Today, New York City-based alternative hip-hop band OXYMORRONS (interviewed for IDIOTEQ back in 2013!) have dropped their highly anticipated and astoundingly innovative “Mohawks & Durags” EP. The project was released via Jason Aalon Butler’s (Fever 333 / Pressure Cracks / Letlive) artist collective 333 Wreckords Crew and features fan favorite tracks including anti-racism warcry “Justice”, the braggadocious banger “Green Vision”, and the band’s tribute to 90’s hip-hop and rock “Django”.
“Building off the foundation they laid with their ‘Complex But Basic’ EP, Oxymorrons hit the studio with a mission to turn up the dial on their masterful genre-blending and create a project that truly represented their sound. When asked how ‘Mohawks & Durags’ compares to ‘Complex But Basic'”, the band explained, “Both projects relate in the aspect of two different worlds / ideas coming together to make a beautiful bond. What you’re going to see is growth, a lot of edge and big heavy moments in the project. ‘Mohawks and Durags’ will definitely give you a peek on what it’s like being New York City kids making rock music”.
To effectively capture that sound the band tapped the musical expertise of producers John Feldmann (Mod Sun, The Used, Blink-182), Zach Jones (Chelsea Grin, Dance Gavin Dance, As It Is), Marc Orell (Dropkick Murphys), Jason Aalon Butler, and The Hustle Standard. They had to get extra creative in order to bring the project to life during a global pandemic, doing what they could virtually after the initial sessions were halted due to Covid; until it was safe to make a quick trip back to LA to finish out the recording.
The guys observed: “What was happening around us definitely influenced what we had to say and how we wanted to capture and record that energy. During those trips Jason and Zach and the rest of the team really helped us sharpen our skills and hone in on exactly what our sound is… and the result is ‘Mohawks & Durags’”.
Oxymorrons have been anything but shy when it comes to discussing their unique sound which fuses an incredible array of influences, and pushed back on the challenges of being “too hip-hop for rock” or “too rock for hip-hop”. They are also outspoken about their experiences navigating the world and the industry, especially in rock music, as men of color.
The band channeled their collective experiences into the music, yielding a 7-track EP that truly speaks to their existence. As a group they shared: “The central themes for the project are to be unapologetically yourself and that black rock is rock and roll. We really run the gamut on topics for this EP, but those two hold true for every song. Rock music is rooted in melanin. We are proud to be different and weird and to push the boundaries of what a POC band is supposed to sound or look like”.
Ultimately, Oxymorrons hopes this project helps listeners join them in unshackling from stereotypes while promoting creativity and embracing diversity across the music landscape. Adding: “We hope that people get inspired, we hope they learn and help push the idea of creating a new wave of music. Breaking the idea of not accepting something because it doesn’t look or sound like the ‘Norm’. We hope that this project inspires people to be free”.
