TRANSCENDENCE (Noun. The act of Rising above something to a superior state. Transcendence comes from the Latin prefix trans-, meaning “beyond” and the word scandare, meaning “to climb”. When you achieve transcendence, you have gone beyond ordinary limitations)
“This isn’t an EP, this is an experience – a pop masterpiece,” said music publication Reyt Good Magazine in its review for Robert O’Connor’s ‘Transcendence’ EP last November.
The positive press kept coming, with Culture Fix saying they were, “Bowled over from the stunning cinematic intro.” That Blogger Music gave the release a 10/10 rating, claiming, “’Transcendence’ has everything we have come to expect from Robert, catchy lyrics, upbeat vibe and brilliant vocals.”
Responding to the critical acclaim, as well as a rapturous response from fans, O’Connor is now gearing up to release a Deluxe Edition of the EP, expanded to include nine tracks, each co-produced with frequent collaborator Skynem GT, a Peruvian EDM producer who was picked from over 50 entries to win Robert’s ‘Real Good Fight’ remix competition in summer 2018.
Trailing the re-release, which will be available on limited edition CD and across streaming services, new track ‘Too Late’ is a sad-banger with a melody that quickly takes up rent-free residence in your brain. On first listen, it’s a song about unfinished business in a romantic relationship, but Robert explains the inspiration behind the lyrics is something more sinister: “A few years ago, a society journalist from a certain newspaper started to write about me and my music, and suddenly I was seeing him everywhere I went – he thought that he could buy access to me by giving me positive press, and when it didn’t work out, it turned sour, fast!”
“The lyrics are written from the pursuer’s point of view, saying ‘this is not the end’, so it’s pretty creepy – but like all songs it’ll take on a different meaning for every listener,” O’Connor adds.
Elsewhere on the EP, ‘Destination Anywhere’ is an anxious, hyper-aware slice of electropop described by Robert as “pandemic disco”, while ‘Older ‘20’ features bubbling synth soundscapes paired with cut-straight-to-the-heart lyrics delivered in Robert’s distinctive tone, described by Room Full of Music as being, “reminiscent of mid-90s George Michael.”
‘Over (Before It’s Begun)’ is an Ibiza-sunset chillout anthem, which received five-star reviews across the board from music critics last summer, with Essentially Pop saying it had them, “Heading for the replay button“. The Music Reviewer went further and called it, “Summer song of 2020“.
The nine-track outing concludes on an optimistic note with a tropically-infused outro. A hypnotic piano line is joined by a distinctly ‘80’s bass-line that would sound at home on any PWL album, while uplifting handclaps give us a sense that while the going is tougher than it’s ever been before, we can all come through the other side – all it takes is a ‘real good fight’.
‘Too Late’ is released February 26, with ‘Transcendence’ (Deluxe Edition) following on March 5 on limited edition CD and across all streaming outlets.
