SOIL

Including collaborations from Bristol’s Rozi Plain, London based Voka Gentle, and Newcastle artists Me Lost Me & Ceitidh Mac, the sophomore record offers a vivid journey through Grant’s otherworldly machinations.  

‘SOIL’ picked up where 2021’s debut ‘Strange Craft’ left off, presenting kaleidoscopic melodies floating above dense rhythms. It skirts a line between dark heavy riff and floating harmony. However, where the acclaimed ‘Strange Craft’ was a focussed, at times minimal affair, ‘SOIL’ looks to break out into a vast filmic landscape. It is a record with a new found confidence in what Rubber Oh is, both thematically and sonically. 

A major feature of this record is the arrangements Grant composed throughout for both choir and strings. There is imposed friction; the push and pull between the levity and delicacy of these voices and strings, rubbing up against the grit and distortion of the driving rhythm section - the music is once again built around Grant’s fuzzed-out, hard-panned basses. The unusual marriage of instrumentation here though creates an intriguing sonic space that feels both familiar and new at the same time.