The Grip

Oliver Cean—aka Oceaán—is proving once again that his music is a genre unto itself. A blend of dubstep, electronica, hip-hop, soul and dance music, The Grip also reminds us that once in a blue moon, an EP does more than simply whet our appetites for a bigger release. If you like your dance tracks to go heavy on the beats and 1980s-era video-game sound bites, then the eclectic “Veritas” will be your track; and if you've dreamed about hearing heavenly synth pop artfully combined with hip-hop rhythms, then “At Your Feet” is your jam. The title track is a musical mindjob because of its unusual time signature and its gradual build into a full-blown dance number, and when this song is compared with the supremely chilled down-tempo track “Candour” it makes the power of each song more striking because of their differences. The UK-based producer scores a hit with The Grip for daring to explore any avenue that interests him, and curiously, the subtle presence of dubstep throughout makes the EP a lot more cohesive than you would expect from this often jarring genre.