Otyken

If you haven’t heard of Otyken, run – don’t walk! – to your nearest DRM-free music store and start buying music.

Joking aside – musical tastes being what they are – I’m in a bit of an Otyken obsession right now. They’re a sort of indigenous Siberian pop version of Heilung Not that Heilung is exactly widely known, but since the video game Senua’s Saga I’m sure they’re more familiar to Westerners than Otyken. . The music is inspired by native music from waves hand around Siberia, and although I’m not at all certain about the languages in which they sing, most of it seems to be Chulym. Unlike Heilung, it’s targetted more firmly at mainstream listeners and is mixed with pop/rock elements and modern instruments, but there’s a ton in there that’s unexpected. Jaw harps, throat singing, leather drums, and instruments I’ve never heard of like igil and komuz.

If you want a fun, mainstream introduction, Khan Blues is fantastic and more modern; but there’s a ton of other less obviously rock/jazz/pop stuff that’s intensely listenable. Otyken has several videos up on Youtube; Khan Blues is there, along with my other favorites, Psyche and Legend. They’re all good, but some other of my picks are Oneness and in particular Belief which has some great vocals. Many songs drift more towards more authentic indigenous style, and if you dig around enough you can find those as well.

There’s little in English, and even the most maintream like Khan Blues probably wouldn’t get much positive reception on American radio, which is probably why I haven’t come across them before. They’re apparently quite popular on Eurasia, with something like 2.5 million followers on TikTok, so if you’re not in the Americas there’s a good chance you’re reading this and rolling your eyes.

I’m having a blast going through their discography, which is something like 5 full albums and a dozen or so singles. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy them, too.

Update #

The first album, Otyken, is very much more indigenous and is missing much of the mainstream pop elements of later albums. If you’re a Heilung fan offended that I’d compare the band that produced Khan Blues to a band that doesn’t hold concerts, they hold ceremonies, then start with the self-titled album, and you’ll get a more “authentic” sound.

Khan Blues slaps, though.