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The Line or Curve

by Octavian Winters

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1.
Ondine 05:09
I set my filigrees on paper I watched my moonlit letters float Where you slipped back into the water Where you hid among the stones Ondine belle nuit Cast stars upon my heart Ondine belle nuit Drown me in your arms I brought a heart for you to deliver I brought a soul for you to own But still you slipped back to the river But still you hid among the stones
2.
Undertow 04:31
The winter stars are bright Captive in the night’s soft velvet wings In the mirror of the ice A curve and then a line Then the glass bell rings Tracings of the heart A loop that never ends Delicate as light Could you join me here Could you find a way To melt the bones of the night Feel the pull of the undertow How it draws you down down downward (See all, forget all, forgive all, can’t you? See all, forget all, forgive all now)
3.
Surreal 06:11
Our hands are just connected bones Our voice is breath and now it's blown It exists in the in-between Where no one else but you believes Doesn't capture anything that's real It's surreal, so find a way Our hearts are unconnected stones Now a devil's here to bring us home All that's left is the unrelief Of the hate that's your belief Doesn't capture anything that's real It's surreal, so find a way
4.
Velveteen 04:13
Layer upon layer Smoke on chemtrails Juniper and gin will thrill Line by line And time by time They move in for the kill Velveteen and perfect green You bet like you believe in design Gave your last hour to a plastic flower A dead-hearted dollar store bride Dream your life away
5.
Nebula 05:15
In the heart of the black An Aeon spins the years From a spark in the veil Until it finds us here Everything you can dream Will fold into nothing A new sun descending Over a world that's ending And the stars of the Seven They rise ahead Like a crown in the night For the silver dead Everything we can dream Will fall into nothing A new sun descending Over a world that's ending

about

The name of the record, The Line or Curve, references the idea of symbols and sigils, which are intricate collections of lines and curves. They are expressions, arrangements or gateways of energy and if correctly drawn they may invoke and transform. But the configuration of lines and curves is vital; if not right, a sigil is useless and has no power. So at each point you are choosing whether to draw a line, or a curve. But also, it is a metaphor for the choice we have of our world view. It references geometries. In one geometric system the shortest path is a line. But in a curved space the shortest path is a curve. We can describe the world through either geometry. So, which way of looking at the world do we choose? This brings us back to the theme of separation and disconnection; the past few years have unearthed such deep divides over different world views that there is often no desire to attempt reconnection. My hope is that we will come to appreciate the common shapes expressed in our different geometries, our different world views says Ria Aursjoen.

“Their ability to create profoundly detailed, multilayered compositions, where every instrumentation acts like a well-articulated soundscape, goes beyond comprehension many times during the entire extended play release.” - Thoughts Words Actions

“The transition from the ethereal to the raw is seamless, taking the listener on a dynamic journey through soundscapes that range from delicate to intense.” - Skylight Webzine

“a dark musical weave forged of post-punk and gothic strands, a sonic web that is a neat blend of pulsing bass grooves and shaded ethereality, dark and delicious guitar slashes, and haunting sound washes. It is a sound that, rather than impact the listener, instead wraps itself around them and encompasses them, inviting them in and captivating them with its Stygian designs” - The Big Takeover

Undertow “The track feels like it was recorded in a studio deep beneath the earth, drawing power from subterranean caves and bubbling magma. There’s tectonic thunder in the pounding drums and rumbling bass and these are covered in a dissonant web of guitar chords and gritty synth. But the light in this inky blackness comes from Ria Aursjoen’s vocals which can skim the instruments during the verses before spiralling up in the vortex of the chorus.” - Joyzine

“'Ondine' shimmers inwardly with a wide, cinematic sweep through atmospheric Darkwave tones, colored by a lush, sparkling, and intricate guitar work, along with mesmerizing ethereal vocal incantations.” - White Light // White Heat

“Undertow," calling it “eerie and melancholic,” and "Ondine" which “creates an ethereal experience that envelops listeners in a realm of sea nymphs and bittersweet longing, reminiscent of the works of Drab Majesty, Clan Of Xymox, and Cocteau Twins”. Thank you! - Skylight Webzine

Octavian Winters have a new single, “Velveteen,” off of their EP, “The Line or Curve.” It took a little while to pick the Track of the Day today but “Velveteen” from the San Francisco post-punk band is the chosen one. Once you start listening, it will capture your attention even if your Attention Deficit Disorder is out of hand. - Chasing Destino

credits

released October 13, 2023

Ria Aursjoen: Vocals / Keyboards
Stephan Salit: Guitars
Randy Gzebb: Drums
Jay Denton: Bass

Written by Octavian Winters
Lyrics by Ria Aursjoen

Flare and Bloom Music BMI
Stratis Capta Records

Recorded at Studio OW, San Francisco, CA
Vocals recorded by Mark Pistel at Room 5, San Francisco, CA
Mixed and mastered by William Faith at 13 Studio, Chicago, IL
Produced by Octavian Winters and William Faith

Eric Olson Design

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about

Octavian Winters San Francisco, California

Octavian Winters was born into the ghostly isolation of San Francisco in 2022, during the third winter of the pandemic. Octavian Winters weave their visceral and ethereal sound into a texture all its own – of stories once told but half-remembered, under a dusk of shadows and stars, in an abandoned city under the winter moon. ... more

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