Dekmantel Podcast 299 - Otik

Bristol raised, London based Otik (@otikmusic) turned a lot of heads right from the off, and by now he has fully established himself as one of bass and techno's most interesting artists. His always original sounds on the likes of Keysound, Dext Recordings and Midland's Intergraded come with big kicks and curious leads that make for compelling listening. They always manage to be both physical yet emotive thanks to the ambiance around the inventive drum programming. He manages to carry over that sense of the unknown yet the accessible into his always infectious DJ mixes. This week's podcast is a case in point: it's a meticulous piece of DJ craftsmanship that splices jungle, booming bass and skeletal UK techno together into a dark soundtrack that flails away wildly one minute then drills down to a hypnotic groove before cutting loose once more. Off-setting the dark with the light and the intense with the atmospheric in this way is a rare skill, but one that Otik has got down to a tee.