Omarr Awake made his mark on the Texas music scene this November, energizing the crowd with his debut show at world famous Stubb’s in Austin, bringing his talent together on stage with local artists including the Cap City Horns. On the heels of this and other performances will be the release of Omarr’s newest album, “Time Spent in The Machine,” an EP that covers remarkable musical territory in its four tracks.
Prior to breaking ground with the new ensemble, Omarr Awake saw his Los Angeles based project, Slow Car Crash, to completion with its fifth album, appropriately titled “Intermission”. The decade long project, toured regularly throughout the United States and the West Coast, and played internationally in Costa Rica, England, Ireland, Spain, and France. During his time leading the soulful group, he opened for Ozomatli, B-Side Players, Pedro The Lion, Scapegoat Wax, and Damian Jurado. Slow Car Crash songs were featured in the 2008 film, “Bonne Annee”, a Raindance Film Festival award nominee.
Released in July 2013, “Time Spent in The Machine” is Omarr Awake’s first solo project and includes his best songs to date.
Inspired by Omarr’s own time in the machine, from his youth as a fifteen year old aspiring musician living in cars in San Francisco, to the prime moments of Slow Car Crash, the album’s tracks carry the listener through a myriad of moods. “Sadness” reflects with fondness on the tough times, while the smooth “In Control Of Just One Soul” and the driving back beat of “To Carry You Home” explore the invigorating feelings one gets from trying to make sense of it all. “Dynamite Parasite” draws on the maniacal excitement of playing on stage for fans, with some chaotic horn lines and funk feeding the energy.
In addition to Omarr’s songwriting and performance, “Time Spent in The Machine” features some of Austin’s finest musicians, and the masterful contributions of Grammy Award winning engineers Jason Schweitzman and Bob Lanzner.