Otem Rellik

Toby Hendricks, who performs under the Otem Rellik moniker, sounds more than comfortable in his own skin, despite the melancholy and emotional intensity expressed across this album. But if the stark "Empty Coffins" is any indication, that doesn't mean he's toned down any of his edge. "The Four Sided Secret"...

By Tom Murphy

September 29, 2010

Audio By Carbonatix

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Toby Hendricks, who performs under the Otem Rellik moniker, sounds more than comfortable in his own skin, despite the melancholy and emotional intensity expressed across this album. But if the stark "Empty Coffins" is any indication, that doesn't mean he's toned down any of his edge. "The Four Sided Secret" may be reminiscent of Sole, but like the rest of the album, there is a richer musicality in the mix. In fact, "Metaturnal Waltz" includes no rapping, and Hendricks challenges himself to sing at length instead of just in connecting passages. These Otem Rellik songs aren't hip-hop so much as they are experiments in what pop songs of the future might sound like now, as distinct genres of music cross-pollinate and influence one another to produce fascinating hybrids.

Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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