Otter Amulet by Sawyer James

Marking his first release on Ommaya, label co-founder Sawyer James' 'Otter Amulet' EP acts as the perfect stepping stone into his distinctive sound that he's refined.

Opening with 'Peaks,' the EP starts on a note both hypnotic and tenacious. Dreamy synths float above flying percussive grooves, both underlined by a tunneling bassline. By the time the vocal sample is introduced in the second half, the track has burrowed its way into your brain.

Following up 'Peaks' is the EP's title track - 'Otter Amulet.' Warm 808s underline clattering drums paired with soulful vocal sample, reminiscent of nostalgia in heavy hitting trap hits from the early to mid 2010s. The track ends on a high energy note as it doubles the tempo in the finale before fading to nothing.

Next is the dark and bassy bit of the release - 'Petrification Gesture.' Starting with a verb'd out atmosphere of unease, the track suddenly hits you with a wall of sound consisting of growls, smacking snares, and airy bells jingling.

Capping off the release is 'Smoke Absorber' - a 100bpm exercise in paranoia. A howling pad gives way to a frenetic modular synth cadence, only to be balanced out by a visceral melody like something from a dark fairy tale.

"I think this release is a great encapsulation and reinterpretation of sounds that have been inspiring me recently, and will serve as a great jumping off point for my next phase of releases."

-Sawyer James


Sawyer James - Otter Amulet EP [OMM002]

Co-label head @ Ommaya Records

Ommaya Records