IPOD
RADIO
Otto Von Schirach
By Jaime Winters
Jul 28, 2008
There is no genre that adequately defines Otto Von Schirach. Sometimes classified as IDM, sometimes breakcore, his sound is chunky and integrates all choice elements of underground music into a melodious mélange. With a notably diverse, plethora of influence ranging from Miami bass to grindcore, crunk to experimental noise, it is no surprise to see all types of people attending Otto’s shows—from fairies to freaks, hipsters to hip-hoppers. As Otto would say, it’s a gangbang. If you have not witnessed the futuristic digital sleaze spewing from this Hialeah born, mash-up master’s laptop in person, you are missing out on the best underground show in the world.
In 2006 Mike Patton’s label Ipecac Recordings released Otto’s Maxipad Detention, an unpredictable arrangement of blast-beats and experimental, embodying the true dark and reptilian nature of South Florida through sound. With Otto’s release on Palm Tree Snuff last year, he waved his freak flag even higher with Spine Serpents From Sperm Island, the most perverted CD of 2007. His hardcore dance-epic, Oozing Bass Spasms, was released July 11th via Cock Rock Disco. If you love hard-hitting bass, complicated yet smooth dance beats, and crazy mind-bending noise, you have to hear it!
During his most recent U.S. tour, SuicideGirls interviewed Otto before he performed in Denver, Colorado.
Jaime Winters: Are you ready for this?
Otto Von Schirach: Yeah, I’m ready. Give it to me dirty.
JW:
Oh shit, why you gotta come at me like that?
OVS:
Why?
JW:
‘Cause you’re from Florida!
OVS:
‘Cause I’m from fucking Florida. Right! And now I’m in Denver. Whoa, the beer is rising!
JW:
The beer?
OVS:
Yeah, we’re drinking Beck’s. And whiskey. I’m drinking whiskey and Beck’s at the same time.
JW:
Double fisting it, huh?
OVS:
Double doing it, baby, always! Lately I’ve been drinking all this alcohol, like there is no limit. Man, that shit was spicy, fool!
JW:
Have you gotten sick?
OVS:
No. I don’t ever go overboard, you know what I mean? And I’m a thirsty motherfucker! [Belches]
JW:
I heard that track on MySpace, “Romance In The Club.”
OVS:
You like that shit?
JW:
Yes! It’s out this month?
OVS:
It came out in Germany earlier this year in, but we released it here courtesy of Cock Rock Disco. It’s my most fucking dance epic tracks—I’ve been making them for years, you know? In Europe people really love dance music, and even though I’m more fucking heavy noise crazy shit, I also make the European version of dance music, which is more hardcore.
JW:
You’re from Miami, and you’re into every type of music from metal to industrial to booty bass to experimental. I don’t know about you, but I have always been diverse in my musical interests growing up and I noticed people being judgmental—like, if they’re into punk they wondered why I liked other shit, or if they were a grindcore freak they’d say the same thing. A lot of people were scenester elitists. The first time I went to one of your shows in Miami, I saw every type of person there; There were straight gangster thugs hanging out with goth girls, then metal heads, ravers and even some transvestites. It was a crazy mix of everybody!
OVS:
Yes! It’s like John Waters; he likes super transvestites and he likes super gangster guys with hairy long johns.
JW:
Except you’re not gay?
OVS:
Yeah, but I’m not gay, right? At least not yet! Right? I’m speaking like a Canadian, dude. I’m saying “right” after every sentence. But, yeah, it’s weird in Miami at shows, with Hialeah thugs, and you’re like, “Hey, what are they doing here?”
JW:
No, it’s awesome. ‘Cause I like gangster and I like noise, too.
OVS:
Yeah. All of the noise freaks in Miami; it’s crazy! I think it’s all because of growing up in Miami—you grow up a gangster but you still want to hear noise.
JW:
Ghetto-goth.
OVS:
While touring with Skinny Puppy there were all these goth people. It’s weird. But, I roll with it. I see goths come to my shows, and I’m like, “What?” They’re all in fishnet tops, leather pants, high boots, and make-up, and, they’re cool as hell! I’m like, “Man, I never would’ve guessed you’d like my music.” They’re always like, “I heard one of your tracks on a Skinny Puppy record.” Cevin from Skinny Puppy likes that shit… These weird crazy beats, and heavy drops, and screaming gangster vocals.
JW:
What is it like working with them? You’ve toured with them a few times by now.
OVS:
Amazing. In North Hollywood they have a studio; it’s like being in the most beautiful place in the world, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You go into the studio and there is every synthesizer ever made, all patched in and ready to play. You smoke a joint of the craziest weed that Snoop Dogg labeled, and then you just sit down and create the most original, most insane synthesis that any speaker has ever heard. Then it goes through a process of 10 people to pick from and that’s what makes Skinny Puppy; it’s ten people picking what goes. If you think something is cool, you give it to them and they make it cooler. It gets passed around a million times, but the end product is nothing like the beginning, but it is the beginning, you know? It’s tantric. It’s a long process but worth it. It’s so different from the way I do stuff, that’s why I’m so down to do it, because I’m already bored with what I’m doing.
JW:
Really?
OVS:
Well not really, but, when I do that then go back to my stuff I get more excited.
JW:
It’s fresh. I think it’s good to rotate your outlets as an artist.
OVS:
Exactly, totally. When you come back to it you have a new perspective.
JW:
Tell me about the software OTTO you released via Fixed Noise.
OVS:
Fixed Noise is a company that put out my software. They work with Native Instruments. They work with other artists; I was the first one. [OTTO] is a sound library. It’s cool because it’s through Native Instruments using Kontakt. It has 4 GB of OTTO. I spent two years making it. I use it all the time. I wanted to make software that I could use and that people can use to recycle sound because people do that anyway.
JW:
What’s up with “2012 and beware of the 16 Hertz”?
OVS:
All that crazy shit is gonna happen in 2012; with the Mayan calendar and it ending on December 21st, 2012, the Nostradomous predictions about 2012, and all the other predictions. The Mayan calendar ending is kind of bizarre. A lot of people I’ve known for the last ten years… you end up meeting really strange people when you make strange music—a lot of people I’ve met are fascinated with 2012 and this era of life. A lot of people think the Earth is going to take back what is. The human race has pretty much owned this planet for a long time. People think that the Earth is going to take it back. Some people think that the dimensions are going to open and the people that are drinking water from the city and who are open minded, their chakras are going to allow them to see the fifth dimension; they’re the ones who are going to be able to see the future and survive. [Laughs] If you wanna get all crazy, that’s what it is.
JW:
[Laughs] It’s the eye atop the pyramid opening up, yo.
OVS:
Exactly. And the 16 Hz means that the Earth is moving at the Earth’s speed. The hallow of the Earth is jumping—it was at 4 Hz for many years, then it jumped to 7 Hz, and now I think it’s at 10 Hz. So, a lot of people are predicting it will be at 16 Hz by 2012, and we’ll actually be able to feel it more than we do now.
JW:
I can’t even fathom that.
OVS:
I know, right? It’s pretty nuts.
JW:
What else do you think about the occult?
OVS:
I started my own cult. It’s called Ocho Ojos. It means Eight Eyes. It’s in the works, but it’s pretty much the people that are into their alien side.
JW:
Their alien side?
OVS:
Yeah, the alien gene inside their body.
JW:
Oh, you think everyone has an alien gene?
OVS:
I think most people have an alien gene, for sure. I think that people in touch with their pineal gland are just good people. [Ocho Ojos] is just starting; so far there are only three members.
JW:
Are you going to touch their pineal glands with your noise?
OVS:
Yes, I want to touch their pineal gland with my pineal gland. But, right now there are only three members: me, this girl Sarah, and Aaron. I can send you the logo, it’s pretty cool. I have it tattooed on my palm. It’s white so you can only see it when you’re on acid or something.
JW:
Oh! [Laughs]
OVS:
[Laughs] I like the occult. Anything that makes you use your imagination and it’s real at the same time, I’m fascinated by. All the occult stuff, all the weird religions like Santeria or Voodoo—I’m more into the good side than the bad side, because that’s the way I was raised, with Karma. A lot of the time, with my family, like, with Babalaos, I saw a lot of that shit gets reversed back to them because nature just works that way.
JW:
I’ve always wondered how developed your stage characters are. Do you and Armando ever sit around in your stage personas and bullshit, as the Voodoo Witchdoctor and Ottoman?
OVS:
Only the day of the show. He’ll come over and we’ll get into character at home. But with the Sloth on tour we did a lot of street performances. It was easy. There would be kids outside waiting to get into Skinny Puppy, so we would just walk outside in costumes ‘cause I’d play first anyways. We’d go outside and just talk to them about pyramids. [Laughs] I think that half of them didn’t understand us anyways ‘cause they didn’t speak English, and the other half was laughing more about our uniforms. It’s like Sun Ra, nobody understood Sun Ra until he died.
JW:
He was wild!
OVS:
That guy was an inspiration.
JW:
He was hella into the occult.
OVS:
Yeah. Totally. He died a virgin.
JW:
I didn’t know that factoid.
OVS:
Yeah. He died a virgin. I wanna die a virgin.
JW:
Do you have any collaborations you’re working on?
OVS:
I’m doing a record with Venetian Snares, and I’m doing a record with Blowfly.
JW:
With Blowfly? That’s so sick. I saw you did some shows together. I was pissed I missed them.
OVS:
There will be many more. He’s a dirty old man.
JW:
The last thing I want to ask you is, why do you love Miami?
OVS:
Palm trees, flamingos, girls. Pretty much my family, I think, the Hispanics. It’s Miami, there’s no place like it in the world! When I go to L.A. I want to move there, but as soon as I get to Miami, I’m like, fuck that.
For more on Otto Von Schirach, go to www.myspace.com/ottovonschirach.
Jaime Winter’s SuicideGirl profile: http://suicidegirls.com/girls/jaime/
There is no genre that adequately defines Otto Von Schirach. Sometimes classified as IDM, sometimes breakcore, his sound is chunky and integrates all choice elements of underground music into a melodious mélange. With a notably diverse, plethora of influence ranging from Miami bass to grindcore, crunk to experimental noise, it is no surprise to see all types of people attending Otto’s shows—from fairies to freaks, hipsters to hip-hoppers. As Otto would say, it’s a gangbang. If you have not witnessed the futuristic digital sleaze spewing from this Hialeah born, mash-up master’s laptop in person, you are missing out on the best underground show in the world.
In 2006 Mike Patton’s label Ipecac Recordings released Otto’s Maxipad Detention, an unpredictable arrangement of blast-beats and experimental, embodying the true dark and reptilian nature of South Florida through sound. With Otto’s release on Palm Tree Snuff last year, he waved his freak flag even higher with Spine Serpents From Sperm Island, the most perverted CD of 2007. His hardcore dance-epic, Oozing Bass Spasms, was released July 11th via Cock Rock Disco. If you love hard-hitting bass, complicated yet smooth dance beats, and crazy mind-bending noise, you have to hear it!
During his most recent U.S. tour, SuicideGirls interviewed Otto before he performed in Denver, Colorado.
Jaime Winters: Are you ready for this?
Otto Von Schirach: Yeah, I’m ready. Give it to me dirty.
JW:
Oh shit, why you gotta come at me like that?
OVS:
Why?
JW:
‘Cause you’re from Florida!
OVS:
‘Cause I’m from fucking Florida. Right! And now I’m in Denver. Whoa, the beer is rising!
JW:
The beer?
OVS:
Yeah, we’re drinking Beck’s. And whiskey. I’m drinking whiskey and Beck’s at the same time.
JW:
Double fisting it, huh?
OVS:
Double doing it, baby, always! Lately I’ve been drinking all this alcohol, like there is no limit. Man, that shit was spicy, fool!
JW:
Have you gotten sick?
OVS:
No. I don’t ever go overboard, you know what I mean? And I’m a thirsty motherfucker! [Belches]
JW:
I heard that track on MySpace, “Romance In The Club.”
OVS:
You like that shit?
JW:
Yes! It’s out this month?
OVS:
It came out in Germany earlier this year in, but we released it here courtesy of Cock Rock Disco. It’s my most fucking dance epic tracks—I’ve been making them for years, you know? In Europe people really love dance music, and even though I’m more fucking heavy noise crazy shit, I also make the European version of dance music, which is more hardcore.
JW:
You’re from Miami, and you’re into every type of music from metal to industrial to booty bass to experimental. I don’t know about you, but I have always been diverse in my musical interests growing up and I noticed people being judgmental—like, if they’re into punk they wondered why I liked other shit, or if they were a grindcore freak they’d say the same thing. A lot of people were scenester elitists. The first time I went to one of your shows in Miami, I saw every type of person there; There were straight gangster thugs hanging out with goth girls, then metal heads, ravers and even some transvestites. It was a crazy mix of everybody!
OVS:
Yes! It’s like John Waters; he likes super transvestites and he likes super gangster guys with hairy long johns.
JW:
Except you’re not gay?
OVS:
Yeah, but I’m not gay, right? At least not yet! Right? I’m speaking like a Canadian, dude. I’m saying “right” after every sentence. But, yeah, it’s weird in Miami at shows, with Hialeah thugs, and you’re like, “Hey, what are they doing here?”
JW:
No, it’s awesome. ‘Cause I like gangster and I like noise, too.
OVS:
Yeah. All of the noise freaks in Miami; it’s crazy! I think it’s all because of growing up in Miami—you grow up a gangster but you still want to hear noise.
JW:
Ghetto-goth.
OVS:
While touring with Skinny Puppy there were all these goth people. It’s weird. But, I roll with it. I see goths come to my shows, and I’m like, “What?” They’re all in fishnet tops, leather pants, high boots, and make-up, and, they’re cool as hell! I’m like, “Man, I never would’ve guessed you’d like my music.” They’re always like, “I heard one of your tracks on a Skinny Puppy record.” Cevin from Skinny Puppy likes that shit… These weird crazy beats, and heavy drops, and screaming gangster vocals.
JW:
What is it like working with them? You’ve toured with them a few times by now.
OVS:
Amazing. In North Hollywood they have a studio; it’s like being in the most beautiful place in the world, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You go into the studio and there is every synthesizer ever made, all patched in and ready to play. You smoke a joint of the craziest weed that Snoop Dogg labeled, and then you just sit down and create the most original, most insane synthesis that any speaker has ever heard. Then it goes through a process of 10 people to pick from and that’s what makes Skinny Puppy; it’s ten people picking what goes. If you think something is cool, you give it to them and they make it cooler. It gets passed around a million times, but the end product is nothing like the beginning, but it is the beginning, you know? It’s tantric. It’s a long process but worth it. It’s so different from the way I do stuff, that’s why I’m so down to do it, because I’m already bored with what I’m doing.
JW:
Really?
OVS:
Well not really, but, when I do that then go back to my stuff I get more excited.
JW:
It’s fresh. I think it’s good to rotate your outlets as an artist.
OVS:
Exactly, totally. When you come back to it you have a new perspective.
JW:
Tell me about the software OTTO you released via Fixed Noise.
OVS:
Fixed Noise is a company that put out my software. They work with Native Instruments. They work with other artists; I was the first one. [OTTO] is a sound library. It’s cool because it’s through Native Instruments using Kontakt. It has 4 GB of OTTO. I spent two years making it. I use it all the time. I wanted to make software that I could use and that people can use to recycle sound because people do that anyway.
JW:
What’s up with “2012 and beware of the 16 Hertz”?
OVS:
All that crazy shit is gonna happen in 2012; with the Mayan calendar and it ending on December 21st, 2012, the Nostradomous predictions about 2012, and all the other predictions. The Mayan calendar ending is kind of bizarre. A lot of people I’ve known for the last ten years… you end up meeting really strange people when you make strange music—a lot of people I’ve met are fascinated with 2012 and this era of life. A lot of people think the Earth is going to take back what is. The human race has pretty much owned this planet for a long time. People think that the Earth is going to take it back. Some people think that the dimensions are going to open and the people that are drinking water from the city and who are open minded, their chakras are going to allow them to see the fifth dimension; they’re the ones who are going to be able to see the future and survive. [Laughs] If you wanna get all crazy, that’s what it is.
JW:
[Laughs] It’s the eye atop the pyramid opening up, yo.
OVS:
Exactly. And the 16 Hz means that the Earth is moving at the Earth’s speed. The hallow of the Earth is jumping—it was at 4 Hz for many years, then it jumped to 7 Hz, and now I think it’s at 10 Hz. So, a lot of people are predicting it will be at 16 Hz by 2012, and we’ll actually be able to feel it more than we do now.
JW:
I can’t even fathom that.
OVS:
I know, right? It’s pretty nuts.
JW:
What else do you think about the occult?
OVS:
I started my own cult. It’s called Ocho Ojos. It means Eight Eyes. It’s in the works, but it’s pretty much the people that are into their alien side.
JW:
Their alien side?
OVS:
Yeah, the alien gene inside their body.
JW:
Oh, you think everyone has an alien gene?
OVS:
I think most people have an alien gene, for sure. I think that people in touch with their pineal gland are just good people. [Ocho Ojos] is just starting; so far there are only three members.
JW:
Are you going to touch their pineal glands with your noise?
OVS:
Yes, I want to touch their pineal gland with my pineal gland. But, right now there are only three members: me, this girl Sarah, and Aaron. I can send you the logo, it’s pretty cool. I have it tattooed on my palm. It’s white so you can only see it when you’re on acid or something.
JW:
Oh! [Laughs]
OVS:
[Laughs] I like the occult. Anything that makes you use your imagination and it’s real at the same time, I’m fascinated by. All the occult stuff, all the weird religions like Santeria or Voodoo—I’m more into the good side than the bad side, because that’s the way I was raised, with Karma. A lot of the time, with my family, like, with Babalaos, I saw a lot of that shit gets reversed back to them because nature just works that way.
JW:
I’ve always wondered how developed your stage characters are. Do you and Armando ever sit around in your stage personas and bullshit, as the Voodoo Witchdoctor and Ottoman?
OVS:
Only the day of the show. He’ll come over and we’ll get into character at home. But with the Sloth on tour we did a lot of street performances. It was easy. There would be kids outside waiting to get into Skinny Puppy, so we would just walk outside in costumes ‘cause I’d play first anyways. We’d go outside and just talk to them about pyramids. [Laughs] I think that half of them didn’t understand us anyways ‘cause they didn’t speak English, and the other half was laughing more about our uniforms. It’s like Sun Ra, nobody understood Sun Ra until he died.
JW:
He was wild!
OVS:
That guy was an inspiration.
JW:
He was hella into the occult.
OVS:
Yeah. Totally. He died a virgin.
JW:
I didn’t know that factoid.
OVS:
Yeah. He died a virgin. I wanna die a virgin.
JW:
Do you have any collaborations you’re working on?
OVS:
I’m doing a record with Venetian Snares, and I’m doing a record with Blowfly.
JW:
With Blowfly? That’s so sick. I saw you did some shows together. I was pissed I missed them.
OVS:
There will be many more. He’s a dirty old man.
JW:
The last thing I want to ask you is, why do you love Miami?
OVS:
Palm trees, flamingos, girls. Pretty much my family, I think, the Hispanics. It’s Miami, there’s no place like it in the world! When I go to L.A. I want to move there, but as soon as I get to Miami, I’m like, fuck that.
For more on Otto Von Schirach, go to www.myspace.com/ottovonschirach.
Jaime Winter’s SuicideGirl profile: http://suicidegirls.com/girls/jaime/
For more on Otto Von Schirach, go to www.myspace.com/ottovonschirach.
Jaime Winter’s SuicideGirl profile: http://suicidegirls.com/girls/jaime/
