Review Fix Exclusive: Ohr Talks ‘Adaptor’ And More

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Cory Todd AKA Ohr, who discusses his new album, Adaptor

Inspired by artists like Jan Jelinek, Earl Sweatshirt, Delia Derbyshire, Oval, Todd says this album feels different than any of their previous outings. There’s an attention to sonic details unlike ever before, throbbing kicks and warm ambient samples abound, and though the palette of sounds is dense, there’s a confident minimalism that brims with energy. On Adapter, Todd constructs a disintegrating world glowing with the embers of possibility.

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Ohr: I had a pretty uneventful introduction to music as a teen – guitar & bass in high school band, a few groups outside of school. My curiosity and general dissatisfaction with my approach has led me to where I am today. Most of my experiences with the music that I currently explore have been cultivated through practice. 

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Ohr: I usually work out initial musical ideas on the computer: a medium that has felt at home to me for most of my life. From there, I typically develop things on a keyboard or bass. I continually sculpt, hammer, construct sounds that feel dynamic & relatively abstract until I feel satisfied. I love it when things sound both familiar and otherworldly – I’m usually not comfortable with the sound of an instrument “as-is.” I’m passionate about finding alternate spaces for listening and engaging with work.

Review Fix: What inspires you?

Ohr: I spend a lot of time listening, but I also love reading – sometimes I feel more inspired by books than by music. I go on walks & hikes, spend time with my partner & dog, and annoy my friends with my philosophical ramblings. They usually put me in my place, which often sparks interesting ideas.

Review Fix: What does music mean to you?

Ohr: Music doesn’t have to mean anything – which is why it means so much to me. Formally, I love sound. The experience of listening is a deeply profound practice. The process of organizing sound feels like an extension of that perspective.

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Ohr: I like thinking of my work as “experimental” – the idea that I’m continually developing new ideas & exploring within them. Ambient music has felt like my bread and butter for a few years as well… so I suppose somewhere in-between? Adapter feels firmly more in one space than another. 

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Ohr: I like iterating on musical themes during live performance. Occupying a presence in that way can be a great opportunity to slow things down, to settle into alternate spaces. I like the idea of playing a 3 song set. 

Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?

Ohr: “Captain Forever” was my attempt at an up tempo, sort of phasing groove. I reached out to a friend, Chase Jackson, for a recording of him improvising on vibraphone. I took both those ideas and moved naturally from there. I wanted this track to feel assertive, yet inviting. To feel ephemeral, but livable.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2021? 

Ohr: My current goal is to erase the idea of having goals from my life… haha. I’d like to try to breathe more, to let things play out the way they need to. I’m curious about the piano & about drawing, painting, & making computer based visual work. We’ll see!

Review Fix: What’s next?

Ohr: I’m trying to finish Derrida’s “Of Grammatology” – ask me again when I reach the epilogue :)

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Ohr: Infinite thanks & appreciation to everyone for their time and attention, and to you all for the interview!