The hypnotic new video for Sankt Otten’s latest single ‘Tiefgang‘, taken from the reissue of their Eine Kleine Traurigkeit album and new Tiefgang EP, is now available in the HSR Store.

The single version of ‘Tiefgang’ distils all the qualities of early Sankt Otten – crackly samples, ominous beats, and Carsten Sandkaemper’s vocals – into an astringent, heady brew. Restrained yet surprisingly potent, the track’s compelling energy comes from its distinctive rhythmic momentum, somewhere between a swagger and a march. The video for the single is equally mesmerising in its simplicity and beauty, as two painted dancers intertwine against a stark white canvas.

The ‘Tiefgang (Kurzfassung)‘ single is also available for free download for a limited time only.

Sankt Otten Tiefgang (Kurzfassung)  Sankt Otten – Tiefgang (Kurzfassung)

Excerpt: “right from the second listen, Eine Kleine Traurigkeit blew me away…. these guys are poets. They can effortlessly place a jigsaw into the right place. They can make us see that things make sense. They always win with their heart instead of a dictionary. Their heart is a dictionary! What they’re doing here looks like cartography to me, as their songs have a rare way of precisely expressing things, feelings that seem somehow more real than the reality. Because, each time you play this album, you can feel the night surrounding you, and that’s the best and most precise thing I can say about Eine Kleine Traurigkeit. It’s a journey to the center of the night, a disturbing and exciting trip to Miss Terria’s Darkness Factory… I only want to say this: try this album (by the way, you can try and hear the full songs on sites like Last.fm so why not?), buy this album, eat this album, drink this album…  it deserves your attention and you might actually find it rewarding.”

Treetop View

Excerpt: “Germany’s noir veterans Sankt Otten have built a considerable following in continental Europe during the past 7 years with their dark trip-hop aesthetic… brooding cinematic grooves, setting a murky, uneasy atmosphere akin to Teutonic male-voiced Portishead… Musically, Sankt Otten’s mix of menacing string and horn samples, minimal yet melodic guitars and downtempo beats has resonated in the now-defunct US doom-hoppers Vincent & Mr Green’s moody recordings, as well as casting an obvious influence on Never, Never Land-era U.N.K.L.E. To be played in near-total darkness with a glass of red.”

Rave

There’s been a recent surge in great coverage of Sankt Otten releases! The reissue of Sankt Otten’s debut album Eine Kleine Traurigkeit has just received glowing reviews on Rave magazine and Treetop View. Visit the respective sites to read the reviews in full, or visit Sankt Otten’s reviews section for excerpts.

Plus, their album Wir Koennen Ja Freunde Bleiben has made it into Headphone Commute’s best albums of 2007 list, which has been published ahead of their 2008 countdown.

Sankt Otten Tiefgang (Kurzfassung) Sankt Otten – Tiefgang (Kurzfassung)