Okta Logue, v.l.n.r. Benno Herz (Vocals, Bass), Nicolai Hildebrandt (Organ), Philip Meloi (Guitar), Robert Herz (Drums)
Photograph by Sandra Günther
Tobias Thomas (DJ and journalist) about Okta Logue:
»How, where and when did this begin, that I, of all people, a seasoned techno-veteran,
former pop writer, explicit follower of pop culture and even a Pet Shop Boys- and The
Smiths-socialite, should be so enthusiastic about this band ?
Of course it all started with »Bright Lights«, this extremely successful and highly-prized
masterpiece of a videoclip, which single-handedly set the scene for friends of Okta Logue.
Okta Logue were - and this can be seen even at this early stage of their progress - hardly
recognizable or even audible, without the visual companion, this image which
accompanies the music. If you were blind , e.g., you would not have to understand or even
like Okta Logue at once ; if you were deaf, there would still be something left to enjoy.
Meaning: my first contact reminded me of the music of the old buffers, that used to hang
around the record stores of my childhood or rather the hippy pubs of my youth -
guys with all kinds of krautrock, blues und prog-rock experience, that had this peculiar
smell of beer and tobacco about them. But at a second glance, you realize that this young
band from the hessian diaspora definitively belongs to the infinite universe of cool and the
undying realm of pop music.
This is due, amongst other things, to the fine signs and secret codes, that can be found in
abundance, e.g. in »Bright Lights«, but also in other clips and documentaries of the
band : way too tight jeans and swimming trunks, extreme pointy shoes, impossible
haircuts, way too short men's t-shirts, and of course, the whole program of nude ocean
swimming, lots of beer and hand-rolled cigarettes complete the picture.
If it wasn't for the band playing a) such extraordinarily and b) damn good music for their
age, Okta Logue unceasingly present themselves as the embodiment of an ultra-cool
group of dudes, that just love to do nothing but to make highways unsafe with their darkred vintage band-van and to get out their guitars at romantic festivals far away from
rocking rings and parks. Yes, as a matter of fact, everything is vintage and "like it used to
be" with Okta Logue, they have fallen »out of time«, as spectators like to express. In doing
so, and this is extremely crucial, the band understands how to connect an »old« sign with
a »new« one, how to immediately cross a positive particle with a negative one, so to
speak. They understand how to counter and how to neutralize the effect and thereby still
keep the thrill upright. I guess, if seen pop historically, you could say, one is constantly
dipping in an extremely exciting contrast bath of feelings.
The main character in the video to »Bright Lights« is not just wearing an impossibly gay
pair of swimming trunks, but also this thin hipster mustache, a nerdy pair of glasses and is
holding a bottle of liquor, that reminds us of Courvoisier, which used to be the favorite
beverage in hip hop circles. The whole multi-colored garden, in which the clip is set, is just
full of referential gimmicks, citations and contrasts. And to remain within the freefall of
signs, there is even a dj next to the barbecue - whose underwear-swimming trunks I would
rather hush about - who is accompanied not by an indie-electro-mixture or vintage basictechno, which we have heard a thousand times before, but by bluesy, organ-heavy rock,
which just seems to be fallen out of time, when we first hear it. But it is not.
There is a similar effect on their new album »Tales Of Transit City« , which immediately
catches our ear in the first song »Transit«, but this time on a musical level. We hear a
bubbly synthesizer for a few seconds, before the typical whining Okta Logue guitars join
in, a downright jazzy set of drums build a new, subtle contrast, followed by organ, voice
and bass, which all densify in an anti-climax, before the synthesizer returns, foaming up
like an official clubtrack, finally discharging in rave similar rock structures.
After being sent on a wondrous journey by the first song, we hear all kinds of themes
during the continuing course of »Tales Of Transit City« e.g. Beatles-quotes, Brit-Popreminiscence, never before written Keith-Richards-riffs, Wilco-bows and club-sounding
synthesizers, that meet with exalted choirs. As soon as the album is over, you
astonishingly want to hear it all again. Okta Logue are a shiny example of what
extraordinarily musical results young bands can achieve nowadays. This is of course also
due to their parents' record collection, as well as the infinite archive of the internet. But
primarily I see a circle closing for myself, the heir of 20, 30 years of electronic music and
club culture, that probably reversed the polarity
of every particle in this country. Ever since, we
rock, dance, party, compose, love and write
differently under German rooftops.
I hear all of this in the subtext of Okta Logue. A
serenity, sovereignty and candidness born of
this freedom draws our attention in every song
and in every note of »Tales Of Transit City« much stronger, but also much more self-evident
as on their debut »Ballads Of A Burden«.
It turned out to be a damn good second album after all you can make a lot of mistakes – an
album, that casually and sexily frees itself from the vintage-trap and retro-drawer, that
beats itself with it´s own weapons and which takes a decisive step towards pop without
losing itself in clichés, pomp or kitsch.
Okta Logue still wear pants and t-shirts, that are way too tight and too short and their
haircuts are impossible. They will hopefully maintain this ultra-cool image of a crossdressing hipster-band, that have heavily turned back the clock. They will probably continue
making awesome videos, even though they no longer need this image for »Tales Of
Transit City«. This is music, which you damn well enjoy listening to, even if you are blind.
web:
http://oktalogue.com/wordpress/
http://www.facebook.com/oktalogue
promotion:
Promotion Columbia Four Music,
Schlegelstraße 26B, 10115 Berlin
online:
Markus Roth
Phone: 030/ 7262 4434
[email protected]
presse:
Starkult
Eike Schmale
Phone: 0211/ 3021 1711
[email protected]
tv:
Jana Denecke
Phone: 089/ 4136 9611
[email protected]
Roland Fetzer
Phone: 089/ 4136 9349
[email protected]
radio:
Hermann Kessler
Phone: 089/ 4136 9372
[email protected]
Michael Pointner
Phone: 089/ 4136 9607
[email protected]
Amit Yoesf
Phone: 089/ 4136 9289
[email protected]
booking:
Wizard Promotions
Tobias Dietermann
[email protected]
management:
Oliver Frank
[email protected]
tour:
May, 17th
May, 21st
May, 22nd
May, 23rd
Darmstadt, Centralstation
(Release Party!)
Köln, Studio 675
Hamburg, Übel & Gefährlich
Berlin, Magnet