The Witzard Premiere: "Narcissist" & "Out of Sight" from YŌKAI's Forthcoming EP From South of The Angels (No Time Records)
Los Angeles Hardcore crew YŌKAI' are preparing to release their latest 2-track EP, From South of The Angels, tomorrow digitally on No Time Records. However, they've gifted us with an exclusive premiere of both tracks, "Narcissist" & "Out of Sight," today right here at The Witzard. YŌKAI's current line-up consist of vocalist Daniel "Danny" Ortiz, guitarists John "Johnny" Vallejo & Daniel "Dony" Gil, bassist Héctor Rivera, and drummer Jairo Avila. Gil is YŌKAI's newest member and From South of The Angels This marks his first time recording with the band. "I'm super-excited for my first release in YŌKAI'. Being part of the band has been fun and I hope we can keep this going," Daniel "Dony" Gil shares. From South of The Angels was engineered by Taylor Young (DRAIN, God's Hate, Twitching Tongues) at The Pit Recording Studio, whom YŌKAI' previosuly worked with on their Reap What You Sow EP (2019) and 2021 full-length, Nostalgicated. YŌKAI's members have previously recorded music or played with 23 Skunks, Brava, El Queda, La Onda T.V. La Pobreska, Line.48, Mafia Rusa! MATAMOSKA! and The Skacore Cartel.
The following stement is from vocalist Daniel "Danny" Ortiz: "For "Narcissist," I changed the lyrics to the whole song pretty much the day before I went to track vocals. In the months leading up to the recording, I was fleshing it out, yelling, and blurting out words at random during practice. I'd keep ones that made me feel something. "Will you make it make sense?" Honestly, most days I don't know what I'm saying, but I just follow the threads and trust that it'll come together. "Tug on these strings..." I've realized listening to the records, after the fact, I'm just venting about things I haven't admitted to myself are an issue yet. A week before meeting with Taylor [Young], I went through an uncomfortable change in my personal life, which, at this point, is true for every time we've gone in to record. I pieced together what I was trying to say, but I'm still trying to interpret it. I think the song is about the confusion someone feels when they lose themselves in another person; the blurred lines between a narcissist and a codependent."
"'Out of Sight" [is] about being fed up.
Being
Sick of this,
Sick of that.
Sick of people.
Sick of yourself.
Sick of being sick of things
and wanting to hide, sometimes.
To just f***ing vanish."
- Daniel "Danny" Ortiz (@danibalism)
Bassist Héctor Rivera told us the South Park-reminscent cover will be for the initial online and cassette tape release through No Time Records. While the YŌKAI' "Toad" alternate cover will be used for upcoming band-exclusive tapes. Art for From South of The Angels by Robert Campos (@thetrevrr) and "toad" cover by DEWEY (@dewey_312.) Physical tape release will be coming soon, via No Time Records (@notimerecordsoc.) Check out our 2021 Nostalgicated interview with Rivera at our affiliates' site, NO ECHO. YŌKAI's From South of The Angels EP drops digitally tomorrow 1/20 on No Time Records. Stay tuned for additioanl details regarding the standard South Park cover and "toad" edition cassette tapes.
