Red Traces

Brutally contagious from the opening whirr of synth, ‘Once Were’ is the first puzzle piece from the forthcoming Red Traces album and as Ovadia reveals, “an extension of my most honest self”. Amongst his inspirations from the get-go, the debut single is Ovadia’s sacrificial response to his compulsive playback of Blonde Redhead’s ‘Spring By Summer Fall’ – and boy, it’s a striking start. Drawing from the frenzied energy of ‘Spring and by Summer Fall’, Ovadia answers with oh-so sinister orga...

Brutally contagious from the opening whirr of synth, ‘Once Were’ is the first puzzle piece from the forthcoming Red Traces album and as Ovadia reveals, “an extension of my most honest self”. Amongst his inspirations from the get-go, the debut single is Ovadia’s sacrificial response to his compulsive playback of Blonde Redhead’s ‘Spring By Summer Fall’ – and boy, it’s a striking start. Drawing from the frenzied energy of ‘Spring and by Summer Fall’, Ovadia answers with oh-so sinister organ synth and improvisational drum beats that were “recorded in a single take”. Dizzy bass-lines and desolate vocals unite the ambiguous setting of ‘Once Were’ and embark the listener through a path of unrequited moments in star-crossed lyrics “once were / binary stars / once were”. The fine-tuned ‘Once Were’ sets the pace for Ovadia’s record, exposing his sincere appreciation for each stage of development. Each track is isolated and treated individually, by a collaboration of engineers (Bo Boddie, Brian Lucey), all ensuring devotion to every piece of the record. From the lingering sequences to the layered fade-outs, ‘Once Were’ offers an exciting glimpse into Red Traces’ infectious and mature beginning. -Gemma Dempster