OSCAR AND THE WOLF soft-hearted fierce lover from outer space You might not have heard of Oscar and The Wolf just yet, but the 26 year-old Belgian boy, also known as Max Colombie, is what we call a superstar in his home country. Selling out arenas in Belgium, The Netherlands or Turkey, he has reached a wider European audience with his debut album « Entity » released in 2014. His stage name might sound like a band name but behind it is mainly a tormented dreamer seeking refuge somewhere between brightness and darkness. Oscar and The Wolf first drew the Belgian audience’s attention with 2 EPs called « Imagine Mountains » and « Summer Skin », gathered in an EP Collection released in 2013. His unique sound could be explained by the duality carried in his own name. « Oscar » stands for a bright and poetic persona and the « Wolf » for a more enigmatic and lone creature of the night ; both being Max Colombie’s alter egos. Gradually, Oscar and The Wolf touched a more general audience with « Princes », « Strange Entity » or « Undress » which made it to the tracklist of his album « Entity » released in April 2014. As his previous productions, the record is tinged with melancholy and slow beats, but plays with an odd (in the good way) mix between soul, hip-hop, r’n’b, electro and that’s exactly where lies Oscar and The Wolf ’s uniqueness : in its hybridity. The tracks are ethereal, mysterious and fiery, carried by Max’s powerfully gloomy but soothing and warm voice, giving them an intense and striking impact. Actually, « Entity » represents something, someone you are attracted to but can’t ever manage to catch or comprehend. This eternal yearning lies in everything Max sings, with lyrics such as « Oh my baby, please come see me I don’t want you to go now » « I lost you, I miss you, I wanna hold you » « Run for the gold, run for the money, run for the infinity ». The experience of «Entity» feels like having a dream while running a fever. This dual, paradoxical mood is inherently living in all Oscar and The Wolf ’s music. Oscar and The Wolf also has got a whole aesthetic on its own. His glittery saturnine universe produces a complex, singular and sensitive imagery. His live shows are an otherworldly and timeless party-journey enhanced by Max Colombie’s sensual dance moves, unique clothing style, stage persona and natural aura. With fellow musicians Ozan Bozdag, Claudio Arduini and Jasper Bullynck, he performs his songs in a heavier way than studio versions.
What is Max up to now? During summer 2016, he had us wait with « The Game », a song hinting at a darker r’n’b sound, but which seems however not to have made it to the tracklist of his sophomore album «Infinity» due September 29th of this year. Earlier this June, he has begun the promotion of his long awaited new album by releasing « So Real ». It still contains Oscar and The Wolf ’s misty own singular touches, but got heavier beats and sounds more haunting, futuristic and sultry than ever. This single is followed by « Breathing », more nostalgic and danceable, which the performer describes as a « celebration of sadness ». Therefore, Oscar and The Wolf ’s new material promises to sound very varied. This « eclectic collection of songs » will find its source in drama, in the manner of « Entity » that found its source in heartbreaks : creation still arising from pain and desire. Oscar and The Wolf started this summer the promotion of « Infinity » by playing on renowned European festivals such as Rock Werchter or Tomorrowland before heading on tour this fall. « Run for the infinity » Max Colombie sings in « Princes ». Do not run for it no more because it’s coming on September 29th. Or maybe you should, if you wanna make sure to get your copy !
Listen if you are a fan ofLana Del Rey ! Both coming from their own planet -or terrestrial paradise, their overpowering sound and recognizable persona spreads eerie and dreamy vibes.
One song to listen to« Breathing » sounds like stars knocking together in a galaxy party and most likely represents what «Infinity» is heading towards with some «Entity»’s distinctive features at the same time.
WordS by LAURE AND ANASTASIA BENSOUSSAN PHOTO : ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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