Oval is a German electronic music project founded in 1991 by Markus Popp, Sebastian Oschatz, Frank Metzger, and Holger Lindmüller. Lindmüller left about 1993, and Oval became a trio at that time.

Oval released Systemisch in 1994, and 94 Diskont in 1995. Oschatz and Metzger left the group in 1995, with Popp continuing under the Oval name. In 2011, he released a compilation album, OvalDNA.

In 2013, Oval released Calidostópia!, a project funded by the Goethe Institute and the Cultural Foundation of the State of Bahia. Recorded over ten days in a Brazil studio, it includes collaborations with seven singers from across South America.

In 2016, Oval released a studio album, Popp, through Popp's own record label Uovooo. He released an EP, Eksploio, in 2019, and a studio album, Scis, in 2020.

In 2023, Oval released a studio album, Romantiq. It is based on an audio-visual collaborative project between Popp and digital artist Robert Seidel for the opening of the German Romantic Museum in Frankfurt. He is a member of the duo So, along with Eriko Toyoda. He is also a member of the duo Microstoria, along with Mouse on Mars' Jan St. Werner.

Frank Metzger was a member of the group Steno, along with Rossano Polidoro and Emiliano Romanelli. They released Second-Hand Furniture in 2007. They were active from 2003 to 2011.

Sebastian Oschatz is the founder of Meso, a German media design collective.

Artistry

Disdaining the use of synthesizers, the early Oval instead deliberately mutilated CDs by writing on them with felt pens, then processed samples of fragmented sounds to create a very rhythmic electronic style.

Awards and nominations

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|-

! scope="col" | Award/organization

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Nominee/work

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable" |

|-

! scope="row" | Prix Ars Electronica

| 2001

| Oval

| Distinction

|

|

|-

! scope="row" | Prix Ars Electronica

| 2011

| Oval

| Honorable Mention

|

|

|-

! scope="row" | Qwartz Electronic Music Awards

| 2015

| Oval

| Lifetime Achievement Award

|

|

|}

Discography

Studio albums

  • Wohnton (Ata Tak, 1993)
  • Systemisch (Mille Plateaux, 1994)
  • 94 Diskont (Mille Plateaux, 1995)
  • Dok (Thrill Jockey, 1998)
  • Ovalprocess (Thrill Jockey, 2000)
  • Pre/Commers (Tokuma Japan, 2001)
  • Ovalcommers (Thrill Jockey, 2001)
  • O (Thrill Jockey, 2010)
  • Calidostópia! (Goethe Institute, 2013)
  • Voa (self-released, 2013)
  • Popp (Uovooo, 2016)
  • Scis (Thrill Jockey, 2020)
  • Ovidono (Uovooo, 2021)
  • Romantiq (Thrill Jockey, 2023)

Compilation albums

  • Iso Fabric (Tokuma Japan, 1997)
  • OvalDNA (Shitkatapult, 2011)

EPs

  • Aero Deko (Tokuma Japan, 1998)
  • Szenariodisk (Thrill Jockey, 1999)
  • Oh (Thrill Jockey, 2010)
  • Eksploio (Thrill Jockey, 2019)

Compilation album appearances

  • I Said No Doctors! ("ISND", Dymaxion Groove, 2017)

See also

  • List of noise musicians

References

Further reading

  • Oval at Thrill Jockey