Lane Shi Otayonii (Mandarin Chinese: 莱恩·施·奥塔约尼; born either 1993 or 1994) is a Chinese musician, sound designer,[1] film composer,[1] and installation artist based currently out of both Shanghai and New York City.[2] She is known for being the lead vocalist of Boston experimental bands Dent and Elizabeth Colour Wheel, as well as for her solo-project, Otay:onii.[3][4][5]
Lane Shi Otayonii | |
|---|---|
| Born | Haining, China |
| Website | www |
Early life
Otayonii was born in Haining, China.[6] Otayonii has said she was a naughty child, but certain life events silenced her as she was growing up, changing her into a shy, quiet person.[3] In 2010, at age 16, Otayonii moved to the United States from Guangzhou, China.[6]
Influences
Otayonii's music is influenced by Queenadreena. Otayonii credits Chinese and Mongolian singing with influencing her to sing without boundaries.[3]
Dent
In 2014, Dent was formed by drummer Jack Whelan, guitarist Harley Cullen, bassist Tristan Allen, and vocalist Otayonii, who all met while attending Berklee College of Music.[7][8][9]
The Boston Globe described Otayonii's stage presence at Dent shows as "creating a force field around as much of the room as she can reach".[3] Bandcamp Daily stated Dent's "local notoriety grew with each visceral, concrete-shaking basement performance".[10]
In 2015, the band played a 14-city tour of China that spanned 5,700 miles.[11]
On 12 May 2015, Dent released the album, Eyeballs. Boston Hassle reviewed the album, stating, "with all the low/quiet shifts and endless details it simply begs for repeated listening".[12] Phoebe Fico said Otayonii sounded like "a lead singer whose voice warbled and waned like Bjork and a Swedish death metal god had a baby".[13]
In 2017, Dent split up after the members graduated from Berklee.[10]
On 7 June 2019, Dent released the album, Bao Bei, which the band had recorded in 2016.[10]
Elizabeth Colour Wheel
In 2014, Elizabeth Colour Wheel was formed by guitarist Alice Jackson, bassist Bill Cunningham, drummer Connor DeVito, and vocalist Otayonii.[3][14]
In January 2019, Revolver Mag listed the band on 5 Artists You Need to Know, writing "their live show is something to behold and, impressively, the album manages to capture the same vital energy that exists in their onstage performances."[15]
On 15 March 2019, Elizabeth Colour Wheel released the album, Nocebo,[16] under the label The Flenser. Metal Injection described the album as, "a testament to all that is heavy, beautiful, and twisted."[17] Nine Circles wrote Nocebo, "has that timeless quality that marks a unique and vital voice in the music world."[18] BrooklynVegan called Otayonii's voice "soaring and unique".[4]
In 2022, the band played a 50-show tour of the United States. This was Elizabeth Colour Wheel's first time playing for an audience since 2019 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). A reviewer at The Austin Chronicle commented on Otayonii's physicality during her performance, involving vibrating, exiting the room mid-song, eating the microphone, and making sounds with the microphone lodged in her mouth.[19] Ghost Cult Mag wrote about ECW’s New York show, “Otayonii disappeared into the crowd: the seemingly disembodied shrieking that begged for exorcism made one forget the vocalist had a corporeal form at all until they reemerged writhing in the center of the floor. This visual, as well as auditory experience, made a great opener for the night.”[20]
Otay:onii
In 2018, Otayonii released her solo debut, Nag, on ShadowTrash Tape Group, under the stagename, Otay:onii.[21]
In 2021, Otay:onii released the album, MíngMíng 冥冥, on WV Sorcerer Productions.[22][23] Sputnikmusic described the album as "a forward-thinking work that combined industrial, Chinese folk, glitch and just the bare minimum of pop sensibilities into a spellbinding fever dream of unease and liminal suspense."[24][25] The music video for MíngMíng 冥冥’s closing track, "Un deciphered", was an official selection by the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival.[6][26]
In 2023, Otay:onii released the album, 夢之駭客 Dream Hacker, on Bié Records.[27] The project came out after she returned from living in China for three years, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pitchfork gave 夢之駭客 Dream Hacker a 7.4 rating.[5] WBUR called the second track on the album, "W.C.", "crushingly eerie".[28]
In March 2023, Otay:onii performed at the high-altitude mountain ranges in Manigango on the Tibetan Plateau for Le Guess Who? and in Austin, Texas for SXSW.[29][30][31] In April 2023, she performed at Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, North Brabant.[32][33][34]
Performance art
- Naked Winger, Stovefactory Gallery, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 2015[35]
- Muted Jiji, Whisper 局部振动, Mountain Store, Chengdu, China, 2018[36]
- Unwrap! 包裹之外, at Ming Contemporary Art Museum in Shanghai, China, 2021[37]
- A Returning of A One that Must be Loved, Wonderville, Brooklyn, New York, 2015—2023[38][39]
Awards and honors
| 2016 | Berlin World International Film Festival – Official Selection – Dystopia Rooms[40] |
| 2016 | VOID – International Animation Film Festival, Copenhagen – Official Selection – Therapy Rooms[41] |
| 2016 | Holland Animation Film Festival – HAFFTube – Official Selection – First Breath[42] |
| 2016 | Barcelona Planet Film Festival – Official Selection – Therapy Room + Dystopia Rooms[43] |
| 2016 | Hollywood International Moving Picture Film Festival – Award Winner- Dystopia Rooms[44] |
| 2016 | Song of the Year- Semi-finalist- Dent[45] |
| 2017 | LINOLEUM Festival – Official Selection – Therapy Room[46] |
| 2017 | Berlin World International Film Festival / ACT HRFF – Official Selection – Dystopia Rooms[47] |
| 2017 | Seoul International Cartoon & Animation – Official Competition – Sorrowful Seed[48][8] |
| 2017 | ReAnima Animated International Film Festival – Best Music Video – Sorrowful Seed[49][8] |
| 2018 | American Track Music Award – Award Winner of Best Independent Artist – Dent – So Red[50] |
| 2018 | AMII Work Fest – Award Winner of Best Sound – Therapy Room[51] |
| 2018 | Global Music Award – Award Winner Bronze Prize of Best Female Vocal – Dent – Sorrowful Seed[52][8] |
| 2018 | Independent Talent International Film Festival – Finalist – Shaoxing Nomad[53][54] |
| 2018 | Istanbul International Experimental Film Festival – Official Selection – Shaoxing Nomad[55][54] |
| 2018 | Logcinema Music Film Festival – Award Winner of Best Original Song – Sorrowful Seed[56][8] |
| 2018 | Rome Prisma Film Award – Semi-finalist – Shaoxing Nomad[57][54] |
| 2019 | Paris Lift-Off – Official Selection – Shaoxing Nomad[58][54] |
| 2020 | International Sound and Film Music Festival – Official Selection – Shaoxing Nomad[59][54] |
| 2022 | Fear Faire Film Festival – Official Selection – Un deciphered[60][6] |
| 2022 | Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival – Official Selection – Un deciphered[6] |
References
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