Ot To, Not To

Ot To, Not To is the experimental RnB recording project of Virginia natives Ian Mugerwa (Dawuna) and Noah Smith. In late 2016, Ian joined Noah at his family’s cabin in the Virginia Appalachian mountains to record a follow-up to the first Ot To, Not To LP "Goshen". This sylvan setting inspired a shift from the more cold, abstract, electronics of "Goshen" to the more naturalistic, analog-focused, and guitar-driven aesthetic of the new LP. Tape processing was heavily utilized as a way to collage and manipulate samples. All instruments - even the orchestral parts - were performed by Ian and Noah. Subtle, but detailed sample-based sound design was utilized throughout the album for texture and, unlike their debut, no synths were used. Instead there was an emphasis on manipulating samples the duo would amass from hours of field recording. Throughout the recording session the duo adopted a religious reverence for the woods and mountains that surrounded them, and as a result the album took on themes of spiritual yearning and exploration that flowed under allegorical lyrics about isolation and lost love. Additionally, elements of ambient electronic music were explored on "It Loved to Happen", with some tracks abandoning any song structure in favour of raw sound exploration.