Royel Otis

About Royel Otis

The story starts when Royel returned to Sydney after years in New York, underemployed and looking for direction. He crossed paths with Otis at a bar where Royel worked, and after a casual night out, Otis played him some demos he'd been developing. What followed was creative momentum: Royel took those tracks home and began layering guitars and Fat Boy Slim samples he'd acquired during his time in Manhattan. The two settled into a routine of weekly hangouts and studio work from Roy's Bondi Beach sunroom, writing melodies during long drives up the east coast and building their sound piece by piece.

Their approach draws from a specific well of influence: old Japanese city pop records and '90s aesthetics, processed through contemporary indie sensibilities. They brought their work to producer Julian Sudek, who helped shape their sonic direction. Their debut single Without You reached Dave Fridmann, the mixer known for his work across indie and alternative music, and he signed on to mix the track. The result was a shimmering introduction to a duo working with clear reference points and technical craft.

The Groove Hunter currently tracks 3 editions of Royel Otis releases, including hickey in its Platinum LP Alt Cover Amazon Exclusive variant and the Hickey Exclusive Hot Pink/Silver Quad Record version.