Otto Knows What the Future Holds
After the massive release of his mega-hit “Million Voices” in 2012, Otto Knows has teased us with slow and gradual releases of only a handful of singles and remixes. Maintaining a busy touring schedule and frequenting many festivals slots off these few releases, Otto appears to be building up to something great.
The news of Otto signing with At Night Management comes as no surprise. There he’ll be joining his longtime mentor Sebastian Ingrosso and Avicii’s manager, Ash Pournouri, as he gears up to reveal his new projects.
The Swede entered the industry at only 16 years old and was quickly brought on board as one of Ingrosso’s tour managers before deciding to make a go at Otto Knows full-time. He’s now grown into his own, ready to show the world what he’s been working on all this time.
There has been talk about a recent deal with At Night Management with Ash Pournouri and Ingrosso. Can you tell us a little about this?
I’m very happy for the future with these guys. I signed a new contract with them very recently and am now managed by Ash and co-managed by Sebastian Ingrosso, so I still have my mentor involved in my career, as well as my good friend Ash. I’ve known Ash since he started working with Avicii almost seven years ago. Since we’ve been friends and have worked near each other for so long, it felt really organic to develop this working relationship, so I’m really happy.
Did you ever feel pressure following “Million Voices”?
Not anymore. Before, I felt a lot of pressure. You know, you’re only human, and when people expect a lot of stuff from you, it can be easy to get stressed, but that’s what this industry is about. Now, I’m just having fun and loving the songs that I’m making. I’m just in a really happy place right now.
What did your family and friends think of you entering the music industry?
From the get-go they weren’t so supportive, but that’s changed recently. In the beginning, they didn’t know what the industry was all about and didn’t think that it was actually possible for me to do well, since so few people get to do this full-time. They’re very proud now.
How did you end up being Sebastian Ingrosso’s tour manager?
I met Sebastian, and we ended up really liking each other. He needed someone to bring on his tour. “Tour” is a big word for me. I think Swedish House Mafia did a tour when they had about 50 people working in their crew. I was more of a friend to him that just happened to help him out with his shows on a basic level. During this time, I got to see how clubs and festivals work.
Did you pick up any specific tricks of the trade when you worked with Ingrosso?
Yeah! I obviously became really comfortable traveling and going through the whole touring process. When I started my own touring later on, I knew exactly what I was getting into.
You’ve worked on the tour management side, and you’ve worked as an artist; are there any other facets of the industry you want to try your hand at?
Not that I can think of. I’ve developed as an artist, and I’m playing different instruments that I want to incorporate into my live performances in the future. I don’t have much in the works outside of Otto Knows right now. This is my sole focus.
Since you’ve worked behind the scenes in past roles, do you find yourself getting involved with your own project more than a typical artist would?
Absolutely. I’m a bit of a control freak, so now when I want to put my name on my music, I want it to really feel like it’s mine and make sure that it sounds like me. For a long time, I was busy trying to figure out what was cool and what other artists were trying to do. I didn’t know what I wanted, but now I’ve realized that people really like what I’ve done with my music. I try to keep it as personal as I possibly can and not imitate anybody else’s sound. I think that’s a very good start. As I’ve started to feel more comfortable as an artist, I just try to be honest in what I do and what I make.
What can we expect from you next?
There’s going to be a new single in November that I’m really looking forward to, and I also have a remix for Axwell / Ingrosso coming out pretty soon. There are a lot of songs that I’ve been working on that are going to be coming out in the near future.
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