and completely different beat buildings. Not afraid to play with future bass, techno, bass home and, of course, classic synth pop, SINES exhibits nice promise to be the subsequent Odesza or Washed Out hybrid.
Not a lot of followers or press, for that matter, knew that between all the beautiful and celestial synth pop releases, Wann was additionally interstitially releasing below a completely different venture identify known as Blood Oyster. Almost utterly reverse in each approach from SINES, Blood Oyster is entrenched in booty bass, hip hop and entice with an emphasis on ‘booty.’ The aptly named Let Booty Loose that includes rapper Honey B. Sweet launched in April 2021 adopted by the even dirtier Pussy Power in October whereas Wann and SINES music associate Kitty Richardson have been engaged on A Series of Moments. It should have been a colossal mind toggle for Wann.
Designed as a tongue-in-cheek nose-thumbing on the patriarchy and its want to manage girls’s our bodies, Blood Oyster is about as deliberately nasty as a 2LiveCrew or a WAP with observe names like “From the Back” and “Throbbing Hard Penis.” As these ironic assertion EPs which might be seemingly about objectification have been being made, Wann was changing into extra and extra annoyed with the best way girls are both exploited or repressed over the previous few years. This frustration culminated, because it did for thus many Americans, within the Supreme Court’s resolution to overturn the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court resolution in June of 2022. Seen by many as the final word and most blatant signal that the US not solely doesn’t care about bodily autonomy for ladies and folks with uteruses, this resolution, made potential by the ushering in of two new far proper wing SCOTUS justices earlier than the tip of Donald Trump’s presidential has unleashed a wave of states winding again the clock to pre-1973 guidelines and rules. States banned abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood, made even early time period abortions unlawful (together with in instances of rape) and some states even made it potential for folks who went by means of with an abortion to be tried for homicide.
With the dystopian nightmare described in Margaret Atwood’s fictional guide The Handmaid’s Tale immediately turned actuality and Atwood a prophetess because of Brett Kavanaugh and particularly final Gilead Wife Amy Coney Barrett, masses of artists determined to protest what has now been happening within the US for nearly a 12 months. Along with the likes of Pussy Riot, Phoebe Bridgers, Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, Mariah Carey, Lizzo et al., Wann felt he couldn’t go away this challenge alone. Suddenly a cheeky commentary on how girls are utilized in media and abused in non-public become an all-out protest with Greatest Hits. Full of tracks from the unique two Blood Oyster EPs plus heaps extra, the 30-track Greatest Hits makes a daring assertion that it doesn’t matter what kind of legal guidelines are locations on them, girls’s our bodies self-worth an sexuality will at all times be owned by them.
Wann as Blood Oyster makes this assertion in probably the most enjoyable approach potential, with loud, colourful booty bass beats, unapologetic lyrics and so many catchy tunes. Be cautious; you might end up singing the Daft Punk-esque “ASS” in your head at work or laughing on the in some way each sexual and creepy “Everybody Loves Raymond” at inappropriate occasions. This complete “series of bootlegs” is inappropriate, of course, however that’s the purpose. A tapestry of impropriety woven with far more experimental music and flare than we’ve seen from Wann so far, the album juxtaposes the pure sensual potential of girls and humanity in opposition to some of its worst detractors so present what this oppression and management can really do. With so many of our idols fallen and a lot injury performed within the identify of propriety, it’s time to take a good onerous take a look at rape tradition; simply ask “Dr. Huxtable.”
As if the Blood Oyster album weren’t sufficient, Wann has additionally put collectively an arty “series of visualizers” (who knew that album identify could be such a enjoyable callback?) to go together with Greatest Hits. Because it’s a bootleg album, Wann has put the veritable film up on his Vimeo account totally free public viewing. Not fairly as soiled visually as it’s musically, the multimedia facet of Greatest Hits takes the artistry of the album up a few notches. Watch it with some good audio system on a good TV and you’ve principally acquired your self an at-home rave. Funny, kitschy and full of the love Wann has for ladies that listeners to the album alone could not really feel, the visualizer film is unquestionably price a watch (presumably on some mind-altering substances).
Blood Oyster: The Movie! from jason wann on Vimeo.
Even when you’re into into booty bass or experimental bass or enjoyable visualizers, there’s one more reason to help Blood Oyster and the Greatest Hits album: all earnings from its buy on Bandcamp shall be donated to Planned Parenthood in Amy Coney Barrett’s identify. That’s proper, within the custom of Mike Pence, Ted Cruz and different anti-uterus rights politicians, Wann has determined that Coney Barrett must be the subsequent recipient of this honor to be reminded daily that those that worth the lives of girls and youngsters will proceed to struggle for his or her well being. The hyperlink for the album is right here (and additionally within the video above) however we additionally encourage followers of ladyparts in all places to take up this petty (and necessary) trigger and donate to the factor SCOTUS and so many different misguided politicians are attempting to destroy. And when you don’t need to donate, have a cheeky, attractive little rave in your lounge or automobile, courtesy of Blood Oyster.
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