PREMIERE | Omo Cloud, 'Mausoleum'
Through the sparkling lens of light — Omo Cloud; photographed by Jake Kelsoe.
The creative spirit has the power to help the healing process. Tackling trauma in all of its guises can be combatted by finding new ways to address and confront the manifestation of the monsters that can metastasize from within that threaten to devour us whole. The catharsis of art offers ways to deal with things that are hard to fully recognize, difficult to wrap our heads around, providing pathways to perform counter ops against the things that feel invisible to others, and sometimes/often times an abstraction to even our very own consciousness. The power of these therapeutic channels allows us to realize things for what they are, recognizing that a better way, a better world, is entirely possible. Through constructive conversations, routes of therapy, anything that speaks and sings to our soul allows us to conquer the things that confine us to the cycles of infinite spirals and perpetual doom loops.
Embarking upon this journey to feeling whole again is San Diego artist Omo Cloud, the moniker of Cole De La Isla. Presenting a first listen to their album Mausoleum courtesy of Dusty Mars Records / Silver Girl Records; the artist works through the youthful traumas that have shattered themselves personally, along with their faith in systems of belief and the character of society at large. In hand with the perils experienced by them (and all of us) during the pandemic, Mausoleum smashes the boulder stones of a cold crypt for something ethereal, eternal, and all out transcendental in ambition, vision, and execution. Cole orchestrates ballads in ways that are unique, unusual, and fascinating in their forms, arrangement, and heartbreaking honesty. It’s an album that confront sobering realities in a sweeping assembly of moving forward whilst putting the pieces of themselves together again on a road of personal discovery, and recovery.
Vestiges of the passing time is paid homage on "Ode to Twenty", like a subdued pastoral sung low and sweet, watching the solstice cycles spin like twirling wishers in the wind. Seasons play out heavy on "The Summer" that sludges through the resounding feelings that resonate through the fall of autumn, chocked full of big chords and a cathartically expressive delivery. The intricacy of obtuse affinities plays out over the rough reflections of "Brutal" that explores abusive attachments and the mismatched pairings of spirits along their own respective, and intersecting paths.
The woodwinds and wiles wind into "Ultimate Love" that showcases the definition of the Omo Cloud sound through a heightened degree of balladry that makes the heart and soul beat like a seismic event. Low bars, disappointments, and other melancholic stories plays out on the lavish lamentations of "Better Man", right before riding out all the feels on the visceral experiences exhibited on "Careening". "Chameleoning" seeks to find their place in the world amid the backdrop of the void, presenting the art of fitting in whilst being true to one's own autonomy in a psychotropic daydream. "Good Intentions" sashays to emotive strings that analyzes the actions and impetuses of the imperfect innerworkings, malfunctions, and other assorted follies of the human condition.
Big time pop theatrics take to the mainstage on "Sometimes" that dives deep beneath the surface and into psychic chambers and cataclysmic chasms of the consciousness. Turning it all full circle is the vulnerable self-examination that doesn't hold back in a head on confrontation of inner shortcomings and things that most shy away from on the absolutely gutted, "Tell Me". Moving out of points of self-isolation is the finale "Orbiting" that finds Cole making their way around the planets and other earthly entities, offering a cosmic allegory to the way humankind interacts, connects, and disconnects within our fractured society. Mausoleum is a memorial for the things we lose in life, a cycle of movements that moves past the malfeasance inherent within humankind and celebrates everything we still stand to gain beyond the specters of the past that lies beyond our control.
Visions, analysis of emotions, and heartfelt expressions by Omo Cloud; photographed by Jake Kelsoe.
Cole De La Isla, aka Como Cloud, providing the following reflections on the new album:
Mausoleum is my way of entombing the past so that I can move forward without the weight of trauma or the dark mistakes I have made haunting me everywhere I go. While the ethos of the record might be heavy, the recording process was actually very joyous. Creating, making music with my favorite people in the world is literally the only thing I want to do for the rest of my life. The songs showed us what they wanted and we just followed their lead.
The moving and meditative musical arts of Omo Cloud; photographed by Jake Kelsoe.
The sonic palette of the record is inspired in part by lifelong references— from layered harmonies and strings à la Sufjan Stevens, to bombastic drums and howling guitar tones of Radiohead. We paired a lot of digital and analog sounds together to create a texture that is equally comforting and confronting. I hope the record gives listeners permission to express tough emotions and that they may see themselves in it.
Omo Cloud’s album Mausoleum will be available June 27 via Dusty Mars Records / Silver Girl Records.