When it comes to the new wave of R&B, few are as innovative as Manchester's Oceaán. Up until now, the act has been more of a sound than anything (yes, we said "act" rather than "artist" [that means more than one person for those of you keeping score at home]), but now that they've made their live UK debut with Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1, they've began to form a more tangible public persona. The identification of the act as a twosome during this session isn't the only noteworthy bit about it, however, as they decided on it to drop off a stunning rendition of their second single ever, "Need U", featuring vocals from another of the UK's finest rising talents, Låpsley. This seductively smooth new recording features fairly minimal percussion, vocals from both Oceaán and Låpsley, and even some mind-easing live strings. The song, which was recorded at BBC's Maida Vale Studios, is actually mixed with Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" as well, and though there are quite a few different influences here, everything comes together quite brilliantly. For those of you that have missed out on the act and artist's exceptional recent releases, we suggest grabbing a copy of each. Oceaán's EP, The Grip, and Låpsley's major label debut, Understudy, are both truly fantastic works. Also, if you want to listen to the rest of Oceaán's Maida Vale session, you can do so HERE. S/O to Rick Moreno for the heads-up on the track.
Oceaan