Omni (Deluxe 10 Year Anniversary)

Perhaps in 2016 when Omni cheekily named the album Deluxe, they knew they had a classic on their hands. The band was poking fun of the streaming era marketing tactic where artists re-enter the algorithm via a deluxe expanded version of an album right after the original is released but ironically, ten years later Omnis debut is a genuine classic and is being re-released with a bonus disc of B-sides, outtakes, and demos. Omni began as a way for Philip Frobos (bass + vocals) and Frankie Broyles (guitars + drums + keys) to practice creative spontaneity in contrast to the slower meticulous methods their then other bands employed. One fateful night in 2013, the then-roommates devised an Eno-inspired creative game: Would it be possible to write an entire song (arrangement + lyrics, etc.) all in one three hour night session? Whereas most bands begin sculpting a riff or progression brought in by one member, Omni revelled at the chance to begin each songwriting session with a true tabula rosa with no goal in mind except trusting the process. These sessions often began with a melodic bass line that was then quickly complemented by syncopated pointillist guitar (Frankie almost never voices full chords on guitar in Omni). Philip would then retreat to a quiet area to write lyrics as quickly as possible while Frankie worked on writing and recording the drum parts. Seeking the definitive by chance, any accidents that happened in the takes became baked into the songs arrangements; An extra measure here or resting a beat too long there forced the band to come up with creative musical solutions.