"Ottla is emerging as Flanders' leading, melodically rock-solid flight of free birds." OOR on Ottla's 'Vogel'
OTTLA
OTTLA
Ottla is a bird that not only sings beautifully but also vigorously flaps and squawks.
Also known as a band that Bert Dockx formed to play together once to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jazz Lab concert series. Fortunately, Dockx and the musicians he gathered for that anniversary sextet quickly found much enthusiasm and more opportunities to play together. In 2019, what initially seemed like a fleeting experiment transformed into composing, rehearsing, recording an album, and playing more. Ottla's fluttering spirit appeared to have cooled down, at least for a while. However, when Josse De Pauw asked Dockx to improvise during a monologue he was working on in 2021, an alternative version of Ottla quickly appeared by Dockx's side. The mystery and madness of Eduardo Galeano's "Chronicle of Fire" (1986), the monologue in question, found a musical counterpart. In addition to the requested improvisation, Dockx developed several new compositions, expanded by Ottla with lyrical guitar passages, improvised clarinet solos, rustling effects, and a sometimes cool, then warm, dark rhythm section. The result was a powerful performance (and live EP) and the clear insight that this new Ottla is no mockingbird.
A new repertoire was in the works, but performing it was temporarily out of the question. Bert's acute back problems in the fall of 2021 dampened the enthusiasm. All music was set aside but fortunately only for a while. Music has always been the language through which Dockx found meaning and order in the world, so this heavy physical and emotional setback would also find its response in music. From that dark period emerged the album "Ghosts," released under the new name Bert Dockx Band in October of this year. That album seems much more like a cage in search of a bird, to speak with a Kafkaesque aphorism (Ottla is also Kafka's sister's first name).
Ottla's latest album, "Vogel" (Bird), is the full awakening after "Ghosts." The window flies open, the sun burns. Fluttering and wailing in jazz-improv-electro-noise-prog-afro-blues-groove-punk-krautrock, Ottla, true to its Kafkaesque nature, transformed once again, and the quartet began further developing the compositions with an even richer language. The album showcases significant contrasts in strength and color between songs, often even within one song. There exists no rivalry between Thomas Jillings and Bert Dockx, but rather a playful dialogue. Jillings, the multi-instrumentalist, expanded his setup and plays saxophone, clarinet, and various synthesizers. The bass and drum parts of Gerben Brijs and Louis Evrard provide tension and thunder, with effects resonating from their amplifiers like mist in an enchanted forest.
To further explore the new music, the quartet performed a series of café concerts in 2022 and some try-outs in 2023. Finally, last summer, they entered the studio to capture "Vogel." In Studio Ledeberg, Peter Desmedt's cage, the spontaneity and dynamics of the performances were preserved, with room for overdubs to enrich the songs just a bit more. The result is an album full of exciting twists: a series of new songs that will undoubtedly continue to transform live. The bird is free.
Ottla is:
Bert Dockx: gitaar
Gerben Brys: bass guitar
Thomas Jillings: sax, clarinet, synths
Louis Evrard: drums, percussion, guitar, fx
Tourdates
Date | Band | Location | Tickets | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20-10-2024 | Stadttheater | OTTLA | Landsberg am Lech, DE | TICKETS |
31-10-2024 | Crossing Border | OTTLA | Antwerpen, BE | TICKETS |
20-11-2024 | SCRATCH + SNUFF at De Koer | OTTLA | Gent, BE | TICKETS |
28-11-2024 | CC De Schakel | OTTLA | Waregem, BE | TICKETS |
13-12-2024 | Flagey | OTTLA | Brussels, BE | TICKETS |
18-01-2025 | Ter Vesten | OTTLA | Beveren, BE | TICKETS |
22-01-2025 | Nona | OTTLA | Mechelen, BE | TICKETS |
25-01-2025 | 252 CC | OTTLA | Antwerpen, BE | TICKETS |
Tour History
Date | Band | Location | |
---|---|---|---|
01-09-2024 | Buiten Gewoon | OTTLA | Zonnemaire, NL |
24-08-2024 | Jazz Op De Hei | OTTLA | Kalmthout, BE |
05-07-2024 | Gent Jazz | OTTLA | Gent, BE |
13-06-2024 | STUK | OTTLA | Leuven, BE |
22-05-2024 | Cactus Café | OTTLA | Brugge, BE |
15-05-2024 | VierNulVier // Democrazy | OTTLA | Gent, BE |
26-04-2024 | Beursschouwburg | OTTLA | Brussel, BE |
20-04-2024 | Roadburn Festival | OTTLA | Tilburg, NL |
18-04-2024 | Het Bos | OTTLA | Antwerpen, BE |
12-04-2024 | Hnita Jazz Club | OTTLA | Heist op den Berg, BE |
Albums
Press
Wwww1/2 "A record full of music that excites, amazes and overwhelms." WRITTEN IN MUSIC on 'Vogel'
pressview
26-08-2024 |
"(...) apart from being fairly intense and engaging, also pretty impressive and fantastic. Or fanatic and genius?" LUMINOUS DASH on Ottla live |
live |
19-06-2024 |
"A Live Sensation" JAZZISM on Ottla |
live |
19-04-2024 |
Wwww from DE MORGEN for 'Vogel' |
album |
16-04-2024 |
"Taste the freedom of a bird and flutter through the genre forest." PLATOMANIA on Ottla's 'Vogel' |
album |
15-04-2024 |
"(...) rich aesthetic that effortlessly blurs the line between rock and jazz" JAZZENZO on Ottla's 'Vogel' |
album |
12-04-2024 |
"'Vogel' decisively chooses lust for life" ENOLA on Ottla's new album |
album |
12-04-2024 |
Wwww "Vogel is a record that breathes and will never die." DANSENDE BEREN on Ottla's new album |
album |
12-04-2024 |
"Ottla is emerging as Flanders' leading, melodically rock-solid flight of free birds." OOR on Ottla's 'Vogel' |
album |
12-04-2024 |
Wwww "vital, hypnotic and unpredictable" FOCUS KNACK on Ottla's 'Vogel' |
album |
12-04-2024 |
Wwww1/2 "A record full of music that excites, amazes and overwhelms." WRITTEN IN MUSIC on 'Vogel' |
album |
22-09-2020 |
★★★★☆ from FOCUS KNACK for Ottla at Jazz Middelheim |
live |
24-02-2020 |
"Whether you think you like jazz or not, Ottla will fill you with emotion." THE DAILY INDIE on Ottla live |
live |
24-02-2020 |
"A fine performance, characterised by diversity, playfulness and guts" 3 VOOR 12 on Ottla live at Peel Slowly & See 2020 |
live |
27-01-2020 |
"A Wonderful Show" KLANKGAT on Ottla live at Rauwkost Festival |
live |
25-01-2020 |
★★★★☆ "We Want More" DE MORGEN on Ottla live at Botanique |
live |
24-01-2020 |
"Finger licking good" DANSENDE BEREN on Ottla in Handelsbeurs |
live |
23-01-2020 |
Great review on Ottla live at Handelsbeurs by JAZZ & MO' |
live |
21-01-2020 |
Interview with Bert Dockx on Ottla in HUMO |
album |
25-12-2019 |
"Stofwolk" is one of DANSENDE BEREN's best Belgian singles of 2019 |
album |
24-12-2019 |
Ottla's debut at N°2 in LUMINOUS DASH's Bram Gobbers' best of 2019 |
album |
18-12-2019 |
Ottla's debut is one of INDIESTYLE's favourite Belgian albums of 2019 |
album |
17-12-2019 |
Another great review from JAZZHALO |
album |
16-12-2019 |
N°1 album of 2019 + interview & concert review in JAZZISM (NL) |
album |
08-12-2019 |
Ottla's debut is at N°4 of WRITTEN IN MUSIC's best of 2019 |
album |
02-12-2019 |
"Dockx & his companions pull out all the stops on this crushing debut" JAZZFLITS (NL) on Ottla's first album. |
album |
27-11-2019 |
Ottla's 'Huisje Tuintje' on FRANCE MUSIQUE's Open Jazz |
onair |
31-10-2019 |
"...this might be the best album in Dockx’s discography. And that means something." INDIESTYLE |
album |
28-10-2019 |
"A great album that leaves pigeonholing to those still needing it." ENOLA on Ottla |
album |
26-10-2019 |
"Album of the year" according to LUMINOUS DASH |
album |
24-10-2019 |
"Brilliant" FOCUS VIF on Ottla's debut |
album |
24-10-2019 |
"Ottla is a world-class band and their first born is downright crushing!" WRITTEN IN MUSIC (NL) |
album |
23-10-2019 |
★★★★ Nice words + 4 stars from DE STANDAARD |
album |
23-10-2019 |
★★★★ from FOCUS KNACK for Ottla'sdebut album |
album |
22-10-2019 |
★★★★½ for Ottla's debut from HUMO |
album |
04-10-2019 |
Nice review on Ottla's debut by JAZZHALO (DE) |
album |
25-08-2019 |
"Shaking" JAZZQUES on Ottla live at Gaume Jazz |
live |
12-08-2019 |
JAZZ HALO on Ottla live at Gaume Jazz |
live |
11-08-2019 |
Bert Dockx in "My Favorite Things" on KLARA |
onair |
19-07-2019 |
"Stofwolk" sounds like a brooding musical exploration through a warm and desolate landscape. DANSENDE BEREN |
album |
02-07-2019 |
"Ottla surprises, amazes, grooves, moves & has humour" JAZZISM on Ottla live at Gent Jazz 2019 |
live |
30-06-2019 |
"An energetic atmosphere" DANSENDE BEREN on Ottla at Gent Jazz 2019 |
live |
29-04-2019 |
"Strong, energetic performance, which left no one untouched" JAZZFORUM (PL) on Ottla live at BJM 2019 |
live |
15-04-2019 |
Nice words from WRITTEN IN MUSIC on Ottla live at the Belgian Jazz Meeting |
live |
09-04-2019 |
"Most interesting music" LONDON JAZZ NEWS (UK) on Ottla live at the Belgian Jazz Meeting |
live |
09-04-2019 |
"Spectacular" JAZZ ENZO (NL) on Ottla live at the Belgian Jazz Meeting |
live |
29-03-2019 |
"A strong & intense performance" ENOLA on Ottla live in Ghent. |
live |