t's back! Here are the Top 25 Unsigned Albums according to SmartPunk.com (* denotes sales of 100 CDs or more):
1. Love, She Wrote Oh! And About Last Night....*3
2. Archie Star Carry Me Home*4
3. Jamestown Story Love Vs. Life
4. Saosin Translating The Name*107
5. Lido Beach Fake Hellos, Real Goodbyes
6. Sail By The Stars A Sunshine State Of Mind
7. Ice Nine Kills The Burning*5
8. Alaska & Me I Will Die In The West
9. From Aphony Survive
10. NeverShoutNever Yippee EP*5
11. The Jakes Shake My Hand
12. Brighten Early Love*4
13. Run Into The Shadows Don't Even Say A Word
14. Teeter Heating Up
15. The Real You Better Now Than Never
16. This Season's Love Like, Me
17. RunnerRunner Breakup Makeup EP*
18. Callahan Face The Day
19. Jamestown Story The Prologue*
20. Otenki Making Sense Of Static
21. The Fear Of Falling Everyday Like This
22. A Bird A Sparrow A Bird A Sparrow
23. Beardo Beardo
24. Hyper Crush The Arcade
25. Pathway To Providence Hello World
Posted by tim.towner on November 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
You Can Go To School But You Can't Buy Class
Ok so here's some cool things that have been going on since we last posted.
01) We got a new president. How amazing was that? Barack Obama....interesting times are ahead.
02) Our record "Making Sense of Static " came out. We couldn't be more excited about the release. According to our friends at Smartpunk.com said that we oversold our CD/Shirt combo online. Which meant that we sold out...that's amazing. We worked really hard on the presale and they were happy with the results.
If you haven't picked up a copy now please do. We're now selling a CD/Shirt/Poster combo on Smartpunk.com for $12.99. Or you can buy just the EP for $5.99.
03) We have been picked to play Unsilent Night 2. If you don't know what's up with that please just out this image.
This show is going to be epic. We can't wait to play. Things are looking up for your boys.
01) We got a new president. How amazing was that? Barack Obama....interesting times are ahead.
02) Our record "Making Sense of Static " came out. We couldn't be more excited about the release. According to our friends at Smartpunk.com said that we oversold our CD/Shirt combo online. Which meant that we sold out...that's amazing. We worked really hard on the presale and they were happy with the results.
If you haven't picked up a copy now please do. We're now selling a CD/Shirt/Poster combo on Smartpunk.com for $12.99. Or you can buy just the EP for $5.99.
03) We have been picked to play Unsilent Night 2. If you don't know what's up with that please just out this image.
This show is going to be epic. We can't wait to play. Things are looking up for your boys.
Friday, November 7, 2008
OTENKI ON SMARTPUNK.COM AND FULL ALBUM STREAM ON PUREVOLUME.COM
Hey guns and dolls go listen to our new ep on PUREVOLUME.COM/OTENKI then head to SMARTPUNK.COM and order our T-SHIRT/CD BUNDLE!
Also check out our review on THEDAILYCHORUS.com
Otenki - Making Sense of Static (7/10)
by Matt Nistler
Fact #1: During the time I spend online I check out countless numbers of bands as part of my personal quest to find the next big thing.
Fact #2: Often times when I'm on a band's Myspace/Web Page/Purevolume I'll scroll down to read their biography to get a feel for the band before I even hit “play” on a single song.
Fact #3: Even though you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover, or for that matter a band by their Myspace biographical info, I still do. If the information on a band's page makes them sound highly inexperienced or gives the impression that they are just another neighborhood garage band then I'll probably pass on your band in favor of someone else with more developed tunes.
Fact #4: When I read in a band's biography that they have performed at The Taste of Chaos, The Vans Warped Tour and recently recorded with Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Mercy Mercedes, Senses Fail) all as an unsigned band then you had better believe I'll be sticking around to check out each and every note.
Who is this mystery band from "Fact #4”, you ask? Why it's none other than the Houston, Texas quintet, Otenki.
With such a strong music resume one would expect Otenki's latest, long in the works, release Making Sense of Static to be quite the solid album. I'm pleased to say that for the most part this is very much true. Paul Leavitt is one of my favorite producers and with Making Sense of Static he has once again produced a quality album.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Otenki's sound is on this album. It would be easy to just call it a pop-rock album or to arbitrarily pick bands that they resemble, but for the most part Making Sense of Static combines many different sounds and styles to deliver something that has an original sound probably best described simply as “Otenki”.
The standout tracks on the album are the lead single The Tie That Binds and the title track. Both feature mad riffs and contagious melodies that really showcase what Otenki can do at their best.
With the presence of these heavier hitting rock elements from the previously mentioned tracks, one might assume the entire album would have this feel. Ah, but this is not the case as Otenki have some tricks up their sleeve. Listen to ten seconds of the track Empty Words and you'll be bombarded by synth and powerpop elements. I know I definitely didn't see it coming.
The feel of the rest of the EP continues in much the same fashion. As soon as you think you have Otenki's sound narrowed down as a straight up rock band, they'll randomly come at you with delicate keys, intricate guitars, or upbeat powerpop elements.
It may just be personal preference, but even though on paper everything is there (great production, catchy hooks, driving guitars) for this album to be spectacular, for some reason I still am left wanting a bit more. There seems to be some kind of “x-factor” missing that would make me completely enamored by the release and anxious to put the album on repeat.
Nevertheless, Otenki has clearly put much time and effort into this album and the “x-factor” is likely just me being picky. This band has all the resources needed to launch their musical career to the next level. Making Sense of Static is an enjoyable release that is sure please many. Be sure to check out this hardworking band's latest tunes and divulge in the diverse sound that is Otenki.
Artist: Otenki
Album: Making Sense of Static EP
Released: November 04, 2008
Label: Unsigned
Location: Houston, Texas
Purchase: Smartpunk
RIYL: The Goodwill, TREOS, Armor for Sleep, Senses Fail
Reviewed by: Matt Nistler
Posted by matt.nistler on October 14, 2008
back to articles
Also check out our review on THEDAILYCHORUS.com
Otenki - Making Sense of Static (7/10)
by Matt Nistler
Fact #1: During the time I spend online I check out countless numbers of bands as part of my personal quest to find the next big thing.
Fact #2: Often times when I'm on a band's Myspace/Web Page/Purevolume I'll scroll down to read their biography to get a feel for the band before I even hit “play” on a single song.
Fact #3: Even though you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover, or for that matter a band by their Myspace biographical info, I still do. If the information on a band's page makes them sound highly inexperienced or gives the impression that they are just another neighborhood garage band then I'll probably pass on your band in favor of someone else with more developed tunes.
Fact #4: When I read in a band's biography that they have performed at The Taste of Chaos, The Vans Warped Tour and recently recorded with Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Mercy Mercedes, Senses Fail) all as an unsigned band then you had better believe I'll be sticking around to check out each and every note.
Who is this mystery band from "Fact #4”, you ask? Why it's none other than the Houston, Texas quintet, Otenki.
With such a strong music resume one would expect Otenki's latest, long in the works, release Making Sense of Static to be quite the solid album. I'm pleased to say that for the most part this is very much true. Paul Leavitt is one of my favorite producers and with Making Sense of Static he has once again produced a quality album.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Otenki's sound is on this album. It would be easy to just call it a pop-rock album or to arbitrarily pick bands that they resemble, but for the most part Making Sense of Static combines many different sounds and styles to deliver something that has an original sound probably best described simply as “Otenki”.
The standout tracks on the album are the lead single The Tie That Binds and the title track. Both feature mad riffs and contagious melodies that really showcase what Otenki can do at their best.
With the presence of these heavier hitting rock elements from the previously mentioned tracks, one might assume the entire album would have this feel. Ah, but this is not the case as Otenki have some tricks up their sleeve. Listen to ten seconds of the track Empty Words and you'll be bombarded by synth and powerpop elements. I know I definitely didn't see it coming.
The feel of the rest of the EP continues in much the same fashion. As soon as you think you have Otenki's sound narrowed down as a straight up rock band, they'll randomly come at you with delicate keys, intricate guitars, or upbeat powerpop elements.
It may just be personal preference, but even though on paper everything is there (great production, catchy hooks, driving guitars) for this album to be spectacular, for some reason I still am left wanting a bit more. There seems to be some kind of “x-factor” missing that would make me completely enamored by the release and anxious to put the album on repeat.
Nevertheless, Otenki has clearly put much time and effort into this album and the “x-factor” is likely just me being picky. This band has all the resources needed to launch their musical career to the next level. Making Sense of Static is an enjoyable release that is sure please many. Be sure to check out this hardworking band's latest tunes and divulge in the diverse sound that is Otenki.
Artist: Otenki
Album: Making Sense of Static EP
Released: November 04, 2008
Label: Unsigned
Location: Houston, Texas
Purchase: Smartpunk
RIYL: The Goodwill, TREOS, Armor for Sleep, Senses Fail
Reviewed by: Matt Nistler
Posted by matt.nistler on October 14, 2008
back to articles
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
10-14-2008
Our record is now officially done and it’s on it’s way to my doorstep. I will have it in a few days. It is scheduled to be here on the 30th. I am very very excited. We’ve been waiting for this for a really long time. It’s going to be great to have this in our hands.
Not many people believed we could do this. Most of those people are in our families and closest circle of friends. And of course our own hometown called us “washed up”, “has beens”, “never weres”….so on and so forth. But this record is to show them that we’re not done. Not by a long shot.
In fact just wait….we’re going to LA in January for a good reason. Please feel free to try and bring us down. Please feel free to hate on us. We are blessed. We are hard working. We are Otenki….
-Enoma Otenki
Thursday, September 4, 2008
New Toys
I can't believe the record is almost here. It's been about a year since we released the EP. We've been working on it for the longest time. The CD is currently in New Jersey being with our team at Discmakers. Unfortunately sometimes the communication isn't what it needs to be and it takes longer than it should to get things back.
But they are the best at what they do. No other company tops them. So, we just have to keep calling and emailing and making sure things are moving. Outside of that we've got more shows coming up. Gearing up for tour with Inept.
That should be fun, mostly because everyone has come around to German's way of thinking and we're going to be doing video blogs. Which are more fun anyway. So I'm going to be getting this beauty soon.
So we can start documenting some of our misadventures on the road. I'm excited because we've all been working really hard to get some new toys so we can be much more interactive. I don't know if anyone who listens to the band reads this but if you do please let us know.
But I have some pics from a show we did recently at Long Star College Tomball. I was able to take pics using this new toy I bought myself.
Isn't she pretty? I love the new sidekicks. Only problem is that I don't get email service while I am at work. Which kinda sucks but what can you do? Video on it is for shit but I have like two phones I can use now. My old Motorola is good for video and the sidekick is good for pics. Like the ones I took from the show we did at Lonestar College.
EDIT: The pic isn't so hot. But damn this phone is fly! Haha.
Our manager Tim, has been on my ass about getting things done. He is amazing but he's also a ball buster. And we need that sometimes.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Quick Updates.
Ok, so it’s been a little bit since I’ve blogged but here are some cool things going down with Otenki.
-Our manager Tim is awesome. Working with him has helped us step our game up considerably. We’re going to working on getting a pre-order situation with
Smartpunk Which is really exciting because Smartpunk has been an industry standard for a while.
-We are going on tour with this great Chicago band called Inept. I am very excited to be touring again.
-We are going to be on the front page of Purevolume and The Daily Chorus at the end of the month to push the record’s release. Super stoked for all of that.
Alright, so we’re in the process of booking a fall tour with some great dudes called Inept from Chicago. I personally couldn’t be more stoked about the idea.
We got another shout out on The Daily Chorus. Thanks to Matt P and Tim “Boss Hog” Towner for giving us the TDC-Supported tag. Bands such as The Maine, All Time Low, Forever The Sickest Kids all shared that tag and look at where they are. It might not be a direct cause but it’s really cool to be in their respective company.
We are in the process of pressing the EP and deciding on a new single. The band pretty much thinks our song “Phoenix” is the best choice. It’s super catchy and is a little familiar which means people’s ears will subconciously pick up because they think that they’ve heard it before and that when we surprise them.
German, Fausto and myself will be going to the Top 40 radio stations in Houston and seeing if we can start getting some airplay. Should be interesting to see what develops.
Hope you're all well!
-Our manager Tim is awesome. Working with him has helped us step our game up considerably. We’re going to working on getting a pre-order situation with
Smartpunk Which is really exciting because Smartpunk has been an industry standard for a while.
-We are going on tour with this great Chicago band called Inept. I am very excited to be touring again.
-We are going to be on the front page of Purevolume and The Daily Chorus at the end of the month to push the record’s release. Super stoked for all of that.
Alright, so we’re in the process of booking a fall tour with some great dudes called Inept from Chicago. I personally couldn’t be more stoked about the idea.
We got another shout out on The Daily Chorus. Thanks to Matt P and Tim “Boss Hog” Towner for giving us the TDC-Supported tag. Bands such as The Maine, All Time Low, Forever The Sickest Kids all shared that tag and look at where they are. It might not be a direct cause but it’s really cool to be in their respective company.
We are in the process of pressing the EP and deciding on a new single. The band pretty much thinks our song “Phoenix” is the best choice. It’s super catchy and is a little familiar which means people’s ears will subconciously pick up because they think that they’ve heard it before and that when we surprise them.
German, Fausto and myself will be going to the Top 40 radio stations in Houston and seeing if we can start getting some airplay. Should be interesting to see what develops.
Hope you're all well!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
We're Finally On iTunes!!!
So our single, "The Tie That Binds" is now on iTunes!!! We'd love you forever if you helped us out by picking it up.
Just click on the image to go to our iTunes store. You must have iTunes on your PC/MAC to purchase it through iTunes.
If you don't have iTunes don't worry we got you covered. Here are other places you can buy our music.
Amazon Mp3.com
Groupie Tunes
LaLa
Thanks so much to everyone who is buying a copy. This helps us so much!
We love you for serious ♥
Otenki <3
Remember you can buy tickets to our next big show online by clicking on the flyer!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Get It Darlin'
Ok, so we've been really really busy these days. It's hard to keep up with the blog but I'm definitely going to make sure we stay on top of it from now on.
Well, you may have noticed our new myspace. It's pretty sweet. Thanks to Mike and Molly from Valentone Media. They are amazing. Ok here are some cool things going on with us.
01) We recently got word back from 106.1 Kiss FM in Dallas. Our single "The Tie That Binds" has been picked up by Clear Channel's NEW! Music Program. Basically it means that we need you to go to here. (http://www.1061kissfm.com/cc-common/artist_submission/player.html?art=159779%3Cbr%20/%3E) and listen to our single. More plays means more air time.
We can't confirm this but calling and requesting us couldn't hurt anything really. (214) 787-1061 is the number. Hit them up, let them know we're in demand!
02) I recently did a phone interview with Enoch Magazine, an online magazine that is starting to do podcasts. They reached out to us and I had a great conversation with Nate. He's a great guy.
03) We are working Music Saves Lives to help get more kids to donate blood. They're a great organization that works with the Vans Warped Tour and gives people backstage passes for those who donate.
In Houston here are the details and where you can help.
Date: Saturday June 21st
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Where: 2700 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77089
Please support this great cause!
04) We have a big show on July 26th....it's going to be crunk. Our friends at Loud! Energy Drink are sponsoring the show and will there selling some of their great energy drink!
We will be playing with our friends Like A Movie. They're super nice guys and we definitely need everyone's support. If you make our flyer your default pic on myspace and keep it that way until the show we'll put you up on our top spots!
We will be using this show to film part of our new DVD. It's definitely a work in progress but we're excited about it. We're unveiling our new "signature" series of merch and just having a great time! We hope you'll be a part of it!
I think that's about it right now. Stay tuned, we're going to be touring in the fall. We can't wait! If you want to see us just email us at otenkirocks@gmail.com
If your interested in joining our street team please email us at teamotenki@gmail.com
Love you all for serious ♥
Enoma Otenki
Well, you may have noticed our new myspace. It's pretty sweet. Thanks to Mike and Molly from Valentone Media. They are amazing. Ok here are some cool things going on with us.
01) We recently got word back from 106.1 Kiss FM in Dallas. Our single "The Tie That Binds" has been picked up by Clear Channel's NEW! Music Program. Basically it means that we need you to go to here. (http://www.1061kissfm.com/cc-common/artist_submission/player.html?art=159779%3Cbr%20/%3E) and listen to our single. More plays means more air time.
We can't confirm this but calling and requesting us couldn't hurt anything really. (214) 787-1061 is the number. Hit them up, let them know we're in demand!
02) I recently did a phone interview with Enoch Magazine, an online magazine that is starting to do podcasts. They reached out to us and I had a great conversation with Nate. He's a great guy.
03) We are working Music Saves Lives to help get more kids to donate blood. They're a great organization that works with the Vans Warped Tour and gives people backstage passes for those who donate.
In Houston here are the details and where you can help.
Date: Saturday June 21st
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Where: 2700 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77089
Please support this great cause!
04) We have a big show on July 26th....it's going to be crunk. Our friends at Loud! Energy Drink are sponsoring the show and will there selling some of their great energy drink!
We will be playing with our friends Like A Movie. They're super nice guys and we definitely need everyone's support. If you make our flyer your default pic on myspace and keep it that way until the show we'll put you up on our top spots!
We will be using this show to film part of our new DVD. It's definitely a work in progress but we're excited about it. We're unveiling our new "signature" series of merch and just having a great time! We hope you'll be a part of it!
I think that's about it right now. Stay tuned, we're going to be touring in the fall. We can't wait! If you want to see us just email us at otenkirocks@gmail.com
If your interested in joining our street team please email us at teamotenki@gmail.com
Love you all for serious ♥
Enoma Otenki
Thursday, May 8, 2008
May 12th
"The only love I ever knew...I threw it all away."
What's going on everyone it's your favorite neighborhood blogger Enoma Otenki. So we've been a little behind on updating everything that has been going on in our neck of the woods. So let me think of a way to catch everyone up really quickly. Too bad we don't have video blogs yet. That'd save so much time. Anyway here we go.Ok biggest thing going on is on Monday, May12th we will be unveiling our new myspace. The site was designed by our wonderful friends Mike and Molly Rodriguez of Valentone Media. I've seen some of the preliminary work and I am blown away. We have never looked this good and it's thanks to them.
So along with this new layout will be the debuting of our new single, "The Tie That Binds". The song, of course, is the lead single from our upcoming EP "Making Sense of Static" which was produced by Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Mercy Mercedes, Conditions) and by us...my foot hurts from dropping his name all the time. The new song is probably the most straight up, rocked out song we've written as a band. I'm excited to hear what you all think!
Also the single will be available on iTunes on June 20th! Please support us by picking that up when it's released.But don't worry, we're still playing "Ventura" and "4 AM" live. That's not going to change for a while. So if you're at a show sing those back to us as loud as you can!We've got the new look, new myspace, and new song...so we definitely need your help promoting the band now.
On May 12th if you all could do us a solid and put us in your top 8 for the week, we would really appreciate it. We're trying to generate a lot of traffic. So please help us out.
After the big unveiling, we've got the Florida Music Festival. We couldn't be more excited about heading down to the sunshine state. We will be playing on Saturday May 17th @ 6:00 PM at Backbooth (37 W. Pine Street). We've been spending the past month and a half getting to know so wonderful people in Florida ( big up to Bennett from In Violent Times, Natalie our little sister in Miami, The Amazing Kate, Ashley bby(been real stoked to meet you) and so many more!) Please if you're in the Orlando area come support us. We're playing with our friends A Cover Story and we're super stoked to meet everyone. So come out, sing loud, get crunk, and come hang out after the show. We want to meet everyone! We will be filming the show so let's go nuts.
Also we want to thank our new clothing sponsor Mr. Muffin Man Clothing. We're planning a photoshoot out in Orlando with our friends Endiku Photography. Should be good times with muffins.
We can't wait.So remember May 12th is the new myspace. Please come support us. We love you all.
-Enoma Otenki
What's going on everyone it's your favorite neighborhood blogger Enoma Otenki. So we've been a little behind on updating everything that has been going on in our neck of the woods. So let me think of a way to catch everyone up really quickly. Too bad we don't have video blogs yet. That'd save so much time. Anyway here we go.Ok biggest thing going on is on Monday, May12th we will be unveiling our new myspace. The site was designed by our wonderful friends Mike and Molly Rodriguez of Valentone Media. I've seen some of the preliminary work and I am blown away. We have never looked this good and it's thanks to them.
So along with this new layout will be the debuting of our new single, "The Tie That Binds". The song, of course, is the lead single from our upcoming EP "Making Sense of Static" which was produced by Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Mercy Mercedes, Conditions) and by us...my foot hurts from dropping his name all the time. The new song is probably the most straight up, rocked out song we've written as a band. I'm excited to hear what you all think!
Also the single will be available on iTunes on June 20th! Please support us by picking that up when it's released.But don't worry, we're still playing "Ventura" and "4 AM" live. That's not going to change for a while. So if you're at a show sing those back to us as loud as you can!We've got the new look, new myspace, and new song...so we definitely need your help promoting the band now.
On May 12th if you all could do us a solid and put us in your top 8 for the week, we would really appreciate it. We're trying to generate a lot of traffic. So please help us out.
After the big unveiling, we've got the Florida Music Festival. We couldn't be more excited about heading down to the sunshine state. We will be playing on Saturday May 17th @ 6:00 PM at Backbooth (37 W. Pine Street). We've been spending the past month and a half getting to know so wonderful people in Florida ( big up to Bennett from In Violent Times, Natalie our little sister in Miami, The Amazing Kate, Ashley bby(been real stoked to meet you) and so many more!) Please if you're in the Orlando area come support us. We're playing with our friends A Cover Story and we're super stoked to meet everyone. So come out, sing loud, get crunk, and come hang out after the show. We want to meet everyone! We will be filming the show so let's go nuts.
Also we want to thank our new clothing sponsor Mr. Muffin Man Clothing. We're planning a photoshoot out in Orlando with our friends Endiku Photography. Should be good times with muffins.
We can't wait.So remember May 12th is the new myspace. Please come support us. We love you all.
-Enoma Otenki
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Making Sense of Static : The Tie That Binds
"I'd tried to make you see that you were all I need."
Ok very exciting news! We've been selected to showcase for the 2008 Florida Music Festival in Orlando, Florida! We're really excited to showcase and also play a state we've never been to. Our sponsor Naive Clothing is based out of Orlando so they can expect a visit from us.
We are awaiting more information such as specific date, time, and venue. We will let you all know the second we know. We also have to announce something great!
Yesterday our producer Paul sent us the first mix of our new single, "The Tie That Binds". We were blown away. It sounds infinitely better than anyone of us could have expected. We are awaiting the final mix and then it's off to NYC with our first baby to get mastered. After that we are submitting the song to iTunes. The song will have a dance remix included. We just want to make sure we're offering a little something extra to our fans.
We couldn't be more excited about it. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and we are really going to do our best about promoting this record. We won't be able to do it without you, so please help us out. Tell your friends about us, rock our banners on your myspace, demand for us to come to your town on tour...this record, this band can't exist without your support.
We're trying to take it to the next level. We are assembling our team consisting of management, legal and booking as well. Without our fans letting everyone know we're out here...we can't make it happen.
So let's work together and make this happen. Stay tuned for more details. We love you all!
-Enoma Otenki
Ok very exciting news! We've been selected to showcase for the 2008 Florida Music Festival in Orlando, Florida! We're really excited to showcase and also play a state we've never been to. Our sponsor Naive Clothing is based out of Orlando so they can expect a visit from us.
We are awaiting more information such as specific date, time, and venue. We will let you all know the second we know. We also have to announce something great!
Yesterday our producer Paul sent us the first mix of our new single, "The Tie That Binds". We were blown away. It sounds infinitely better than anyone of us could have expected. We are awaiting the final mix and then it's off to NYC with our first baby to get mastered. After that we are submitting the song to iTunes. The song will have a dance remix included. We just want to make sure we're offering a little something extra to our fans.
We couldn't be more excited about it. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and we are really going to do our best about promoting this record. We won't be able to do it without you, so please help us out. Tell your friends about us, rock our banners on your myspace, demand for us to come to your town on tour...this record, this band can't exist without your support.
We're trying to take it to the next level. We are assembling our team consisting of management, legal and booking as well. Without our fans letting everyone know we're out here...we can't make it happen.
So let's work together and make this happen. Stay tuned for more details. We love you all!
-Enoma Otenki
Thursday, March 27, 2008
SXSW Part Two: OMG! It's Otenki!
"I've got your picture. I'm coming with you."
Ok so part one of this blog was posted to our myspace. I'll post here eventually. From the end of our night out. Ok from checking out the amazing Oreskaband. We decided to check out Chiodos playing in the same venue. Emo's did this awesome thing and divided itself into 4 venues. So as we're gearing up to check out Chiodos I happen to catch a glimpse of our big brother and best friend Danny Casler. He is the vocalist for the bad ass band National Product. Go buy their album Luna...NOW!
Myself, Fausto and Josh with Mr. Casler.
After hanging out with our big bro we caught a majority of Chiodos. Fausto, Germ, and some of our friends headed over to catch another group of dude bros. We've actually known their manager for sometime...but from what I was told All Time Low wrecked shop as usual. Before the performance Fausto and German were able to snag a quick photo op with the singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth.
After their show we all met up and decided it was time to leave Emo's and head home for dinner and just relax before the night's activities. As we were about to leave we noticed the door to the venue still opened. After the show the boys from ATL and their manager Nano were hanging out. Being the opportunist I am, we got back into the venue and introduced ourselves formally to the boys. I was able to speak with Jack for a few minutes about their new cd and about working with Paul. Which honestly his name alone is opening a lot of doors for us. It's pretty sweet. Anyway the meeting was short and sweet. We left the venue and ran into our boys Thee Armada again. This time I decided to cause some trouble and Mike their bassist and started a fight in the middle of the street. It was fun and that dude has some quick hands. We sat and chatted it up with them for a long time. It's great seeing boys from our hometown come up so fast. It also makes me very excited because our time for the come up is drawing near.
After we get home and rested. The boys and I hit the town again. I say boys because our lady friends who weren't of age...had to stay behind. That part sucked but we had to keep the party going. We divided ourselves up and Kris, Terrence and myself headed out to the Texas Rock Show that was being held. We met up with our friend Chelsea who was a little sunburnt, a little tired and a little drunk. She insisted we met this group of guys. So I dragged over and I met Tom from a band called Mercy Mercedes. Turns out this band is the band our producer kept talking about. When we were up there recording he said his most current recording favorite was Mercy. When they hit the stage I understood why. They had a decent sized crowd checking them out and they had all the girls and one super stoked dude dancing their asses off. Super catchy music and great guys. We exchanged contact information and took some pics.
After hanging with the MM boys we decided we wanted to end the night at the Purevolume Ranch. There we were given access to a lot of free liquor and all the industry executives you could shake a stick at. We ended the night charming a few people, dropping names, handing out flyers and business card. Sunday morning we just hung out and recovered before we made the drive back to Houston. It was a blast.
That's about it. Here are some highlights I forgot to mention.
*Signing a very good looking young lady. She said write your names anywhere. She shouldn't have given us that kind of opportunity.
*Meeting our friend Marita. She is awesome and is a huge supporter of our band and other Houston bands. Love you Marita!
*Hanging out with Molly and Ramzi.
*Hanging with The American Masquerade. Love you dudes!
Alright I'm gonna go. Have a good one!
-Enoma Otenki
Ok so part one of this blog was posted to our myspace. I'll post here eventually. From the end of our night out. Ok from checking out the amazing Oreskaband. We decided to check out Chiodos playing in the same venue. Emo's did this awesome thing and divided itself into 4 venues. So as we're gearing up to check out Chiodos I happen to catch a glimpse of our big brother and best friend Danny Casler. He is the vocalist for the bad ass band National Product. Go buy their album Luna...NOW!
Myself, Fausto and Josh with Mr. Casler.
After hanging out with our big bro we caught a majority of Chiodos. Fausto, Germ, and some of our friends headed over to catch another group of dude bros. We've actually known their manager for sometime...but from what I was told All Time Low wrecked shop as usual. Before the performance Fausto and German were able to snag a quick photo op with the singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth.
After their show we all met up and decided it was time to leave Emo's and head home for dinner and just relax before the night's activities. As we were about to leave we noticed the door to the venue still opened. After the show the boys from ATL and their manager Nano were hanging out. Being the opportunist I am, we got back into the venue and introduced ourselves formally to the boys. I was able to speak with Jack for a few minutes about their new cd and about working with Paul. Which honestly his name alone is opening a lot of doors for us. It's pretty sweet. Anyway the meeting was short and sweet. We left the venue and ran into our boys Thee Armada again. This time I decided to cause some trouble and Mike their bassist and started a fight in the middle of the street. It was fun and that dude has some quick hands. We sat and chatted it up with them for a long time. It's great seeing boys from our hometown come up so fast. It also makes me very excited because our time for the come up is drawing near.
After we get home and rested. The boys and I hit the town again. I say boys because our lady friends who weren't of age...had to stay behind. That part sucked but we had to keep the party going. We divided ourselves up and Kris, Terrence and myself headed out to the Texas Rock Show that was being held. We met up with our friend Chelsea who was a little sunburnt, a little tired and a little drunk. She insisted we met this group of guys. So I dragged over and I met Tom from a band called Mercy Mercedes. Turns out this band is the band our producer kept talking about. When we were up there recording he said his most current recording favorite was Mercy. When they hit the stage I understood why. They had a decent sized crowd checking them out and they had all the girls and one super stoked dude dancing their asses off. Super catchy music and great guys. We exchanged contact information and took some pics.
After hanging with the MM boys we decided we wanted to end the night at the Purevolume Ranch. There we were given access to a lot of free liquor and all the industry executives you could shake a stick at. We ended the night charming a few people, dropping names, handing out flyers and business card. Sunday morning we just hung out and recovered before we made the drive back to Houston. It was a blast.
That's about it. Here are some highlights I forgot to mention.
*Signing a very good looking young lady. She said write your names anywhere. She shouldn't have given us that kind of opportunity.
*Meeting our friend Marita. She is awesome and is a huge supporter of our band and other Houston bands. Love you Marita!
*Hanging out with Molly and Ramzi.
*Hanging with The American Masquerade. Love you dudes!
Alright I'm gonna go. Have a good one!
-Enoma Otenki
Saturday, March 8, 2008
And That's All She Wrote
"Now baby I never ran from a ______, and I damn sure ain't 'bout to pick today to start running now...Get money!"
Ok after several months....WE ARE OFFICIALLY DONE TRACKING THE RECORD! We couldn't be happier about this. At times it did seem we wouldn't finish the record. Thankfully we saw it through and I'm about to head to the post office and send the files over to Paul so we can start mixing.
I've seen the album artwork. I'm excited to see the final product because Mike Valentone doesn't disappoint. He's been a saint taking all my calls and emails about things. We're beyond excited to show everything off.
Making Sense of Static has been a labor of love but now that our part is done. We are taking it to the streets of Austin for SXSW!!!! We are coming armed to the teeth with business cards, flyers, cds! We are going to be VERY AGGRESSIVE with getting our name out there.
Time to send it out. Wish us luck.
Ok after several months....WE ARE OFFICIALLY DONE TRACKING THE RECORD! We couldn't be happier about this. At times it did seem we wouldn't finish the record. Thankfully we saw it through and I'm about to head to the post office and send the files over to Paul so we can start mixing.
I've seen the album artwork. I'm excited to see the final product because Mike Valentone doesn't disappoint. He's been a saint taking all my calls and emails about things. We're beyond excited to show everything off.
Making Sense of Static has been a labor of love but now that our part is done. We are taking it to the streets of Austin for SXSW!!!! We are coming armed to the teeth with business cards, flyers, cds! We are going to be VERY AGGRESSIVE with getting our name out there.
Time to send it out. Wish us luck.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Making Sense Of Static: Progress Report part II
"But it's you I can't deny. It's you I can't deny."
Ok, so we sent off 3 of the vocal tracks to Paul for mixing into the songs. We should hear back in about a week to approve the mixes and then about another week to get the masters done if we approve of the first round of mixes.
This part is fun because we get to listen to the songs over again on different stereo systems. We might just go down to Best Buy and blare the new songs off the record just for fun.
This week we sat down with Mike and Molly of Joon Photography/Valentone Media and discussed some of the concepts behind the artwork. It was great. We really do enjoy working with them and they're good people. They humor us by listening to some of our rants and tangents when it comes to what we want to see and pick out the good ideas from the not so great and help us get to the point. Meetings at House of Pies are always a blast.
Outside of that we have been setting up more and more accounts online. We are now on Facebook. Which was a bit of a clusterf*** to set up but we up and running so it's going well. We have our new pics up on the facebook account and on here. Please let us know what you think.
Until next time.
Ok, so we sent off 3 of the vocal tracks to Paul for mixing into the songs. We should hear back in about a week to approve the mixes and then about another week to get the masters done if we approve of the first round of mixes.
This part is fun because we get to listen to the songs over again on different stereo systems. We might just go down to Best Buy and blare the new songs off the record just for fun.
This week we sat down with Mike and Molly of Joon Photography/Valentone Media and discussed some of the concepts behind the artwork. It was great. We really do enjoy working with them and they're good people. They humor us by listening to some of our rants and tangents when it comes to what we want to see and pick out the good ideas from the not so great and help us get to the point. Meetings at House of Pies are always a blast.
Outside of that we have been setting up more and more accounts online. We are now on Facebook. Which was a bit of a clusterf*** to set up but we up and running so it's going well. We have our new pics up on the facebook account and on here. Please let us know what you think.
Until next time.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Making Sense Of Static: Progress Report
"Call me a name, kill me with words. Forget about me, it's what I deserve."
Ok so there's not a whole lot going on. German and Fausto are working as much as they can on the vocals. As it stands we're 50% done with the vocals. It takes a really really long time to get them to sound as good as we want. We're perhaps being too picky but the clock's ticking and we've got moves to make.
Things are still sounding good. Paul's excited to get the songs back so we can mix them and get the ball rolling onto mastering. SXSW is approaching and we're prepping ourselves to be out there. In the coming weeks we're working out the myspace layout and cd artwork. It takes about 2-3 months for iTunes to get set up to sell your music so we're pressed for time. We just got the final edits of our photoshoot with Joon Photography and we're excited.
Here are some pics of the last studio session. I'm excited I was able to sing a little bit on this record. It's pretty cool.
Until next time!!!
Ok so there's not a whole lot going on. German and Fausto are working as much as they can on the vocals. As it stands we're 50% done with the vocals. It takes a really really long time to get them to sound as good as we want. We're perhaps being too picky but the clock's ticking and we've got moves to make.
Things are still sounding good. Paul's excited to get the songs back so we can mix them and get the ball rolling onto mastering. SXSW is approaching and we're prepping ourselves to be out there. In the coming weeks we're working out the myspace layout and cd artwork. It takes about 2-3 months for iTunes to get set up to sell your music so we're pressed for time. We just got the final edits of our photoshoot with Joon Photography and we're excited.
Here are some pics of the last studio session. I'm excited I was able to sing a little bit on this record. It's pretty cool.
Until next time!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
