2018 Countdown | Odd Atlas

Saxophonist Warren Walker and Guitarist Federico Casagrande are longtime friends in the Paris music scene and together they form OddAtlas along with drummer Caleb Dolister and bassist Sam Minaie from New York. The project began with the newly formed quartet locking themselves in a remote alpine studio during a frigid December week in Chamonix, France, 2016. They arrived at the studio with a few odd compositions, plugged in and started to create. Despite the cold air rushing down from Mont Blanc to still the town, the studio stayed warmed by hours of exploring their collective compositions.

OddAtlas’ self-titled album takes the listener through this process, and documents the seasoned and progressive Post-Jazz performers as they build their musical ideas and concepts while recording. Though their paths are clearly from different places, they managed to discover a cohesive energy, and a steady ambiance can be felt throughout the entire album as melodies evolve over playful and ever-changing contrasts. The album feels equally like a journey to unknown parts and the long road back home from them.