Like an ocean crashing over you, Osito brings ambient synths to the latest "Cave of Wonders." This mystic track features trance-like EDM melodies and guiding, vivid lyrics. From Salt Lake City, Utah, Osito is a vocalist, producer, and songwriter specializing in electronic pop that bends genres. Not viewing songwriting as a problematic endeavor, Osito nurtures and revels in the process, a huge draw of his latest release "Cave of Wonders." "Cave of Wonders" is catchy electro-dancehall hit that would have been seemingly included on one of those '90s dance compilations. Still, Otisto has brought it forward to today's standards and would invigorate EDM festivals and festival-goers around the globe.
"Cave of Wonders" is performed initially by the Utah centered group, Bellrave. Its lucid lyrics offer mind-altering imagery and exploration. Lyrics like, "can you hear the whispers, do you feel my pulse against your walls?" and "in the cave of wonders, my heart bleeds all the pretty "colors. A distorted electrified saxophone ghostly echoes throughout the track and sets a tone of balladry to the track. Piano notes cascading along with the lyrics, let the listener seemingly surge through the track. It's these influences Osito has infused on his take of "Cave of Wonders" that have breathed in new life and relatability to it.
Discover "Cave of Wonders" here.
Hello Otisto and welcome to BuzzMusic. What made you want to recreate Bellraves “Cave of Wonders”?
It was one of those songs that I just fell in love with the instant I heard it years ago and it was written by one of my first mentors in the music industry, Allison Martin, who guided me through the ins and outs of being on stage and was always there to provide valuable feedback to my earliest songs. So when I hit a rough patch and was doubting my abilities and my future in music I was fortunate enough to come across the song again and was hit the urge to create something and I thought, why not cover the song that reignited that passion and already meant so much to me. In a lot of ways this cover is me saying thank you to my mentors for all they’ve done and taught me as well as reminding myself that even though things don’t always work out the way we’d like them to in this industry, music will always be my home.
How did you get into Electronic music and what was the connection you had to it?
I think I’ve always been on a collision course with Electronic music since I grew up listening to the synth-soaked hit of the late-90s and early aughts. But my first real-life run-in was when I was in second grade and part of the University of Utah’s Tanner Dance program in which there was, and still is, a man named Tristan Moore who composes all the music for their shows. And I remember being in a rehearsal for a show and him bringing in his keyboard, sitting on the ground, putting on headphones and right there in the middle of our practice putting together our music and I just remember not only wanting to watch what he was doing but thinking wow… that’s what I want to be able to do one day… I want to be that bitch who can make something from nothing.
Who are some of your musical influences you have really looked up to and how do you let your own sound prosper from them?
Oh wow, this is a big one… there are a lot of diverse influences in my work that range from film composers like Hans Zimmer to rock stars like Marilyn Manson and Rammstein. But I’d say the biggest ones are Evanescence, and by extension Amy Lee, because I do usually tend to write about darker themes and moods. Imogen Heap is another massive influence because I’ve always loved the more playful way she approaches her music by using a lot of found sounds from the world around her and seamlessly mixing organic and synthesized sounds to create a very unique body of work. I’m also really inspired by hit-makers like Sarah Hudson, Max Martin, and the now very controversial Dr. Luke.
What does your creative process look like for you as an artist? Do you have any specific themes or narratives you try to infuse into your music?
My typical creative process starts with the music, I like to sit down and craft a whole beat before moving on to lyrics. From there it’ll go one of two ways, I’ll either have gotten an idea of what I want to write about during the beat-making process or I’ll just set up my mic and start singing to see what melodies or lyrics stick. Interestingly enough I almost always end up working in a specific format as well that starts with the chorus, moves to the second verse, then the first, and then finally the bridge. And while I try to branch out as a songwriter to cover as many themes as I can, I typically default to breakup songs and songs about abstract topics like dreams or space. Though I have been known to write the occasional party song like my track One More Night.
What can we expect to see next from you?
Hopefully, if all goes well, there will be an EP or full-length album out by the summer of next year! And if we get lucky with the COVID situation I’d like to shoot a video for Cave of Wonders at a spot here in Salt Lake City that perfectly matches the dreamy lyrics, but that may have to wait until this all blows over. As for the rest of this year, I’ve got releases planned for both July and August, to complement Cave of Wonders. One of which I’m very excited about because I’ve been sitting on it for a long time and I think it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever written. But for now, that’s all I can say!