News & Reviews

BASS: Oscar G buoys Tribal House with studio debut ‘Made in Miami’
Review by BPM Smith
STAR 69 RECORDS

Oscar G is a veteran of the Miami club scene whose thumping Tribal House sets have made him one of the city’s most popular DJ/producers. His studio debut Made in Miami showcases a soft touch at the decks that makes you wonder why the record labels didn’t lock this man in a studio years ago.

Miami native Oscar G released a bevy of House singles with Ralph Falcon during the 1990s. Beginning with 1992’s Reach For Me under the name Funky Green Dogs, he used that partnership to spread the Tribal House message throughout Florida, mostly at small local shows. As global dance music took off during the mid 1990s Oscar G was eventually booked across the globe. Over time, music fans began considering him one of the architects of the "Miami sound," a title he takes earnestly.

"Over the last few years Miami has come a long way in developing as an important place for dance music and I am very proud to have been a part of that," said Oscar G, who views himself as an "ambassador for Miami" when he tours.

House music fans will find a sense of liberation while listening to Made in Miami’s throbbing basslines and deft remixing. From CD 1’s opening, a soft and slow remix of Shahi’s Adrenalin, to the faster paced This Is Jack (Paul Harris & Mark Knight), Oscar G skillfully controls pace and mood while creating a steady rhythm based on tribal percussion.

He even gives a nod to House music’s disco roots with the string instrumentals of Blaze’s Most Precious Love. Also watch for some intricate dialogue and vocal overlaps in Vibrate 2005 by Big Black Root, a rumbling bass-heavy track that anchors CD 2, and a gloriously trance-inducing Mark Knight production, The Box.

Almost every track of Made In Miami is packed with new vocal samples and effects, making it more personal and introspective than Oscar G’s prior mix CDs. That complexity also seems to make listeners feel more meditative. We found this album an ideal fuel for writing, driving during a sunset and yes, pre-parting with friends before a night of clubbing.

While many Tribal House CDs leave us disappointed at the half-way-there, overproduced anthems, record label Star 69 Records shows it’s a true player in the genre with Made In Miami, a nimble snapshot of what you hope to find when searching for your dose of Tribal House.

Scale: 5 stars: Incredible!... 4 stars: Excellent... 3 stars: Good... 2 stars: Mediocre... 1 star: Lame!

Rating: 5 stars

The Bass Test: Every album faces a severe test in BPM Smith’s car stereo, which regularly wins bass wars vs. the Hip Hop loving homeboys of Oakland, California. Swinging from the airy Guitar 1 of Paul Harris to heavy lows in a remixed New Dimension by DJ Petzi as well as a remix of Psykofuk, Oscar G drops a bass hammer on about every other track. That results in an ebb and flow of bass waves that keeps the listener fresh with anticipation.

Bass Score: 9 (out of 10)

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