Otyken (, ) is a Russian Siberian indigenous music group that mixes elements of local folk music with modern pop, incorporating traditional instruments, lyrics, and languages. 'Otyken' is a word that is used in Chulym language for a sacred place where warriors would lay down their arms and talk. The band was formed in 2015 by Andrey 'Medonos' Chernetsov, and their debut album was released in 2018. As of June 2025, the group has over 2.9 million followers on TikTok, over 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and over 1 million subscribers on YouTube with over 250 million views. The band members
Otyken (, ) is a Russian Siberian indigenous music group that mixes elements of local folk music with modern pop, incorporating traditional instruments, lyrics, and languages. 'Otyken' is a word that is used in Chulym language for a sacred place where warriors would lay down their arms and talk. The band was formed in 2015 by Andrey 'Medonos' Chernetsov, and their debut album was released in 2018. As of June 2025, the group has over 2.9 million followers on TikTok, over 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and over 1 million subscribers on YouTube with over 250 million views. The band members are of Siberian ethnicities and live in tiny villages along the Chulym river in the taiga of Krasnoyarsk Krai. That they live in tiny villages is disputed by past members in a podcast and referred to as a "myth".
== Genre and style == The group's career began by performing traditional songs representative of their indigenous cultures; later, modern elements of rock and pop were blended over this folk foundation to create greater appeal for global audiences. Their eye-catching homemade costumes, which are designed by Medonos, incorporate historic and modern design elements as well as 'fantasy' for this same reason. Otyken's music is recorded with traditional instruments such as the komuz, igil, jaw harp, rattle, tambourine, and leather drum; it incorporates modern instruments such as the keyboard, bass guitar, programmed electronic drums. A saxophone appeared in some older tracks, such as My Wing but is no longer utilised. Throat singing is also frequently used. Many of the group's sounds, both instrumental and vocal, attempt to mimic the sounds of nature and animals, while the lyrics try to capture the practices, beliefs, and spirit of the indigenous people. The language is mostly in Chulym Tatar, which had only 44 speakers in 2010 and about 30 speakers in 2020; some songs are also sung in Khakas or Russian. The group performs to a pre-recorded backing track with many elements, typically the drum beat, synths, horn and the aforementioned saxophone. The lead and backing vocals are performed live, along with bass guitar, and some percussion elements.
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