Das Video zu Exhumed wurde von Jacqueline Castel gedreht, welche bereits frühere Videos für Nika produziert hat.

"Exhumed was personally conceived of and created whilst processing death - of family members and of relationships - and much like Okovi's core themes, it is a reflection on loss, heritage, and the often painful personal growth we must harness in the face of life's constant evolution. Shot intimately in one day, in the exhausting heat within the woods surrounding Nika's Wisconsin home, we sought to capture personal apocalypse, utilizing experimental shooting techniques to further our emotional goals. Practically and metaphorically, we fought to find the light in the darkest of forests."
- Jacqueline Castel

Über ein Jahrzehnt lang produziert Nika Roza Danilova nun schon Musik unter dem Pseudonym Zola Jesus. Sacred Bones war ihr eine Heimat für fast alle Veröffentlichungen und Okovi markiert ihre Wiedervereinigung mit dem Label. Passender Weise teilen die 11 elektronisch angetriebenen Songs von Okovi dieselbe DNA wie ihre Frühwerke auf Sacred Bones. Die Musik ist in purer Katharsis entstanden und das Resultat sind schwere, dunkle und erforschende Klänge.

Mit "Okovi" hat sie eine tiefgehende Meditation über Verlust und Versöhnung gefertigt, die mit andern großen Werken des Genres mithalten kann. Das Album spricht von Tragödie mit großer Weisheit und Klarheit. Die Songs sinken dabei in dunkle Tiefen, aber in anderen Momenten reflektieren sie auch Licht.

Mit den Worten von Nika:

"Seven years ago, it was winter break at university in Madison, Wisconsin. There was a snowstorm that covered the city with a still white haze. Not a single person in the streets. I was sitting on my bed with a cheap keyboard and a computer, screaming into the void.
I barely remember writing the songs. It was a chaotic point in my life. I had no time to think about process or intent. It was a purge. I do remember taking a break from recording, bundling up, and walking through the barren streets while listening to the demos I’d made. The world, at once, felt clear.
After writing and producing what would become the Stridulum EP, I contacted a new friend, Alex DeGroot, to come over and record my vocals. He was studying audio engineering and had more knowledge and gear than I could dream of. He helped mix Stridulum, too, because all I had was a pair of headphones. (Since then, Alex has stuck by me, as a live bandmate, technical director, co-producer, mixer, and engineer.)
These songs were a huge leap of faith back then. It was my first time singing without layers of distortion, echo, and reverb. It was the first time I peeled back the layers to find out what was at the core. I’m still on that path today, seeing how far I can push myself into unknown places, whether through clarification or destruction. It’s like Stridulum’s still here with me, underneath it all.
Still, it’s surreal to think that this record, made by a 19-year-old girl sitting on a bed in a freezing old house in Madison, would make its way into strangers’ ears seven years later."

Webseite | Twitter| Facebook | Instagram