Grouse returns to the album format for a third time with a brand new offering, Oslo. Although it contains the atmospheric and dubby downtempo elements for which Grouse is known, Oslo represents new influences and a more concise sound.
Starting in San Francisco as a studio project, Grouse is the work of Dublin native Ronan Carroll as an outlet for his electronic, dub, and ambient-influenced productions. The music of Grouse is atmospheric and cinematic, a place where guitars, violins and brass instruments blend with loops, samples and synthesizers.
Consisting of eleven tracks ranging from the jazzy "Cornucopia", "JVH", and "Interlude J" to the more instrumental-hip-hop influenced beats of "Crosstown" and "Silence", the album is the follow-up to 2012's Heads, described by Dan Hegarty of Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ as "one of the albums of the year." Known for mainly using live instrumentation, this time Grouse has reversed recent trends and produced a more sample-heavy album. At least that’s how it started. In many cases, the samples are hard to spot as Carroll adds the usual flurry of live instruments including horns, dubby bass guitar, and electric piano. Oslo has a more jazzy, instrumental hip-hop feel while sticking to the mellow, atmospheric, downtempo associated with the Grouse sound.
As Carroll notes, "I’ve been a fan of jazz and, in some ways, this album is sort of a tribute to the jazz and instrumental hip-hop and I’ve been listening to over the last few years. Ultimately, it’s about creating an atmosphere. That’s what I love most about music, groove and atmosphere, the way two instruments sound against each other."
Kid Loco - "This is pretty cool. Great moods and tunes."
Rory Hoy (Howlin' Records / Super Hi-Fi) - "An absolutely beautiful release."
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - "Very, very cool. Reminds me of the best of Cup of Tea, G-Stone, and Vienna Scientists."
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show) - "Dope! A great piece of beats and feeling."
Mark Reynolds (Just Chillin Podcast) - "Doper than a Cheech & Chong marathon! Seriously sweet beats."
Hober Mallow (Excursions / Mighty Reel) - "Lush and deep, right into this. Great beat making … evocative music."
Dr. Best (Headz / Limbo Rhythm) - "I love the easy groovin' vibe of this album. Very nice!"
ActRaiser (Fokuz / Med School) - "Super spaced out … hip-hop meets electronica."
MadameFLY (mmRadio / BeatConcious) - "Deep beats, swirling melodies, and rich tonality combine here to establish Oslo as a go-to collection of mood setters."
DJ Tomas (Google Play / ForwardEver) - "Solid chill out tracks that make life seem to slow down a gear."
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) - "Deep and jazzy with a seriously chilled-out atmosphere."