Alternative Scottish hip-hop group Stanley Odd skilfully blends the genre’s requisite samples and loops with live instrumentation, resulting in lovingly-crafted studio recordings that are brought to life with notoriously energetic and uncompromising live shows. The band enjoys a cult following, built through a period of tireless touring and steady releases from the emergence of the debut album; Oddio, in 2010, to the third full-length release in 2014; A Thing Brand New. After some years on hiatus, the group resurfaced with Stay Odd: The Magic of Everyday Things.
Rydo, in collaboration with MC and lead singer Solareye, sought to create something memorable for the comeback album’s physical release. This was necessitated by the dominance of music streaming services, the dwindling popularity of CDs, and the ever-increasing wait lists at vinyl pressing plants. Conventional music formats were eschewed (and ubiquity of streaming acknowledged) with the production of a limited-edition publication and accompanying high quality audio download. A music book, as simply stated on the cover.
The first run of the book sold out within two days of the official release date and Stay Odd won a public vote to be shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year Award. Proof that although Stanley Odd had been gone, they definitely hadn’t been forgotten.
