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The top five influences of Oliver Tank's debut album, 'OT'

23 April 2017 | 8:54 pm | Staff Writer

The elusive Oliver Tank returned earlier this year with new music and an album on the way, so we asked him all about the influences behind "OT"

Elusive producer OLIVER TANK has been pushing boundaries and defying conventions for years. He's been heralded as one of Australia's very best offerings when it comes to electronic music, and ever since his early days back in 2011, he's been revered nationally and internationally as a force to be reckoned with in emotive, heartfelt and captivating music.

Seemingly off the radar for the past couple of years, Oliver Tank surprised and pleased fans everywhere earlier this year with his return in the form of new music, and the news of an album on the way. Finally, April 21st marked the day his debut LP would arrive, titled OT and delivering on all the promise we'd hoped it would contain.

To get to know him a little better, and about the time he's spent creating OT, we asked Tank to tell us a bit about the influences behind his record. Take a look below, and once you're done, jump on the few remaining tickets for his long-awaited Australian tour. These aren't shows you'll want to miss!

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Seekae - Void

These guys were a big inspiration when I first started making music. As far as I'm aware, they were some of the first people in Australia to be making this sort of electronic music. It was inspiring knowing such awesome music was coming out of Australia and I really love the melodies and beats that they used in this track. Their first album The Sound of Trees Falling on People was really special and they've continued to evolve their sound ever since.

Board of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy

Another all time favourite track. When I first heard this track I was blown away. It’s such a beautiful mix of sounds. The music video perfectly reflects the mood of the track. I love the sound of the guitar and cymbal hits that echo all over the place. It was released in 2005, such a timeless track.

James Blake - Wilhelm Scream

My friend first showed me this song. The official version hadn't come out yet. Someone had just recorded it one of his live shows and put it on YouTube. Even though the audio quality was average it still sounds incredible, it’s such heartfelt electronic music.  I love the synth sounds and the way the vocal is mixed.

Mount Kimbie - Maybes

This is the track that inspired me to use a lot of distorted guitar in my music. I love how it sounds against the sharp close sounds they use in the beat, as well as the vocal samples towards the end. Mount Kimbie really changed the game. Their brand of electronic music is so unique.

Jon Hopkins - Small Memory

I love a grand piano with a bit of reverb on it. Jon Hopkins uses this in a lot of his music. This track has such a beautiful piano melody and in some of his other music Jon Hopkins mixes acoustic sounds with electronic ones so seamlessly. I try to do this in a lot of my music. It’s featured on Insides, a really special album that was a big inspiration for me when I was first starting to make music.

OLIVER TANK tour dates

Thursday 4th May -  Small Ballroom, Newcastle NSW

Friday 5th May - Wollongong Uni Bar, Wollongong NSW

Saturday 6th May -  Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW

Saturday 13th May -  The Foundry, Brisbane QLD

Friday 19th May - Transit Bar, Canberra ACT

Saturday 20th May - Howler, Melbourne VIC

Friday 26th May - Jive, Adelaide SA

Saturday 27th May - Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth WA

OT is out now

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