Om 100
Various Artists
Om
Om, like that other bad-ass Bay Area label, Ubiquity, is so damned good, I do’t mind it when they break their own arms patting themselves on the back. And, with as much control the majors have on distribution, the media, the whole damned music pimp game, for a little label-that-could to celebrate its one hundredth release is definitely an achievement. And few deserve to be congratulated as much as we should celebrate Om’s accomplishment. They make good, earnest, soulful music that has power, grit, integrity, and a punch that’ll floor ya.
This two-disc set is a head nod fest for the ultra-chill set with soulful house, underground hip-hop, and break beats that put a hipster smile on your face. They have an impressive roster of forward thinking musicians, the quality of which few labels can claim: experimenters extraordinaires Ming & FS; kung-fu kicking beat breaker, King Kooba; the dance world’s world dance crew, Afro-Mystik; soulful house soul brother #1, Marques Wyatt; Soulstice’s immaculations; house pioneer, Mark Farina; and the gritty underground hip-hop cobwebs of People Under the Stairs. With such talent it is no surprise that Om has lasted 100 releases, and nobody will be terribly shocked when they’ve released 100 more – but we’ll all be grateful to be taken along for the ride.
Om Records: http://www.om-records.com
