LISTEN: Orang’s Everyone EP

By JUICE Malaysia • 13 Jul 2016 in News

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With the release of debut EP Everyone, it seems the once elusive alt pop artiste Orang is looking to present himself as transparently as he possibly can. The ‘Selfie’ music video is one obvious instance, where his face is literally on display in most of the frames. Orang uses the wide and boundless expanse of pop music to explore; 1) the expression of frustrations and personal perspectives in a relationship, and 2) the pondersome notion of playing with varying personae to assimilate into one whole identity.

These two themes often correlate with each other, which can be heard in ‘Selfie’ where Orang contemplates the idea of adopting a new persona over natant guitars and increasingly shimmering keyboards. After, on ‘German Cosmic Rock’, the unassuming title bodes a deceptively groovy wistfulness that carries questions of deep-seeded insecurities and existential anxieties (“What’s my name? What’s my gender? What’s the point in an argument that I can’t win?”). This is then followed by the six-minute ‘All The Time’ as he figures out the permissions, possibilities, and expectations of being attached to a long distance relationship within a tapestry of dulcet coos, glistering synths, and a constant, grounded drum beat. Next, in what’s been described as “the aftermath of a fight” from the preceding unfruitful negotiations between partners, Orang skews his voice to take on a tone that reverberates through the rueful haze of ‘The Pang of Regret’. Lastly, the tempo heightens – as does the attitude of the EP – with lead single ‘R U Down With It’. Orang intermingles two vocals styles with the clang of the guitar and tropical percussion as he announces resolutely in the refrain, “Never once did you make time to compromise –” vexed by the unbalanced barter of his relationship, and ostensibly tired of its effects he has endured.

Take a listen to the EP below: