We were delighted to host a very special stream featuring some of the incredible artists that we've been lucky enough to release on our in-house TakuRoku label this year, in collaboration with Belgium's ever-vital grassroots venue, Les Ateliers Claus! 

Les Ateliers Claus is the hub of European experimental music and has been a frequent collaborator over the years, with a programme that echoes OTO's and a shared ethos. More recently, Les Ateliers Claus has been very supportive of our TakuRoku label. This stream is dedicated to TakuRoku musicians who are based in Belgium, performing from Les Ateliers Claus and streamed from OTO! The livestream will also feature a special interview on each artist filmed at the space too.
 
It's been such a positive energy force and inspiration for us to know, a place like Les Ateliers Claus exists, especially under these uncertain times when now more than ever it's important to stay connected. Special thanks to Tommy De Nys, Christophe Albertijn and Frans Claus.

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Ignatz is the moniker of Bram Devens. He stole it from the mouse in the legendary Krazy Kat comics by George Herriman. After several releases on Fonal Records, Ultra Eczema and Goaty Tapes, he releases his 4th album on KRAAK, co-joined by the great Feeding Tube records.

Ignatz’ new album consists of a hypnotic and mystical song cycle that centre around leitmotifs as despair, sobriety and the drain on his backyard. The Drain is a master piece, on which the Landen based troubadour weaves echos of South American folk music into a complex of harsh folk, shallow blues and loner psych. He flushed the crappy electronics from his early records through the drain and created room for sparse fingerpicking and mumbled singing. In the 11 songs Devens finally reveals himself as the master guitar player and songwriter that he always has been.

The Drain dissects in grandeur the human void, for which only codeine is the appropriate remedy. We are lucky that Ignatz’ version of The Great Void is soothingly synonymous with The Essence.