One of the common threads of the human experience is the need to share. That constant nagging desire to relate to others, and to have others relate to you. In many ways, this has manifested itself to what we know and understand as art. Artists have a way of exhibiting shared emotions and experiences in profound ways which allow us to have a deeper meaning of life in general. Each artist presents to us their own story through their own medium which has the power to ignite a shared sense of oneness. One of such artists and stories to note is that of Durban producer, Kidd Odd in his debut offering BLOOOM EP.  Kidd Odd previously used to do mixes and flips of songs which he would post on SoundCloud, but in this project, he has decided to finally put some songs together and make his first official EP.

As the title suggests, the project is centred around flowers! Odd speaks about an analogy he thought of where humans are flowers and God is the Sun. In order for the flowers to grow they need sustenance from the sun, hence the title BLOOOM. The opening number on the EP is a song titled “Mantra” which is accompanied by some spoken word by the poet BLACK SASH. The essence of the track is about embracing the chaos of life. Embracing the moments which may be viewed as lows just as much as the highs, and learning from both. The history behind the track is extremely significant. The artist was going through a dark period in his life so he turned to meditation. He decided that he was going to start making his own meditation music to give him a sense of peace. That’s how the song “Mantra” was born. It’s important to note that sometimes production can stand on its own without the addition of a vocalist. Sometimes sounds can evoke emotions that are stronger and less obvious than words spoken. This may be the case for the introduction to the EP.

Ode to Daisy is a brilliant example of how the use of a vocalist can add texture and richness to a song. When asked about this particular song he tells the story of how he sampled the vocals from a studio session which never came to fruition. This song is easy on the ear as the soothing vocals and electronic beat merge together to form a blissful piece of music. At the very end of the song, there’s a line which goes “…a person can go through a season of winter in their lives [but] come spring you bloom and blossom”. This is the entire message of the project encapsulated into one. Ilala/S&R Dropping features the similar electronic feel we’ve grown to expect from Odd but there’s still a touch of nature as we hear the use of the sample of raindrops. Kidd Odd chooses to remain organic when he chooses his features which are fitting as he selected his close friend CAPTAIN 95 to feature in this song. Again, this song could have benefited from standing firmly on its own without any extra additions.

Gabriel’s Serenade is the song on the project where it feels like Kidd Odd is being his true authentic self. There’s a sense of confidence in his own personal sound without all the frills. In this song, he is basking in his electronic, trippy, acid jazz splendour and we love every second of it. There’s some familiarity in the song “Gerberas” as it samples an Alina Baraz and Galimatias song. Kidd Odd has managed to achieve something which a lot of artists struggle with, and that is having a running theme throughout the project. From the title to the sounds of nature in “God’s Garden” to the sampling of raindrops in Ilala/S&R Dropping, you can tell that this artist has put a lot of thought into what this project was going to feel and sound like. This is extremely commendable. It is very easy to tell from this EP that Kidd Odd is talented. He possesses the ability to produce music which is punchy, intentional and emotive. The artist could benefit from focusing solely on the things which make him a great artist by remaining true to his sound and not being afraid of letting the music speak for itself.