Artoffact Records announces the May 22nd release of Storm, the sophomore album by Ötzi.
Pre-order, here:
https://otzi.bandcamp.com/album/storm
From Oakland, California, Ötzi pierces the heart with their dark and passionate style of post-punk. Brooding and aggressive sounds intertwine, via dual vocals, flanged-out guitar, austere bass and tense drumming. Anthemic hooks, worthy of '80s new wave radio hits, are delivered by way of stripped-down production, the rawness of which makes the songs penetrate even deeper.
While nodding to the commanding howls of Siouxsie and the Banshees, the anarcho-punk of Crass, and the laments of early The Cure, Ötzi's realness is what separates them from the pack of stylish bands currently resurrecting dark sounds of the '80s. Bassist/vocalist Akiko Sampson states:
“We ascribe punk and feminist ethics to our music and our lives, and that’s something that will never change. We’ve all been playing music for decades, which has mostly gone under the radar. We’ve fought uphill battles to earn respect as humans and as musicians, and that gives our music a bolder, broader edge. The 'darkness' found in our music isn’t existential dread or moroseness, it’s a reflection of our perspectives as femmes in an often hostile world.”
Ötzi first tore through the underground with their 2017 debut LP, Ghosts. For sophomore album Storm, Ötzi joins Artoffact Records, a label currently leading the pack of new bands taking post-punk aesthetics to higher places. Storm is a powerful and dynamic work that channels all the emotions of drastic transformation.
"We called the album Storm because, conceptually, the whole album is about withstanding violent change, whirlwind changes," explains Sampson. "It’s about undergoing necessary metamorphosis while remaining true to your core self."
With the addition of lush synth lines composed by Sampson, bright saxophone by latest member Winter Zora, and violin by Edrich, the album flows from the luxuriant and pensive self-reflection of “Moths” to a celebration of supportive love in “Hold Still”, to the hard-hitting resolve of "Tunnels" and “Ballad of Oiwa," expressing in each track all of the joys and pains of cathartic self-renewal.
Storm was recorded and mixed by Stan Wright at Buzz or Howl Studios in Portland, OR. The album was mastered by Daniel Husayn at North London Bomb Factory in London, UK. The cover art was created by Ashley Hohman.
Since their formation in 2014, Ötzi has toured the world, billing with varied post-punk, punk and indie luminaries including The Chameleons, Deerhoof, Modern English, She Past Away, Zounds, Screaming Dead and The Iconoclast.
"What matters to us is that our shows have a radical energy, that trans and queer people, people of color and women feel celebrated and safe in the short time we have together, and that through music we create a world where our audience feels honored and powerful themselves," says Sampson. Stand by for news of their next live shows.
Tracklist:
1) Moths
2) Hold Still
3) Tunnels
4) Scorpio
5) Ballad of Oiwa
6) Contagious
7) Eight Cups
8) Outer Bounds
9) 15 Stars
10) Storm
Lineup:
Akiko Sampson - bass, vocals
Gina Marie - drums, vocals
K. Dylan Edrich - guitar
Winter Zora - saxophone
Discography:
Gong Show EP (2016, Long Way To Go Records)
Ghosts (2017, Near Dark/Last Hour Records)
Part Time Punks Sessions EP (2019, Psychic Eye Records)
Storm (2020, Artoffact Records)
