With the release of his second single “Turn Back”, London-via-Finland artist OH? is joined by newcomer Elsie as he continues to enrapture us along his musical journey.
Deeply emotive strumming guitar chords lay the perfect foundation for OH? and Elsie’s heartfelt and raw vocals, as they sing “you say it’s time to turn back, but if time could turn back, yeah then time would turn its back on those who carry on with life.”, contemplating the meaning of time in this fast-paced world. The pairs perfectly pitched harmonies effortlessly move in unison oozing vulnerability and warmth. With his signature rolling synths and intertwining sprinklings of glistening keys, OH? continues to prove his talents with this poignant and heart-rending offering.
Speaking on the track Elsie tells us: “Time is something we’re bound to be acutely aware of on a day-to-day basis, and a force felt in all our lives. Time can take us away from places, and further from our memories. We often have less of it than we’d like to think, and how difficult it can be to stay in the present moment!”
Affirming Elsie’s thoughts OH? adds: “Time is constantly moving forward, it compels you to grow, it doesn’t discriminate. Turn back aims to take a constructive approach towards the great equalizer. You know, time is something we really can’t control, rather it controls us - yet we try so, so hard. No matter how much we want something to be as it used to, staying comfortably in nostalgia, or in our hopes for the future, if we try to do that, we just get stuck in the moment and everything starts to feel strange. Even when we experience a great loss, we can’t stop traveling into the future with all our emotions, fears, hopes and our dreams, and there’s little more we can do than to try and find some peace in the present moment.”
It’s no accident that the multi-instrumentalist and producer Oskari Halsti’s new solo music project poses a question in its very name. As a musical venture which aims to find balance in opposing forces, OH? marks the start of a new chapter for the prolific Finnish artist.
With his musical roots first forming in the remote, uncharted forests of Nuuksio - an area outside of Helsinki where he grew up – OH?’s music heavily embraces a diverse collective of sounds which are reflected by his environment. The now London-based artist has found more balance in the opposition of his rural early years, versus the chaos of metropolitan life.
Through a wealth of experience gathered by playing in heavy metal bands, jazz ensembles and as part of the Universal Music signed trio Wedding Crashers, Oskari has assembled quite the encyclopaedic musical history. However, while rising as a sought-after producer, Oskari sensed a growing need to channel his creativity into an artist project of his own and relocated to London in 2020. Stepping out of a world where he was a well-known, respected musician and producer, OH? was born in- between the chaos of lockdowns and experimental recording sessions.
A musical persona channelling the post-punk influence of bands like The Smiths or The Clash with the haunting atmospheric synths of Joy Division and the joyful melodies of New Order, OH?’s multi-layered creations are fiercely rebellious. Reflecting a bold, intentional desire to prioritise the music first and then see where it falls on the spectrum, each OH? soundscape is an intricate experimentation, resulting in his unorthodox creations feeling familiar yet excitingly difficult to categorise.
With the release of “Turn Back” OH? is continuing to cement himself as a true musician, promising a fast-paced trajectory as a new artist to watch.