"Find your passion and go for it” – interview with Olli ’Otu’ Suurmunne

Olli Suurmunne – better known as Otu – is a music producer and a musician based in Vantaa, Finland. He runs Moonic Productions, which provides music production services virtually to clients in all corners of the world. He records and mixes for clients primarily but also provides content on social media. Not to mention his widely successful YouTube channel!

 

What brought you to the audio field? How did this adventure start?

I was a creative kid and I had many passions. I enjoyed making short films, graphic design, animation, and music was the one that pulled me most towards the path I'm on. I think music struck a chord for me when I first heard System Of A Down. It made me want to start playing guitar and get into music production, and I was really captivated by their sound and songwriting.

 

So the creation of Moonic Productions was a natural next step? What’s the story behind it?

The company was originally started because of a music-making app project called SYNE, which was made into an MVP. On the side, freelance was what kept the company afloat. Over time I realized that creating sounds for the application was the part that I was most obsessed and passionate about, so I decided to go all in on music production.

 

 

 

Am I right to assume that rock/metal is the style you eventually got stuck with? Are there any other styles you're also passionate about?

I like lots of different music: rock, metal, Tuvan throat singing, pop, electronic, and the list goes on. If I had to choose, though, I'd say that rock and metal are the closest to my heart, and that's the reason my content revolves around these genres. With my own music, though, I like to combine everything that has inspired me because there is so much that I love. System Of A Down's bravery with joining multiple colors together really inspires me.

 

Why – in your opinion – is it that metal music is so deeply rooted and popular in Scandinavian countries?

I actually have no idea why this is the case, but reading up on it, it seems to stem from Scandinavia's dark winters, Viking history, and strong folk traditions, which makes sense, especially since winters here are long and dark.

 

What do you think? Who pioneers this genre in our day?

I'm actually not too up to date on what's going on with new metal music, but I hear that Sleep Token has been discussed a lot, which makes sense because their music has a lot of twists and turns that are awesome.

 

During your many years in the studio, you created and took part in a lot of projects. Which one is your biggest pride?

The goal with creation and my work is to reach a state of being proud of what I've made, when you've put your 'everything' into it and you can confidently say you did your best, or even surprised yourself. Recently I was incredibly proud of the cover of Black Sabbath's 'St. Vitus Dance' which Matt Pike from Sleep and High On Fire was involved in.

 

Knowing that Sleep is one of your biggest influences, it must've been an awesome experience to work with Matt Pike! How did this project come about?

The owner of Woodbine Guitars, Shey Seymour, reached out asking if I'd like to join him and Matt Pike with a collaboration, and I jumped in right away. It was a must; Matt Pike is a ginormous influence on me, my sound, and passion.

 

 

 

So if I put the pieces together, two bands keep coming up as your main influence.

Indeed, Sleep and, again of course, System Of A Down. The sounds they've created have made me feel things that I can't really explain in words. They've made me incredibly obsessed and passionate with what I do.

 

You have a highly active and busy YouTube channel as well. When you started out with the studio, was building a successful and highly engaged YT channel among your goals as well?

Actually yes, I'd always started YouTube channels since 2006 that reached a few thousand subscribers, and I had a vague thought or goal in my mind to hit 100K subscribers. I did eventually reach this goal, and it felt like coming full circle with where it all started.

 

What does the future hold for the channel?

I don't really have a heavy ambition to hit a million subscribers, but the thing I'd really want to do next is to have my solo music more out there. I remember being a teenager, and I enjoyed experimenting with many genres. I feel like that's the one thing I really wanna pursue now.

 

 

What about the studio? Do you have any long-term goals, or are you in a happy place now?

Honestly as far as the studio goes, I'm very satisfied with where it is now. Maybe down the line I might have more amps or cabinets in the room, but otherwise I think that's about it for now.

 

What is your Buso desk of choice?

I use the Artist 88 desk. I wanted a wide desk with space for rack units, but one that was minimal, with space for essential hardware. It does all the things I wished for, even providing space for a MIDI controller.

 

 

Who inspired you greatly from the audio world?

Production-wise, I love a lot of producers. Kurt Ballou with his huge production sound, Steve Albini with his drums, and of course Andy Wallace. He's mixed so many impactful records of my youth that it's not even funny.

 

Just by taking a quick look at your beautiful studio, one could say it’s not overpopulated with gear. Give us the tour!

I wanted the highest quality but simple setup. I have a Universal Audio Apollo x6, Neve 1073, and an Empirical Labs Distressor. I use the Genelec 8040s as my speakers, and my MIDI controller is the Arturia Keylab 49.

 

So you’re working mostly in-the-box. Was this a conscious decision? Do you see yourself in the future using more outboard gear?

Yeah, I very much wanted to work exactly this way. This was also one of those vague thoughts or goals in my head that I slowly built toward over time, and I'm very fortunate to have been able to make this all come true. As for outboard gear, I think I'm actually all set and have exactly everything I need for recording.

 

So it’s a safe bet to say that your workflow also follows this kind of simplicity?

I wanted recording and mixing to happen in one spot, the desk. I didn't wish for a separate vocal booth or control room—just one place where I could do everything as efficiently as possible. I record my vocals from the desk with heavy acoustics to save time and maintain the flow of work and creativity.

 

A controversial topic, but I really enjoy hearing different opinions on this: Do you think it’s worth pursuing a career in audio in 2025?

Yes, I do, without a doubt in my mind. People can say very discouraging things, from there not being any work out there for instance. This is simply not true. Find your passion and go for it. Whatever way you can make it work, don't listen to people who say you can't, and you will figure it out. It's all baby steps; you try something (video idea, way to get clients, think of pricing, ways to make your mixes better), it doesn't work, you learn from it, and you rinse and repeat. You will grow if you never stop this process:

1. Try

2. Fail

3. Learn

4. Repeat

As for the future with AI, it's hard for me to say anything about it in its early stages with audio, other than to observe how things evolve, change, and then you adapt and go forward.

 

 

 

Do you have any preferences when it comes to comparing digital to analog?

Whatever is the best to my ears wins. I use digital and analog. As long as what is used does the job well, that is what matters to me. We'll see what the future holds; as of now, I still enjoy things like tube amplifiers for live performance, but I also love what amp simulators do with production and efficiency.

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to sit down with us, and now it is my honor to ask you to contribute a song for our Buso playlist.

I make solo music by the artist name 'Otu'. I had a song called 'Goodbye', which was something that I was very proud of because of its lyrics and depth in songwriting, as well as its instruments.