Artist Spotlight: ÖLÜM
Spotlight feature written by Luke Dumpert
ÖLÜM by Daniel Padilla
ÖLÜM returns with their fuzzy and groovy single “Kara Dünya”
It’s Monday evening. Los Angeles’ own ÖLÜM are gathered in keyboard player Mikey Longhair’s bachelor pad— complete with wood paneling on the walls and a stunning sunset view of Burbank Airport from his backyard, for their second interview of the day. The energy in the room shifts towards them as they look at me, draped in leather and sun-shades with one thought racing in my mind like a bloodhound searching for a fox— they’re fucking cool.
ÖLÜM got their start during the COVID-19 pandemic when singer and guitarist Aykut Özen and the aforementioned Longhair began jamming. “Aykut's been working on these songs for five-plus years, and it just sort of took the meetings of the right people and timing and all that sort of stuff,” bassist Foster Pace says. This lineup evolved a little over a year ago, with drummer Grant Snyder replacing Cameron Gartung, who played on their singles “Aman (Ordunun Dereleri)” and “Şu Dünyaya Gözlerimi Açtım Açalı” with guitarist and bağlama player Bianco Köprülü rounding it out.
Özen, born in Izmir, Turkey, grew up absorbing the Anatolian rock movement citing influence from artists like Erkin Koray and Barış Manço. The band's defining ethos is to revive the 1962-1982 “golden age of true Anatolian psychedelic rock.” So I inquired about their fascination with that era. “What makes it so striking?” I ask sheepishly, intimidated by their aura. I mean, their name translates to Death in English—does it get cooler than that? “I find it pleasing, [the] buildings, cars, lifestyle and everything,” Özen says.
The band’s music videos for the singles listed above throw the viewer into a Beat-Club broadcast straight from the 70s, complete with analog grain and a haze that catches the studio lights in swirls of pink, amber and green as the four longhairs’ ghosts trail behind their every move. Özen elaborates, “That era just feels natural for us to kind of just enjoy and look like that and thank God the whole band loves that too.” Snyder expands by describing the band’s tastes as a perfect storm colliding culturally, physically and in an auditory kind of way.
ÖLÜM by Daniel Padilla
“How do you feel more contemporary psychedelic music differs from the sound and feel of yesteryear?” I ask. “Modern music is more of an observation to me,” Özen offers. “Even though I don't listen [to everything], anyone that has the rock and roll energy that still holds that kind of like ‘fuck you,’ to the establishment culture is always appreciated.” Oasis was an example, Primal Scream too. The band’s ‘stick it to the man,’ mentality goes further than just their influences; it’s stitched into how they present themselves. The band's use of leather in their stage and promotional presence is that of a symbol of their edge, their way of waltzing into the world looking like they’ve stared down the Grim Reaper and lived to flip him off - rock and roll 101.
This is the sound that ÖLÜM are reaching for. The use of percussive elements in the band’s music like shakers, chimes and finger cymbals from percussionist and singer Renata Polli highlight a heightened tension in the listener - intimidation, trepidation and all.
On the group’s newest track “Kara Dünya” the melody displays microtonal inflection - something Özen says he uses with traditional chromatic instruments and tuning - throughout. The start of the track builds from silence into an ascending spiral of guitar feedback. The band then comes together with a colorful array of wah and groove; Longhair’s use of the Farfisa organ amplifying a haunting, almost medieval tone. The rhythm section circle a hypnotic groove until it starts to feel like your head is vibrating. The pre-chorus instrumental is where things really take a turn, where Özen and Pace roar into a descending riff with maximum fuzz output that gnaws at your skull. There are no fancy tricks, just raw power and a riff that coils tighter every time it comes back around.
Check out their epic new video for “Kara Dünya” below:
The track’s chorus sees Özen belting out a battle cry before reciting the track’s title, translating to “Black Earth.” The guitar solo rides the groove instead of trying to conquer it; never really escaping the gravitational pull of the riff. It’s not a virtuosic “look at me” solo, rather it caters to the needs of the song. It’s loud, it’s dangerous and full of fuzz - a psychedelic masterclass.
According to the band, “Kara Dünya” reflects a corrupt world where, “cowards abuse their power playing kings with their war machines.”. So naturally, I ask about how big of a role current events and politics play into the lyrical themes in their music. “Most of my lyrics are about fantasy with a touch of political criticism in some tracks,” Özen says. But mainly, ÖLÜM’s songs are about Özen’s life and a mix of fantasy. “Su Dünyaya Gözlerimi Açtım” is about how much Özen loves music. “Green Sun” - as of now unreleased - is about losing someone from your past and not finding a similar individual.
Most recently, the band has been opening for psychedelic rock icons The Brian Jonestown Massacre on some dates around California. It’s a match made in heaven, or rather in death; two bands from two different times with the same mantra - refusing to change for anybody. Much like the spirit of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, they’re not just reviving the spirit of psychedelia, they’re making their own mark.
You can check out ÖLÜM on bandcamp here.
And listen on Spotify below !