Before there was Sylvan Esso, there was Milwaukee's Made of Oak.
Electronic music producer Made of Oak is the alias of Nick Sanborn. Sanborn might been known as a member of the group Decibully, but he is also an amazing electronic producer. Actually, a few of Sylvan Esso's tracks started as Made of Oak productions.
On Nov. 6, Made of Oak returns to his electronic roots with a new EP "Penumbra," via Partisan Records (Sylvan Esso, Phox, Field Report).
While the music is studied and skilled, Penumbra‘s emotions are imperfect and wild. The listener will not be surprised to hear that this story first came into focus in a time of claustrophobia and stagnation. Penumbra follows the arc of Sanborn’s movement through a period of doubt to one of actualization, as told in the present tense. Made of Oak is not an engineered rehabilitation, rather the emotional instinct to liberate himself from his own confining patterns and forge ahead; a result of discovering that it is impossible to have perspective on yourself if you’re standing still. This private view gives the churn and swell of these songs great resonance: A picture of the ocean is much more unsettling when taken from its shoreless center.
Listen to a little teaser from Penumbra below, and check out our 414 Music session with Made Of Oak here or in the player above.
Tracklisting:
01. Penumbra
02. Pinebender
03. Side Rides
04. Penultra (When I See You)
05. Blue Zipper
Upcoming Tour Dates:
9/12 Raleigh, NC – Pour House Music Hall (Friend Island Day Party) #
11/5 Los Angeles, CA – The Bootleg *
11/7 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill *
11/9 Portland, OR – Doug Fir *
11/10 Seattle, WA – The Sunset *
11/13 Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right *
11/16 Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle *
11/17 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery *
11/18 Washington DC – DC9 *
11/19 Durham, NC – The Pinhook *
# = with Tuskha, Flock of Dimes, Phil Cook, and more
* = with Tuskha (Phil Moore of Bowerbirds)
