Omar S-It Can Be Done, But Only I Can (2x12"LP)
$32.00
Label: FXHE
Listen: Link
Year (release): 2022
Genre, primary: Deep house
Genre, secondary: Experimental electronica
Catalog number: AOS6600 BLACK VINYL
Country of origin: USA
Omar's style remains his own: construction-paper house, dance music in which the materials seem crude but the product is crafty and confident. He operates differently from most producers, worrying little about mood or architecture. Omar remains refreshingly uninterested in the unspoken pissing contest that is every producer's attempt to make the "deepest" record in the DJ crate. The core elements of any given Omar track-- modest, cymbal-heavy rhythms, orbital synth lines-- are those necessary to inspire them most movement with the least cognitive interference.
It's all too simple to tie Omar's sound to his native city (if not necessarily its trad dystopian techno sound): both offer utility in the face of style and a shabbiness that's easy to love for those of the right disposition. Maybe he likes it this way-- he certainly seems smart enough to change this perception (though whether he is aware enough is up for debate). It Can Be Done won't increase Omar's stature or change the landscape of electronic music; he is a cantankerous, secluded (by choice) artist, arrogant enough to make music for himself but expecting you to dance to you it. Those patient enough to play by his rules probably will.