NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CHARLIE OTTO + HIS GEAR

GET PERMANENT

I’m working on a new full length album called “GET PERMANENT.” The last time I completed a cohesive full length was my 2020 release “( )PRESSION” which I’m now realizing was also all caps. Here is the process:

 

-in one week of fall of 2023, i made 25 snippets of songs from scratch. sometimes that means i think of some band i want to sound like as an exercise, or some idea to start with, but mostly, i just go.

-one by one, arrange these things into full songs. i have a lot of other stuff going on so this takes a couple years. i have tons of voice memos of me playing acoustically or just walking and working on lyrics.

-i’m recording as i go, but i always have drums that i play on a keyboard to start, knowing that at one point i’ll have to get my favorite drummer in the world involved, Matt Walker. New this time around, he came over a few times to work on songs when they weren’t fully arranged, and helped make some new parts. 

-i recorded a few more people. Alan Berliant on bass, Ryan Tedder on sax for a tune, my wife Kasey Foster for some hard to reach vocals.

-i’m re-recording my vocals at a do it yourself studio named Information Playback Reel Studios. it has a vocal booth inside a bank vault and a really nice microphone.

-normally here is where i go into a proper studio and record drums proper. however Matt Walker had to go on tour with Morrissey for 6 months, so I’m just gonna use all my scratch recordings of his drums, all cut up and everything, and make that work

-half the songs are very rock and the other half are more electronic. so i have to bring the rock ones to a guy who knows how to mix that stuff. still figuring that out. and the electronic stuff, i bring to R34L.

-somewhere in this process, i’ll look to hire someone to maybe promote the thing i guess? i don’t know, this has never worked out very well. i don’t even know where to start.

-i’m playing with ideas for the ablum cover. this photo below is done with chatgpt, although i’ll probably look for a human to make the final

-will i make a vinyl out of it? for some reason that sticks in my head, although i don’t know why. everyone says its a huge waste of money. we’ll see

update

In 2024, the GEAR + I played more shows than ever before. It was very fun, but it also takes up a lot of time and energy. Booking, promotion, advancing shows, travel, setting up and tearing down are all aspects that must be done before anyone can see a show. During my busy months, I wasn’t able to devote enough time to making new music, so I’m excited to get into that over the next few months. Goal list:

-finish new album “GET PERMANENT”

-build new studio

-make one session that includes all my dance tunes, so that i can play nonstop like a DJ would

I will post more updates I’m sure, but a huge thanks to everyone who was a part of 2024. I’ll see you in 2025 for sure!

last show of 2024

2024 has been the busiest year yet for me + the gear, so much thanks to everyone who came to a show or followed along online. I’m playing one last show, here are the details:

Saturday, November 16
Hunt House Creative Arts Center
113 E Main St, St. Charles, IL 60174
Music from 8 to 10pm
all ages, $15

Hunt House is a music school and performance venue run by a very talented collaborator of mine, hometown hero Leslie Hunt. She asked that I come out and play my tunes but also describe a bit of the process of making music and videos, and performing them live.

Leslie will come up and perform the tunes we made together, including this one:

new album from J. Yellin

I produced an album for longtime friend and collaborator J. Yellin, I think it turned out pretty well. Sounds like Beck and Pete Yorn. Drums by another good friend Nate Urbansky, mix and master by good friend Rollin Weary.

Here is the Spotify link: