Okada is a project by Greg Pappas from Alabama, US. Initially known to the music world as ZXYZXY, Greg used it as a vehicle for experimentation and refinement of his writing technique while dabbling in electro-acoustic, ambient, post-rock and even wonky genres. It wasn't until the Summer of 2014 that he felt his music clicked into place seemingly out-of-nowhere under Okada. Division of Self has a cinematic quality, the silver screen brought to life through music. You can barely make out a child's whisper, a placid, slightly melancholic piano and a female vocal that repeatedly cries out: 'Tell me that it's over'. The dark ambient facade fades, and the listener approaches a lovely, inviting ambient interior, with rose-colored paint and dusty, forgotten statues, decaying together like former lovers tangled up in the dirty sheets of a dead romance.
The sedate strolling pace is just what's needed. Okada creates a dreamy vibe that is intensely warm and understanding, full of theatrical flourishes and quieter moments for reflection and stillness. Ethereal in sound, and yet flirting with clipped n' clunky beats, Division of Self has an ambient heart that treads over a weary soul. The music has recovered from its troubled opening. It's almost as if it were saying "don't give up just yet".
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Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal - E-Zine
