New album ‘Alexithymia’ due May 2022 via DeepMatter Records
South London based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist & producer Quinn Oulton is pleased to announce a brand new single with the arrival of ‘Better’, lifted from the forthcoming album ‘Alexithymia’ out through DeepMatter Records this May.
Following on from his recent singles ‘Royalty’ and ‘Sober’, ‘Better’ forms an arresting body of work, with its subtle delicate touches, finds hope amidst our current situation, driven by abstract electronic sounds and Quinn’s soulful, heartfelt delivery. He continues to carve out a unique musical style, one that refuses to be pigeonholed or categorised.
He says: ‘My album ‘Alexithymia’ dissects events from different relationships, whether family, friends, or romantic, presented as a single story from start to finish. Obsession, frustration, passion, false hope, grief, self-pity, helplessness, and acceptance are all part of this story. I wrote it in this way because I was trying to work out why I connect so much with sad or melancholic music, and I realised that maybe listening to that music was filling a hole that I didn’t know I had. It was comforting to hear somebody process their own troubles outwardly when I didn’t feel I had a way, or even a reason, to do so myself. Writing the album has been an extremely therapeutic process as I’ve been able to seek out difficult parts of my life that I’d buried because I couldn’t process them at the time.”
Quinn Oulton exhibits a raw sound, melding soaring vocals and tangled acoustic textures with complex electronics. The sound is deeply unique, which is understandable when you consider the journey that he has taken to reach this point in his career.
He adds: “I think a lot of people, particularly men, struggle to recognise and process their own emotions. It makes it very hard to share them with others, and it’s something that needs addressing to allow for healthier relationships with other people and yourself.”
Quinn picked up the saxophone at a very young age. His thirst for music was nurtured by mentors Julian Joseph and Soweto Kinch – two heavyweights of the UK jazz scene. Although jazz was his focus, he was also surrounded by blues, folk and rock music at home thanks to his dad’s diverse record collection.
His first leap into the world as a solo artist was a self-produced EP in 2017, when he began exploring his own voice and how to manipulate his skills as an instrumentalist to tell a story. These releases earned him a place on the 2018 Red Bull Music Academy. The two-week course entirely changed his scope and ambitions, as his eyes were opened to the world of electronic music culture – working alongside legends such as Just Blaze and father of techno Mike Banks (Underground Resistance).
His next EP ‘Long Gone’ (2020) presented a more refined sound as he honed his production skills and pushed his vocal abilities further. ‘Show Your Face’ is Quinn’s latest EP. The project shows his strengths when working with collaborators Conor Albert and Demae (of the Touching Bass family), and a new, exciting way of blending traditional jazz and electronic soundscapes.
Quinn also tours and regularly appears on radio and TV alongside 2020 Mercury Nominee, Moses Boyd.
24th February ‘Better’
Links
Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/artist/2lqAPLmP9BsHPymfa6UFO7?si=41LEK4PmRhik-4myJa1k_g
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/quinnoulton/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/quinnoulton
Website – https://quinnoulton.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/quinnoulton/