Ohama (Tona Walt Ohama) - I Fear What I Might Hear

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Of Whales	04:36
	2	Sometimes	03:41
	3	Feelings	05:03
	4	Midnite News IV	07:58

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Where Do You Call Home?	04:46
	2	Midnite News II	04:36
	3	Body of Vagrant Waves	08:36
	4	Part in Peace	03:04

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Information/Write-up

Released in 1984, I Fear What I Might Hear stands as the central statement of Tona Walt Ohama’s early catalogue — a fully realized, continuous song cycle recorded on his 8-track setup at the family potato farm in Rainier, Alberta. Although viewed at the time as part of the rising Canadian synth-pop movement, the album reaches in several unexpected directions: the progressive sweep of “Sometimes,” the soft-rock warmth of “Feelings,” and the Floyd-like integration of environmental sound throughout, including the hypnotic use of barking dogs in “Midnite News II.”

Presented as two long arcs rather than a collection of individual tracks, the album reflects Ohama’s intention to craft a seamless narrative across Side A and Side B. Vocoders, analogue synths, spoken letters, and field recordings are woven into arrangements that feel more atmospheric and expansive than his earlier cassette releases. “Where Do You Call Home?” draws from a letter sent by Dave Albiston, while “Body of Vagrant Waves” sets the words of Rick Therrien against drifting electronics and echoing textures.

The LP marked the first time Ohama felt he had created something that matched the sound he carried in his head: a blend of electronic structure with the rock influences he had grown up with — Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, and the more dramatic side of 1970s album-craft. The cover art, printed by his sister Linda Ohama, completes the self-contained aesthetic that defined this period.

More than any other early release, I Fear What I Might Hear captures Ohama at full creative reach — melodic, immersive, and singular in voice.

“It was a song cycle. I looked at it as Side A and Side B, not individual songs… For the first time, I had an album that sounded really close to what I was aiming for.”— Ohama
-Robert Williston

All songs written, performed & produced by Tona W. Ohama except:
"Sometimes" lyrics by Johannes Halbertsma & Ohama
"Where Do You Call Home?" cassette letter Dave Albiston
"Body of Vagrant Waves" lyrics by Rick Therrien
Recorded on a Potato Farm 8 Tracks
Published by Midnite News Music (PRO CAN) 1984

1984 Ohama Records
Box 90
Rainier, Alberta
T0J 2M0

Cover prints by Linda Ohama

Thank you
Chris Daniels, Heather Elton, Mary Jo Fulmer, Bruce Toll, Raymond S. Walker

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