3/5 stars
Oscar Key Sung has never been worried about breaking away from the norm in the electronic music space, and Altruism demonstrates a tentative foray into finding himself a more offbeat sound within the genre.
The EP’s opener, ‘Skip’, gently eases the listener into his peculiar world of electro, guiding them in with strong beats and mesmerising, repetitive wordplay of the word ‘skip’. He even experiments with soundscapes like ringtones – so no, that’s not your phone going off. The aptly named ‘Premonition’ is perhaps the most interesting track on the EP, experimenting with continuous loops and whispering hidden among captivating lead vocals. It’s breathy and intriguing, and it’s here that we can see Sung really start to push the boundaries of his sound.
However, some of the tracks on this EP don’t make for such easy listening, as ‘Inside Job’ and ‘Light’ move in stranger directions. Twisting and turning with little regard for an overarching melody, things get more edgy and steer away from the norm.
Altruism is an interesting and clever release, but whether it can shine within the near-saturated electronic music scene is uncertain. Sung begins to explore a new sound, but doesn’t throw himself into it with enough direction, which is a shame.
Oscar Key Sung’sAltruismis out through Warner Music Australia.
