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Stanley Odd - Oddio

Hot on the heels of the release of their second single ‘Think Of A Number’, Edinburgh based six piece hip hop band Stanley Odd’s are due to unleash their debut album ‘ Oddio’ on the unsuspecting public on May 31st. Made up of musicians from Scotland, Germany and Norway, the band produces an unusual mix of hip hop, electronica, and funk. Yes it all sounds odd, but the clue is in the name.

‘Ten To One’ opens the album with some rapping that sounds almost American in style before the accent turns decisively Scottish; it’s all such a surprise. Just when you’re trying to work it all out, in comes the soft singing of Veronika Electronika and the whole sound transforms to a soulful mood. As you’re just getting used to the transformation, in comes the rapping again. The track continues with the two styles battling it out throughout. This is typical of the album; mixing styles, tempo and genres - anything goes.

The third track on the album, ‘The Numbness’, starts with Veronika singing RnB style before the band and the inevitable hip hop strains kick in. This song has a catchy chorus sung superbly by Veronika. She also sings a nice solo part way through. Her voice is so good that, if it doesn’t work out with Stanley Odd, I’m sure she could make it as a solo artist.

For me, ‘Sun Dance’ stands out from the rest of the songs on the album. There’s some very mellow backing to the mellow rapping and the angelic tones of Veronika; very moody and very enjoyable. This shows that hip hop doesn’t have to be harsh and aggressive; it can be mixed with soul and brought down to a more soporific level.

With ‘Think Of A Number’, they pull out all the stops with all band members having a go at trying to be heard. Again, this is typical of the tracks on the album in that they are similar but very different from each and every one of the others. There are eleven tracks on this album, each with a different message to portray; I’m sure some of them will be picked up and played by the media.

It’s refreshing to hear hip hop being performed over real instruments rather than over the industry-standard loops and samples. This is what I think helps give the band a cutting edge when playing to their ever-increasing live audiences.

To mix such a wide variety of genres seems optimistic but with the addition of witty lyrics, funky beats, the RnB styled backing of Veronika Electronika and the rapping of Solareye with his broad Scottish accent, it all seems to gel together nicely. Is the world ready for such an unusual blend or will they be treated as just an oddity?