O Yuki Conjugate (OYC) were formed in Nottingham in 1982 on the wave of experimental music that emerged out of Post Punk. Quickly moving on from their early industrial and electronic influences, OYC began exploring the then-unfashionable ‘ambient’ genre, a term that only loosely describes their eclectic approach. They combine grit with beauty to produce mesmerising atmospheric soundscapes that often hypnotise the audience.

Their relaxed work attitude and aversion to the music industry has maintained a secrecy around them but recent reissues have unearthed the hidden beauty of their music. Scene in Mirage (1984), Into Dark Water (1987), Peyote (1990) and Equator (1995) have all found retrospective praise and a new audience.

Often referring to themselves as ‘wilfully obscure’ OYC are musical outsiders unfettered by musical trends, frequently going into periods of hibernation only to emerge years later in a different form. They are currently in their fourth incarnation based around core members Andrew Hulme and Roger Horberry and have recently released two new albums. Sleepwalker catalogued their recent live appearances and formed a soundtrack to a dream-like film of the same name and A Tension of Opposites (2021) was their response to working apart during lockdown, effectively two solo albums in one.

OYC’s show at OTO will include new material and film work by member Andrew Hulme, the result exploring a sonic territory the band have christened “dirty ambient” – multi layered, hyper textural, distinctly gritty and magically unreal.