Otzeki celebrate the release of their new album with this exclusive live session

As part of our ongoing Off The Road series, Otzeki have put together a special performance of tracks from their brilliant second album. Describing the process of putting this pre-recorded set together they explain the fun they had blue-tacking signs to the walls, and add "[it was] just good to be in a big space together and hang out.. you know... the basics."

Now is a Long Time sees the pair evolve. The project of cousins Mike Sharp and Joel Roberts, their sound collides elements of punk and electronica as they use their lyrics to relay messages of hope. Know for their celebrated live sets, we're excited to share this taster of what future Otzeki shows could look and sound like.

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We caught up with the band to dig a little deeper into the new record and the inspirations behind its evocative sound and themes.

What's the biggest difference between this new album and your debut?
I’d say it feels a lot more direct, is at a faster tempo and is driven more by a sense of process than a sense of self.

The artwork itself is a product of the last year's instability... what drew you to creating this image?
I just fancied applying a meaning to an otherwise empty space.

Let's talk about the title “Now Is a Long Time” - it's the opening lyric of the album, why did it stand out to you?
It was a kind of mantra I'd say to myself during the making of the album. I was trying to be patient yet present and was looking for a sense of urgency that comes out of the word now yet I was also contemplating the bigger picture, the state of the earth, collective consciousness and the peculiar sensation of entering manhood and having to face up to my own actions. I was particularly inspired by the American artist Jenny Holzer's truisms and wrote this line on a piece of paper. I then hung it above my bed until the album was completed.

How did the process of making the album begin, was there one song or initial idea that sparked everything?
It was fairly iterative and some aspects my life at the time were painful but the propulsion to complete something really occurred when Joel and I agreed to ‘make it work’ when living in a flat together in Finsbury Park.

This album feels louder and richer, what drew you to expanding the sound?
Touring around Europe and being bombarded by swathes of throbbing bass lines and straight forward European analogue techno wherever we went had a big role to play in being less attached to the raw live acoustic side of our debut.