Posted on 09/15/2005

 

Over the course of his stellar Ubiquity Records debut, The Find, Ohmega Watts searches for many things: the right person, the perfect sample, the way home. But what is the Oregon-based MC/producer's greatest find: a compelling balance between live and electronic production, with earnest lyrics to match. The Find presents something unfamiliar to hip-hop heads as of late: a warm sound that sits somewhere between the no-holds-barred sampling spree of a Jurassic 5 record and the live instrumentation of an early Roots project. On songs like "You are Now Tuned In", "Full Swing", and "A Request", Watts marries turntable and sampler tricks with an array of live (and then re-sampled) strings, horns, and woodwinds to create beats with a distinctly hip-hop feel. Over the course of the album's 22 tracks (including four interludes), however, Watts also manages to work in elements of experimental jazz ("Outro/Dream On"), reggae ("Your Love" and "Treasure Hunt") and rock ("Groovin' on a Sunshine", "Floor Rock", "Move!" and "Long Ago"). In the midst of mixing styles, Watts never loses his hold on the continuing thread of the album: each beat evolves from its predecessor in a seamless way creating subtle but infectious vibes.



roduction-wise, real basslines are what really separates The Find from the pack. As a highly rhythm-driven genre, hip hop has long had an obsession with "bass"— the rhythm section of the track that sets the meter for the rhymes. However, somewhere along the line actual basslines – notes played by basses, bass guitars, or even bass synthesizers – took a backseat to the prominent drum tracks that give hip hop its plodding (Alchemist), chaotically full (Kanye West), or bouncy (Timbaland) qualities. What's lost in showcasing the drums is the added rhythmic dimension bass offers: matching the beat is one dimension of flow, but molding vocals to fit different basslines is another, less explored, aspect.



nd flow the MCs do. With Watts behind the boards, guest lyricists Lightheaded, The Procussions ("That Sound"), and Adam L ("You Are Now…") weave their unique deliveries in entertaining ways. Watts' guests not only hit on basic party and battling themes, but also speak openly about another element of hip hop that seems lost on the airwaves today: the visceral feel of performing and the joy of creating ("The Find" and "Saturday Night Live").

While The Find features many guest shots, Watts proves to be a skilled rhymer himself. Without a doubt, a single album can have only so many tributes to samplers and self-aware commentary about fiddling with audio equipment. Regardless, Watts still brings a fresh perspective. On "Mind Power" he bids farewell to an indecisive woman with nothing but good will: "You're worth more than you know / I pray you find yourself before long / I don't pretend to know it all but I know this much / We bend rules most to grab what we should not touch." Just as his music strikes a balance between the sampled and the organic, Watts can weave rhymes that are heartfelt without being preachy, and then quickly switch to more lighthearted matters without being frivolous.



ength is always an issue when an album spans 80 minutes, and Watts' project is no exception. A few tracks could have been dropped to preserve the pace, but it's hard to say exactly which tracks. End game: Watts has dug-up great, enheartening music – listen to what he's found.