[INTERVIEW] OTR Sheds Light On His Brand-New Ethereal Album, 'Be Quiet, They're Listening'

From aerospace engineer to breaking sonic barriers, OTR has evolved into a one-of-a-kind musical spectacle. His signature style is a mind-bending fusion of experimental sound design, hypnotic beats, chilling effects, stunning vocals, and galactic influences.

Following up on his widely celebrated 2020 debut album, Lost At Midnight, OTR has now returned with his second LP, Be Quiet, They're Listening, out on the prominent label Astralwerks Records. This extraordinary compilation guides listeners on an auditory journey, through different moods, tempos, soundscapes, and alluring collaborations. We had the pleasure of talking with OTR on this amazing project and his bright future ahead.

Check out iEDM’s exclusive interview with OTR below.

iEDM: Clearly, transitioning from being an aerospace engineer to a DJ-producer hybrid is a big shift in career choice. What ignited this decision, and what was the toughest obstacle you faced during this chapter in your life? How did you overcome it?

OTR: I sort of fell into doing music full time. While I was getting my masters in Aerospace Engineering after having done a stint at Lockheed Martin, my music started taking off on Spotify. It's a long story but I was in limbo with completing my masters so I just told myself to go for it and haven't looked back since.

The biggest obstacle was having to go off being an engineer as part of my identity while embracing being vulnerable in front of an audience. There was a lot of anxiety of wondering if I was actually good enough or if I had just conned everyone into allowing me to have this career.

iEDM: Are there any lessons or ways of thinking you learned while being an aerospace engineer that you have applied on your musical journey?

OTR: I think engineering taught me how to sit in front of a computer for an endless period of time while trying to figure out a complicated problem. That skill set of just persevering through a tough spot, whether it’s creative or analytical, has stayed with me to this day.

iEDM: Can you break down how your new album, Be Quiet, They’re Listening, thematically reflects your time as an aerospace engineer and space in general?

OTR: I think there’s a duality in this album, and that reflects how I feel as an individual. Space to me feels limitless, expansive, but also unobtainable due to physical restrictions of our current understanding of physics. That makes our planet feel a little isolating, like we can see all the magic happening in front of us but we’re still not invited yet to join the party. “Looking Down From Space” reflects that feeling rather directly, though it's touched on in other moments as well.

iEDM: In Be Quiet, They’re Listening, how did you come up with the different song titles and order it in a way that takes listeners on a chronological adventure?

OTR: Writing an album in general is such an arduous process compared to just writing one single. A single is like a single sentence, while an album is like a short story. But as a vision takes hold and a few songs are written that all feel like they’re part of the same “story”, it’s easy to feel where the gaps are.

Naming tracks for an album is always the last thing I do. I typically listen to it in full and make a mental note of what I think the main point of the song is and how it leads into the next one. After a few revisions and sending it to a few trusted friends, I land on a final.

iEDM: Why do you think JONES’ voice goes together so seamlessly with the instrumental in “Heat Of The Sun”? What message does her lyrics convey to you?

OTR: That was one of the first in-person recording sessions either one of us had done since after the pandemic had started to calm down. I sent her the instrumental version of the track a few months prior and she said she would listen to it whenever she went on walks. So I think she had a good understanding of what would fit and what wouldn't. By the time we were together in the studio, the energy was just right and got exactly what we needed.

iEDM: Which track in this album pushed you the most out of your comfort zone as an artist, and why?

OTR: “Apart of Me” because it is one of the heavier songs that I have written – alongside it being with an artist (Devault) who is very much more club-dance oriented than I am. But when we were working on the song together in person, it just clicked and I had to see where the idea would take us sonically.

iEDM: “Leave You Behind” is a bit slower-paced when compared to the rest of the album. Was there a certain inspiration behind this? What were the highlights of collaborating with Bipolar Sunshine on the track?

OTR: I think we just had a good chat prior to the session starting. I started messing with different synth sounds, and Adio (Bipolar Sunshine) jumped into the booth and laid out the entire track right there. The main highlight was just how effortless and lovely he was in session after having just met for the first time – wish they were all like that.

iEDM: How did you and Devault balance each other’s signature styles in “Apart Of Me”? Are there any specific emotions or memories when listening to this song?

OTR: I think we both knew our strengths pretty well. We were aware enough of when to let the other take over for a bit during our studio session. There was also an excitement in the room as we had just met for the first time but were somehow able to write this song that was a weird combination of both our strengths.

iEDM: The visual component of this project is incredible! How are the music videos for “Heat Of The Sun” and “Apart Of Me” interconnected? What are your favorite parts or aesthetics from these?

OTR: Thank you! They were both shot all on the same day with the same crew. To me those two songs felt most like direct opposites so it was cool to see how we could build a familiar world around the two.

iEDM: In your own words, what does the cover art and vintage-looking visualizers for Be Quiet, They’re Listening depict? How do they symbolize or relate to the auditory side of the LP?

OTR: I think it’s several different cameos of all the little inspirational themes that led up to the album. I wouldn’t want to explain it away though and ruin the fun.

iEDM: What sparked the idea for the space expedition-esque vocal sample used towards the end of “Looking Down From Space”, and how did you discover it?

OTR: That's my manager, Gavin! He sent me that as a voice memo to encourage me during my trip out to London. He knew I was feeling a bit overwhelmed so it was a nice reminder that things turned out ok and a tribute to him for being a north star during the crazy writing process. 

iEDM: The intro, interludes, and outro across Be Quiet, They’re Listening are so cinematic and powerful. What role do they play in telling the story behind this compilation? How do you forge the lengthier droning effects to add color and depth to each of these tracks?

OTR: To me those tracks are 100% “me” as in that they're all like 1hr solo production sessions where I was able to put “pen to paper”. Each track is a raw snapshot of how I was feeling during the album process and weirdly enough incurred no revisions or last minute changes. The outro was written first, the interludes 2nd, and the intro last.

The effects range from being a heavily modified version of my voice to a few select synths that have become my “go to” staples from now on.

iEDM: There is a multitude of ethereal soundscapes throughout Be Quiet, They’re Listening. What sound design techniques, plugins, and other production tools were essential to crafting this work of art?

OTR: Throughout the pandemic, I was messing with analog synths and figuring out which were overhyped (in my humble opinion) and which I felt I couldn’t live without. The Prophet Rev2 had me hooked, which is where most of those sounds come from. The Moog Subsequent 37 played a significant role as well, along with just some UAD plugins that I use for drum and vocal processing.

Prophet Rev2 (left) and Moog Subsequent 37 (right)

iEDM: Why is this album a solid match for Astralwerks Records? From your perspective, what do these two entities have in common?

OTR: Astralwerks has been involved with many projects that have inspired me like Porter Robinson’s “Worlds” and Empire of the Sun, to name a few. I think they have shown they can handle indie sounding dance music while also knowing the EDM scene very well.

iEDM: If you could go anywhere in space and time (regardless of standard physics) to perform an album mix for Be Quiet, They’re Listening, what would be the perfect setting and why?

OTR: Selfishly, I would open for Daft Punk at any point of their existence. I'm so bummed they're done for forever and I never got to see them. But I think they also have some elements in their main sets where it would be a nice blend.

iEDM: What are you most looking forward to for your upcoming tour? Are there any shows in particular that you are extremely excited about?

OTR: I’m just excited to finally get out there and start meeting people who have been listening to my music. I’ve played a few shows and it still amazes me that people are out there and listening. Despite having two full albums out, the pandemic prevented me from connecting with my audience at that level.

Photos courtesy of OTR.

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