Be Not A-Frayed

This album art is beyond incredible.

OIM Records is a new label based in the Bay area, with a mission to take the Oakland music scene to the next level. Helmed by experts in all three cornerstones of the industry- promoter Sarah Sexton (Oaktown Indie Mayhem), musician Angelica Tavella (Nyx), and producer Jeff Saltzman (The Killers’s Hot Fuss, Blondie’s Panic of Girls)- OIM is already proving to be a cool label to watch. They have put together a compilation of local artists that has caught my attention, and the track from Waterstrider can’t be beat.

The artists all got a chance to record with Saltzman, and the boys and girl of Waterstrider had a particularly entertaining time. There was a clash of lifestyles in the studio, with lead singer Nate Salman pushing the vegetarian health foods agenda on Saltzman, who apparently has an allegiance to gas station cuisine. His philosophy is always minimalist, evidenced by his satisfaction with what I can only imagine is a lot of 7-Eleven taquitos, but it also translates into how he is in the studio. “He doesn’t go overboard on gear, instead just trying to get good performances and interesting tones,” says Salman. It certainly shows on “Frayed,” which is a beautiful collision of a few isolated rhythms. The vocals, drums, and guitar are the backbone and when the synth dives in, even more facets of the song come to the forefront. And when you add in the lyrics, emotion oozes out, as in the line, “I’m awash in dew-laden desire.”

OIM Vol. 1 will be released on 6/23. For more information on OIM Records, visit their website, Facebook, and Twitter. Waterstrider also have a new album, Nowhere Now, which is out now. For more information on Waterstrider, visit their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Soundcloud.