Album Review: Watermelon Boy – The Wow Signal
Australian producer Watermelon Boy is a unique musical alchemist. He sets diverse sounds of the global south against his own deep background in Australian electronic tradition. Most of Watermelon Boy's music is rooted in collaborative experiences. His latest release "The Wow Signal" is no exception. It showcases a rich palette of talented artists from Ghana, Fiji, Chile, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Jamaica.
The album starts with "Outside", recorded together with fellow Australian Magajie. The track is interesting in the way it combines smooth textures (including a catchy sax line) with a crisp bouncy beat and Magajie's rough and charismatic vocals.
The smooth side of the producer's talent is also showcased on "Memories" – a curious mix of classic 90s house and rave, tropical vibes and Amapiano, a genre of dance music that emerged in South Africa in the 2010s. The track is notable for its memorable vocal chops and its multilayered and constantly changing rhythmic part.
"Cagi Mudre Vou" is a collaboration with two Fijian musicians – vocalist Bigwilz and producer Christonite Boginikua. The song features the sounds of traditional Fijian log drum "lali" and paints the pictures of seaside sparking the memories of an old love – both with lyrics and with relaxed synth chords that gradually come in and out of focus like ocean waves.
"Gbona" is another vivid collaboration – this time with Nigerian vocalist Green Baker. The two artists met in Ghana in 2019 and instantly clicked. "Gbona" is their second joint track. Watermelon Boy found a perfect frame for Green Baker's romantic and soulful vocals with bright synths, deep bass and tuned percussion.
"Glistening Sand" with its samples of famed blue stone beach in Flores, Indonesia, finds a perfect balance between relaxed attitude expressed by blissful textures and driving energy created by groovy percussion.
"Mereba" is our favourite jam on the album. It is raw, minimalistic and, like much of Watermelon Boy's output, treads the fine line between deeply relaxing and highly energetic. The vocals are courtesy of Bogo Blay from Ghana.
"Spirit of the Lagoon (Famimora)" brings back the energy and charisma of Green Baker, whose autotuned performance is set against the soundbed of transparent keyboards and funky muted guitars.
"Damn Son" manages to stand out even on such a diverse collection of songs. The distorted rock guitars and frantic percussion create an atmosphere of anxiety, but Indian vocalist 2FISTD still sounds relaxed and laid-back.
"No Problems" is probably the catchiest and melodically richest song on the album, thanks to the input from Ghanaian vocalist BRYAN THE MENSAH.
Bryan makes an encore on the next track "Hall of Fame", this time joined by Jamaican rapper Jones 2.0, who makes this composition a real "tribute to gratitude and making space for good times". The drums are as huge as always, and the synths are even brighter, more massive and anthemic!
Prolific artist Jalmar from Melbourne joins the cast on "Stand Up", the most minimalistic and stripped down tune on "The Wow Signal". Watermelon Boy says Jalmar is "a music machine who releases more music than anyone he knows".
"Break That Board" is a crazy futuristic tune that brings together fat synth lines, 90s karate game samples and two natural born rappers from Jamaica – Richie Loop and Mark Dwyer.
"Du Papa" is no less futuristic, but this time the karate samples are ditched for tropical bird voices. The track really sounds like nothing else you've heard in your life.
"Outdoor Shower" with its juicy wet claps and super relaxed chords is what you might call "a chill anthem". Watermelon Boy who loves playing it in his DJ sets describes the track as one that "makes you want to dive off the roof and into the clear blue reef".
The album closes with "Cheap Drinks & Bad Decisions", a super rich and cinematic track, creating a tense and dark atmosphere. Is it a half-empty club early in the morning? Is it the heart of deep dark jungle? We don't know. And this is what makes the song special.
"The Wow Signal" is a true testament to the power of music – a universal force that can connect people living on different continents, speaking different languages and having different backgrounds. The resulting collection of songs is filled with so many emotions and sonic colours that it can stay fresh and inspiring even after dozens of listens.
The album starts with "Outside", recorded together with fellow Australian Magajie. The track is interesting in the way it combines smooth textures (including a catchy sax line) with a crisp bouncy beat and Magajie's rough and charismatic vocals.
The smooth side of the producer's talent is also showcased on "Memories" – a curious mix of classic 90s house and rave, tropical vibes and Amapiano, a genre of dance music that emerged in South Africa in the 2010s. The track is notable for its memorable vocal chops and its multilayered and constantly changing rhythmic part.
"Cagi Mudre Vou" is a collaboration with two Fijian musicians – vocalist Bigwilz and producer Christonite Boginikua. The song features the sounds of traditional Fijian log drum "lali" and paints the pictures of seaside sparking the memories of an old love – both with lyrics and with relaxed synth chords that gradually come in and out of focus like ocean waves.
"Gbona" is another vivid collaboration – this time with Nigerian vocalist Green Baker. The two artists met in Ghana in 2019 and instantly clicked. "Gbona" is their second joint track. Watermelon Boy found a perfect frame for Green Baker's romantic and soulful vocals with bright synths, deep bass and tuned percussion.
"Glistening Sand" with its samples of famed blue stone beach in Flores, Indonesia, finds a perfect balance between relaxed attitude expressed by blissful textures and driving energy created by groovy percussion.
"Mereba" is our favourite jam on the album. It is raw, minimalistic and, like much of Watermelon Boy's output, treads the fine line between deeply relaxing and highly energetic. The vocals are courtesy of Bogo Blay from Ghana.
"Spirit of the Lagoon (Famimora)" brings back the energy and charisma of Green Baker, whose autotuned performance is set against the soundbed of transparent keyboards and funky muted guitars.
"Damn Son" manages to stand out even on such a diverse collection of songs. The distorted rock guitars and frantic percussion create an atmosphere of anxiety, but Indian vocalist 2FISTD still sounds relaxed and laid-back.
"No Problems" is probably the catchiest and melodically richest song on the album, thanks to the input from Ghanaian vocalist BRYAN THE MENSAH.
Bryan makes an encore on the next track "Hall of Fame", this time joined by Jamaican rapper Jones 2.0, who makes this composition a real "tribute to gratitude and making space for good times". The drums are as huge as always, and the synths are even brighter, more massive and anthemic!
Prolific artist Jalmar from Melbourne joins the cast on "Stand Up", the most minimalistic and stripped down tune on "The Wow Signal". Watermelon Boy says Jalmar is "a music machine who releases more music than anyone he knows".
"Break That Board" is a crazy futuristic tune that brings together fat synth lines, 90s karate game samples and two natural born rappers from Jamaica – Richie Loop and Mark Dwyer.
"Du Papa" is no less futuristic, but this time the karate samples are ditched for tropical bird voices. The track really sounds like nothing else you've heard in your life.
"Outdoor Shower" with its juicy wet claps and super relaxed chords is what you might call "a chill anthem". Watermelon Boy who loves playing it in his DJ sets describes the track as one that "makes you want to dive off the roof and into the clear blue reef".
The album closes with "Cheap Drinks & Bad Decisions", a super rich and cinematic track, creating a tense and dark atmosphere. Is it a half-empty club early in the morning? Is it the heart of deep dark jungle? We don't know. And this is what makes the song special.
"The Wow Signal" is a true testament to the power of music – a universal force that can connect people living on different continents, speaking different languages and having different backgrounds. The resulting collection of songs is filled with so many emotions and sonic colours that it can stay fresh and inspiring even after dozens of listens.