OTR Gives Us ‘BE QUIET, THEY’RE LISTENING’,
Today OTR gives us Be Quiet, They’re Listening – the follow-up to his acclaimed 2020 debut album, Lost At Midnight – was released today via Astralwerks. The songs – which feature collaborations with such artists as Bipolar Sunshine, Lizzy Land, JONES, Devault and Kacy Hill – take listeners on a journey through a vibrant soundscape of varied tempos and moods that affirm the healing power of music.
“The album is a reflection of a time when I had to learn how to put my life back together,” says OTR. “I’m proud of how it turned out and hope people can find some comfort, inspiration and motivation while listening to it. ‘In The Summer’ to me feels like a combination of these feelings all wrapped up in one song, so I’m happy it’s debuting with the album as a whole.”
Completing a trilogy of videos directed by Kevin Clark (Finneas, Between Friends), the official video for “In The Summer” debuted today. Centering on the couple introduced in “Heat of the Sun” (with JONES) and “Apart Of Me” (Ft. Devault), the prismatic video takes viewers hurtling through shifts in time and perspective to examine singular, otherworldly moments in the couple’s relationship.
“Be Quiet, They’re Listening feels like a door into deeper mysteries of ourselves and the universe,” says director Kevin Clark. “A layered fractal of life and space where time can slow down.”
Finding himself at a creative impasse while crafting the shimmering “In The Summer,” OTR recalls, “I decided to fly back home to Cincinnati, where I went to school. I met up with some friends and brought my laptop, and without really thinking about it one evening, I just finished that entire track. It just seemed like a full circle.”
OTR will support Be Quiet, They’re Listening with a fall North American headline tour. See below for itinerary. Tickets are available HERE. The album’s title comes from a science fiction short story, inspired by the Fermi paradox. Explains OTR, “The story talks about the vast universe where you’re trying to find connection and no one is receiving your signals, and you’re wondering why no one’s responding. Then, at the end, there’s this foreboding warning. I thought that was really interesting. I wanted to replicate that feeling.”
Boasting an explosion of dreamy synths and polished percussion, Be Quiet, They’re Listening showcases the scope of emotion as well as meticulous attention to detail that elevate OTR’s work. The loving, buoyant electronic tracks burst with optimism and catharsis. But the truth is, they are simply an extension of their creator, producer Ryan Chadwick. For him, making music began as an escape from strange, alienating circumstances, and has since blossomed into a burgeoning career with more than 200 million combined global streams.
Educated and trained as an aerospace engineer, Chadwick found himself heading to Japan in 2014 for an internship. It was there that OTR was truly born. When Chadwick returned to the U.S., music had gone from a casual hobby to a serious pursuit and he was already honing his skills and creating music that millions of listeners would soon discover. In 2020, OTR signed with the storied electronic label Astralwerks and released his debut album, Lost at Midnight, which earned syncs on a Netflix soundtrack, Forza Horizon 5, and even a Super Bowl commercial.
Photo Credit: Callum Walker Hutchinson