[photo by Andreas Moeller]
The first proper single from German folk/rock icon CONNY OCHS and his bold fourth solo LP, Doom Folk, has been released ahead of its impending February release through Exile On Mainstream. The song comes in the form of an official video for the LP’s “Dark Tower,” which sees its public debut through a premiere at Pop Matters.
While CONNY OCHS, primarily known for being a solo performer, did perform all instruments on Doom Folk including vocals, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and organs, “Dark Tower” is the first video to feature a backline of fellow musicians. With Johannes Doepping on drums and Hannes Scheffler on bass, and of course OCHS delivering his signature guitar and vocals, this is the lineup which will embark on the newly announced first leg of the Doom Spring 2019 European Tour. The “Dark Tower” video was filmed by Lutz Kretschmann of Kretsch Film at UT Connewitz in Leipzig, where Exile On Mainstream will hold one of its 20th Anniversary parties this year, and where OCHS will take part in the festivities.
CONNY OCHS notes of the album’s maiden single, “‘Dark Tower’ was the initial song that kind of sparked the whole feeling of Doom Folk… I wrote it on tour in Prague, when I mourned the death of one of my greatest heroes. Prague is a spiritual place; it can be quiet, dark, but it always is powerful. I found myself meditating on loss wandering the obscure alleys of the city and by the shores of the Moldau, trying to find a way to share grief through putting it into words and shaping it into a song. I found since then, when I played the first version during the following shows, people related to it. There was an unspoken union in the untold…. Something like that. It was clear to me that I wanted to release the song as a first breadcrumb leading into the album. Here I found how much sharing pain really is a part of healing… It reminded me again the meaning of a song. To share, to live.
He notes of the video itself, “We filmed the video in one of my favorite venues ever, at the UT Connewitz in Leipzig. a place full of spirit and history, run by good friends who let us hang out there for a late afternoon in winter. Just the right place to conjure a spirit of calm intensity. The sort of which you can feel in a place where you feel home.”
Pop Matters includes in their write-up of the song, “Through OCHS is beloved in the heavy rock community, ‘Dark Tower’ transcends musical boundaries, with an appeal that recalls Soundgarden at its most tuneful and emotive. OCHS‘ voice is front and center as he delivers the tune’s moving lyrics over a musical setting that is meditative and deeply impactful.”
See CONNY OCHS’ “Dark Tower” video through Pop Matters at THIS LOCATION.
Doom Folk was fully written and performed by CONNY OCHS, recorded at Kabumm Studio, Golzow in Germany in April 2018, produced and engineered by Thommy Krawallo. Melancholy, insanity, attrition, and hope are nestled into OCHS‘ loud/quiet dichotomy, which is carried forward by clean tones, nuanced instrumentation, and beautiful, authentic singing, before erupting into distortion and dissonance. With twelve anthems packed into thirty-eight minutes, fans of William Elliot Whitmore, Steve Von Till, Wino, Scott Kelly, Woodie Guthrie, make sure to check out CONNY OCHS‘ Doom Folk.
Doom Folk will see release on LP, CD, and digital formats through Exile On Mainstream on February 15th. Find US preorders at Earsplit Distro RIGHT HERE and internationally via Exile On Mainstream RIGHT HERE.
CONNY OCHS has announced new tour dates in support of Doom Folk, surrounding his performances at Exile On Mainstream 20th Anniversary Parties this year. The first leg of the Doom Spring 2019 European Tour begins February 22nd and runs into May, with the majority of the shows heavily concentrated in Germany. He will perform at both of Exile On Mainstream’s celebration of two decades in action, the first April 4th through 7th at UT Connewitz in Leipzig, Germany with a full band as featured on the new album, and the second on April 13th at Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands, with a more intimate, solo show. Watch for updated tour info to see release over the weeks ahead as Doom Folk nears release.
CONNY OCHS – Doom Spring 2019 European Tour/1st Leg:
2/22/2019 Beer House Project – Pistoia, IT
2/23/2019 Gagarin – Busto Arsizio, IT
2/24/2019 The Concept Record Store – Lecco, IT
2/25/2019 Rock Café – Savona, IT
3/01/2019 La Serra – Recanati, IT
3/03/2019 Indie Record Store & Dump – Treviso, IT
3/22/2019 Foyer Stadthalle – Falkensee, DE w/ Eat A Peach
3/23/2019 Kasseturm – Weimar, DE
3/25/2019 Krone – Darmstadt, DE
3/26/2019 Dorett – Mainz, DE
3/27/2019 Stuck – Frankfurt-Oder, DE
3/28/2019 Odradek – Chemnitz, DE
3/29/2019 Das Grewen – Fredeburg, DE w/ Thomas Kleinhez
3/30/2019 Goldgrube Markuzwalach – Kassel, DE
3/31/2019 Skatehalle – Brilon, DE w/ Chris Snobout
4/01/2019 Peter-Weiss-Haus – Rostock, DE
4/03/2019 Ostpol – Dresden, DE
4/04/2019 Objekt 5 – Halle/Saale, DE
4/05/2019 Wohnzimmerkultur – Potsdam, DE
4/07/2019 UT Connewitz – Leipzig, DE @ 20 Years Exile On Mainstream [info]
4/08/2019 Kulturbar – Greifswald, DE
4/10/2019 Auster Club – Berlin, DE
4/13/2019 Roadburn Festival – Tilburg, NL @ 20 Years Exile On Mainstream [info]
5/19/2019 Splinter Club – Parma, IT
German songwriter, rock vagabond, and seasoned performer, CONNY OCHS believes that the best stories are always the ones yet to be told. He seeks to envision signs of the world that are concealed to most others, and to explore them in a more detailed and higher density. On his new album, Doom Folk, Conny follows different pathways to those which he has forged before, channeling his observations into narratives driven by two powerful forces, fervor, and vulnerability.
http://www.connyochs.com
http://www.facebook.com/connyochsmusic
http://www.mainstreamrecords.de