Rory McKeown on album 'Now Is a Long Time':
"Otzeki - the project of cousins Mike Sharp and Joel Roberts - was born after a semi drunken jam on a partly functioning Yamaha AN200 drum machine and a Fender Jaguar guitar. Taking their name from a misremembered Russian author, their blend of carefully sourced electronics, luscious electric guitar and falsetto vocals has been the longstanding formula of the project which has seen them tour Europe, UK and USA. Vigorously awakening crowds to their contoured sound they are able to create an almost deadly, definitely dangerous live energy..
- The title of electronic-punk duo Otzeki’s new album couldn’t be more pertinent for these strange times.
Inspired by the Truisms of artist Jenny Holzer, the message "Now is a Long Time" was written on a piece of paper and pinned above Mike Sharp’s bed at his Finsbury Park pad as he, along with cousin Joel Roberts, were writing the follow up to 2018’s debut record Binary Childhood.
The message stuck and became the name for album two, culminating in the band spray painting the words across a billboard in Waterloo for its striking album artwork. The statement remained there for four weeks before being painted over.
Mostly written on a laptop on the move, Now is a Long Time saw Otzeki embrace a quicker, more “instantaneous” writing process, resulting in a unique, infectious, and sonically-sprawling electronic effort, including the huge singles Max Wells-Demon and Sweet Sunshine."
Touch
Otzeki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were standing there, breathing over me
I took a long hard look at myself
Through your eyes
Are you still there? In my dreams?
Am I still here? As it seems?
Are you still there?
And some Moon, powdered, I take you back to mine
Are you still there? In my dreams?
Am I still here? As it seems?
Are you still there?
Hey, woman, understand
Our lives are not made in the promise land
This is your first and final chance
Drift over to your back
I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
Why won't you give it to me?
The phone's ringing, can I pick it up?
'Cause the Earth is spinning like a ruling wheel
I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
My baby told me to get lost,
Now I'm losing touch
I give her love
I give her love
My baby told me to get lost
Now I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
My baby told me to get lost,
Now I'm losing touch
Are you, are you, are you, are you, are you
Are you, are you, are you, are you, are you
I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
I'm losing touch
My baby told me to get lost,
Now I'm losing touch
I give her love
I give her love
My baby told me to get lost
Now I'm losing touch
The lyrics to Otzeki's song "Touch" are quite cryptic and open to interpretation, but the basic story seems to revolve around a relationship that is falling apart. The singer wakes up from a "holy sleep" to find their partner standing over them, breathing heavily. The singer then reflects on themselves and their relationship through their partner's eyes, wondering if their partner still exists in their dreams and if they are still with them in reality.
The chorus then shifts to the singer wandering through the "dungeons" of their partner's mind and taking some sort of powdered "Moon" back to their own space. This could be interpreted as a figurative journey through their partner's dark thoughts and feelings, followed by using some sort of intoxicant to escape from them. The singer questions if they're still with their partner, acknowledging that their lives aren't perfect and that they need to take advantage of this one chance to make things work.
The song then takes a darker turn as the singer realizes they're "losing touch." The phone rings, symbolizing the outside world and its distractions, and they begin to spiral further into their despair. Their partner tells them to "get lost," and the singer reflects on how they've given their love but it's not enough. The repetition of "I'm losing touch" underscores the singer's sense of desperation and hopelessness, as they realize their relationship is slipping away.
Line by Line Meaning
As I woke from a holy sleep
As I regained consciousness from a restful feeling
You were standing there, breathing over me
You were present beside me, exhaling on me
I took a long hard look at myself through your eyes
I critically scrutinized myself from your perspective
Are you still there? In my dreams?
Are you persisting in my subconscious?
Am I still here? As it seems?
Am I still present in reality as supposed?
Now I walk through the dungeons in your mind
Now I venture through the maze of thoughts in your head
And some Moon, powdered, I take you back to mine
And under the influence of a substance, I bring you to my place
Hey, woman, understand
Hey, female companion, comprehend
Our lives are not made in the promise land
Our existence is not fulfilled in a hopeful future
This is your first and final chance
This is your singular opportunity
Drift over to your back
Recline towards your backside
I'm losing touch
I'm becoming disconnected
Why won't you give it to me?
Why won't you offer it to me?
The phone's ringing, can I pick it up?
The telephone is ringing, can I answer it?
'Cause the Earth is spinning like a ruling wheel
Because the planet is rotating like a governing device
My baby told me to get lost, now I'm losing touch
My significant other instructed me to depart, now I'm disengaging
I give her love
I present her affection
Now I'm losing touch
Now I'm losing communication
Are you, are you, are you, are you, are you
Are you, persistently
Contributed by Kaylee K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
creeksbob
Discovered you guys a few days ago
Honestly your music is very smooth and flawless, I like this one in particular
Showed it to some of my friends and they liked it as well
Keep up the good work !
Love from France
Axel Chesire
I love all your tracks ! I saw you in a live for France Television ... totally in love at the first second.
Please , continue ! I hope you come in France for a tour 🖤 love your work .
Bru Music
I like so much this musical-smart concept and british sound of Otzeki. Be cool like silence ;)
F1 Race Control
Heard "True Love" on the way home last night......
Oh my days you guys are amazing.... Do you have a CD out?? My car don't connect to mp3 :( It's an old radio
Keep it up, love the sound
Léa Thivind
i'm amazed by your songs
Randy Gómez
Your music is dope as fuck! Speechless.
Tamesena Tinsley
I love it though...I can't look at it too long. Thank you for the warning... perfect thinking music...
Fecundus Borax
breathtaking
Ross Barker
Heard you play at Lost village the other week, Talent.
vampire13
Out of this world!