With over 25 years in the drum and bass scene, Swedish producer Seba has undeniably earned himself the title of “legend.” Fitting, then, as his latest album with BCee‘s Spearhead Records borrows its titular title Oni from the mythical beasts of Japanese folk legends. Known for bringing about calamities such as war, plague, and natural disasters, the Oni in many ways personify humanity’s existential fears. They are powerful, evil creatures whose appearance signals a great transformation that is rarely a positive one.
Seba captures the essence of this folklore with the dark, gritty ambiance of Oni. The eponymous track is perhaps the best example of this with its sinister and foreboding bassline accentuated by crisp jungle breaks. ‘Smoke,’ ‘Slam,’ and ‘Fake’ also fit the bill with a certain grunginess that sounds inspired by deep 140 dub. Oni isn’t entirely a foray into darkness, however. Amidst the dark vibes of these tracks, the basslines are occasionally juxtaposed with beautifully melodic chords reminiscent of the kinds of songs you’d hear in Playstation 1 video game menus (if you’ve ever played Ridge Racer or Ape Escape, you know exactly what I’m talking about). Songs like ‘Easy,’ ‘Three,’ and ‘Flow’ take a lighter, more graceful tone, resulting in some very heavenly-sounding liquid drum and bass tracks between the dark heavy-hitters of the album. Seba’s versatility really comes to light with ‘Three,’ a soothing and melodic deep house gem that fills the sonic gap between the ominously dark ‘Slam’ and brightly uplifting ‘Solace’ tracks. Oni really deserves to be listened to in order. The arrangement of these songs is a masterclass in curation.
I’ve been doing one off releases for Spearhead since 2011. Steve (BCee) and I talked a long time about doing an album for Spearhead, and after my 2022 album ‘Ingaro’ on my own label Secret Operations, it was about time to put another album together. Since my musical direction is quite diverse with releases ranging from Hospital records to Function records, I thought it would be good to do an album that reflects that diversity. This album has a bit of jungle, drum & bass, liquid, some darkness, some smoothness. All blended together with my signature sounds.
As a whole, Oni feels like a ride through the iconic styles of liquid and jungle drum and bass, with a bit of deep house as a treat. While not particularly full of dancefloor-movers, these are some superbly written tracks that would befit an introspective listen from start to finish. Be sure to check out Oni below.
