HUMAN OTTOMAN

Cover image by Dylan Evanston: Human Ottoman performs at Holocene.

Combining the delicate melodic whimsy of tUnE-yArDs with the elegant fury of Apocalyptica, Portland-based polyrhythm rockers Human Ottoman are every bit as bizarre and wonderful as you might imagine.

Electric cello and vibraphone are instruments you never really expect to see on stage with one another, and yet - tsunami waves of hot sonic chemistry washing over you - one is left wondering how you made it so far through life without this combination. Join us as we Bump Human Ottoman’s new LP Rampage and discuss in detail below.

Founded in 2013 between drummer Susan Lucia and vibraphonist Grayson Fiske and later joined by Juliana Kasanovic on cello and David Robert Burrows on bass, Human Ottoman never had much of a sonic home-base on which to rest their laurels. As rhythmically complex as a band as we’ve reviewed, this quartet oscillates freely between smoldering, grunge-flecked rock, psychedelic alt-pop, dark jazz and other genres we can’t find proper names for. 

Vocals are a shared responsibility, ethereal and restrained. Listening to Drum Anthem off the new LP, we’re left with impressions of Mikael Akerfeldt’s (Opeth) dignified cleans echoing over an enchanted, molten landscape of distorted bass and gentle chimes. Maraca Who is pure tUnE-yArDs, stacking and layering prismatic, overdriven vox that flash as much beauty as bite. DoeToe delivers a double prescription pad full of cowbell on the leading edge of an aural earthquake, double-time cymbal shattering drums erupting suddenly from an eerie vibraphone omen, palm muted cello instantly clenching your teeth for you before self-immolating in a fiery solo to end the track.

Each song off this album is a wholly unexpected delight, unapologetically original and aggressively fascinating. One of our favorites is called 100k Laser Cats, an industrial grind of clattering percussion and vitriolic distortion featuring a maleficent cello section that draws evil up from the ground. This instrumental piece comes closer to metal and classical simultaneously whilst handily avoiding landing in either genre entirely. This level of forward-thinking composition - textural as much as melodic - is a true delight for connoisseurs of strange sound and music theory nerds alike.

As if that weren’t enough, the subsequent track Dream takes us so far afield that we’re left wondering if this is the same album, the same year, the same dimension. Submerged in syrupy reverb and driven by a syncopated rhythm section that changes cadence consistently, this beautiful otherworld is as relaxing as it is engaging. A mournful cello solo leaves us wanting (needing) more.

Cover image by Sam Gehrke.

If it wasn’t abundantly clear, Rampage is a really big deal to us. Original, emotive and painstakingly crafted by genuine talent, this LP demands your attention - and if you live in Portland, this band demands your presence at their shows. It’s the least we can do to support such necessary musical strangeness.

Follow Human Ottoman on all the things. Thanks for reading.

♥ Zach