In 2021, YEDM did a New Artist Highlight on Portlander experimental artist Jason Wann and his conceptual undertaking SINES which, at the moment, was on its third multi-track launch. By that album, referred to as A Collection of Moments, Wann mixed all the very best bits of synth pop and gave them a contemporary twist with dabbles of feminine vox accompaniments and totally different beat constructions. Not afraid to play with future bass, techno, bass home and, after all, classic synth pop, SINES exhibits nice promise to be the subsequent Odesza or Washed Out hybrid.
Not numerous followers or press, for that matter, knew that between all the beautiful and celestial synth pop releases, Wann was additionally interstitially releasing below a unique undertaking title referred to as Blood Oyster. Nearly fully reverse in each means from SINES, Blood Oyster is entrenched in booty bass, hip hop and lure with an emphasis on ‘booty.’ The aptly named Let Booty Unfastened that includes rapper Honey B. Candy launched in April 2021 adopted by the even dirtier Pussy Energy in October whereas Wann and SINES music associate Kitty Richardson have been engaged on A Collection of Moments. It will need to have been a colossal mind toggle for Wann.
Designed as a tongue-in-cheek nose-thumbing on the patriarchy and its want to regulate ladies’s our bodies, Blood Oyster is about as deliberately nasty as a 2LiveCrew or a WAP with observe names like “From the Again” and “Throbbing Onerous Penis.” As these ironic assertion EPs which are seemingly about objectification have been being made, Wann was changing into increasingly pissed off with the way in which ladies are both exploited or repressed over the previous couple of years. This frustration culminated, because it did for thus many People, within the Supreme Court docket’s resolution to overturn the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court docket 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 Deliberate Parenthood, made even early time period abortions unlawful (together with in circumstances of rape) and a few states even made it potential for dad and mom who went via with an abortion to be tried for homicide.
With the dystopian nightmare described in Margaret Atwood’s fictional e book The Handmaid’s Story immediately turned actuality and Atwood a prophetess due to Brett Kavanaugh and particularly final Gilead Spouse Amy Coney Barrett, a great deal of artists determined to protest what has now been happening within the US for nearly a yr. Together 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 difficulty alone. Immediately a cheeky commentary on how ladies are utilized in media and abused in personal became an all-out protest with Biggest Hits. Stuffed with tracks from the unique two Blood Oyster EPs plus heaps extra, the 30-track Biggest Hits makes a daring assertion that it doesn’t matter what kind of legal guidelines are locations on them, ladies’s our bodies self-worth an sexuality will all the time be owned by them.
Wann as Blood Oyster makes this assertion in probably the most enjoyable means potential, with loud, colourful booty bass beats, unapologetic lyrics and so many catchy tunes. Watch out; you possibly can end up singing the Daft Punk-esque “ASS” in your head at work or laughing on the one way or the other each sexual and creepy “Everyone Loves Raymond” at inappropriate instances. This complete “collection of bootlegs” is inappropriate, after all, however that’s the purpose. A tapestry of impropriety woven with far more experimental music and flare than we’ve seen from Wann up to now, the album juxtaposes the pure sensual potential of ladies and humanity towards a few of its worst detractors so present what this oppression and management can truly do. With so lots of our idols fallen and a lot injury carried out within the title of propriety, it’s time to take a superb exhausting 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 “collection of visualizers” (who knew that album title could be such a enjoyable callback?) to go along with Biggest Hits. As a result of 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 Biggest Hits takes the artistry of the album up just a few notches. Watch it with some good audio system on a superb TV and also you’ve mainly bought your self an at-home rave. Humorous, kitschy and filled with the love Wann has for ladies that listeners to the album alone could not really feel, the visualizer film is unquestionably value a watch (probably on some mind-altering substances).
Blood Oyster: The Film! from jason wann on Vimeo.
Even if you happen to’re into into booty bass or experimental bass or enjoyable visualizers, there’s another excuse to help Blood Oyster and the Biggest Hits album: all income from its buy on Bandcamp will probably be donated to Deliberate Parenthood in Amy Coney Barrett’s title. That’s proper, within the custom of Mike Pence, Ted Cruz and different anti-uterus rights politicians, Wann has determined that Coney Barrett needs to be the subsequent recipient of this honor to be reminded daily that those that worth the lives of ladies and kids will proceed to battle for his or her well being. The hyperlink for the album is right here (and likewise within the video above) however we additionally encourage followers of ladyparts in every single place to take up this petty (and essential) trigger and donate to the factor SCOTUS and so many different misguided politicians try to destroy. And if you happen to don’t need to donate, have a cheeky, attractive little rave in your lounge or automotive, courtesy of Blood Oyster.
