NEWS
EVENTS
Toddla T Interview
House | Saturday 7th May 2011 | Osh
On our trip to Miami, we hooked up with super-producer and DJ Tom Bell better known to the music world as Toddla T. We chatted about his new track with Shola Ama and J2K and all the Miami madness.
BOOM!
We’re here with Mr Toddla T
Yo! It’s T Willy from the steel city, you are live and direct from Miami at Standard hotel, there’s a party over there, A-Trak’s playing, there’s loads of mojitos kicking about, we’ve ordered ours but it ain’t here yet! But in the meantime the vibes are nice so it’s blessed the same way.
You’ve been here since Sunday right?
Been here since Sunday night, at midnight or something, conked out, and everyday I’ve just been doing this (sitting in a deck chair next to the pool)....which, is hard work you know! You have to re-apply the suncream, ask for a drink, occasionally you have to walk to the pool and dip in there which is stressful! (sarcastically)
But apart from that, it’s all gonna start kicking off from tonight!
Where are you playing tonight?
I’m playing at a cinema/bar/disco downtown, playing with Redlight under our Roller Express alias, so we’re doing that tonight, it gonna be good man!
Yeah, and then what? You’ve got loads going on this week haven’t you?
Yeah I’ve got loads, I’m doing that, I’m doing a party with the mad decent guys (Diplo etc), which is a new sound coming out of America that I have been supporting on my radio show. I’m doing ultra sound on Saturday! And what else am I doing? I can’t remember you know!
How are you going to manage with all these shows?
The key to this thing right here, is not drinking during the day, because if you drink during the day, people like Skream who you will see shortly, and you’ll see what he’s like now proper mad at six o’clock, he’s got gigs to do, but that man can handle it, that’s fine, I can’t.
So, if I don’t drink, I’m nice...I’ll drink later! Anyway, so it’s all good.
So it’s your third year at Ultra, tell us how you came to play here?
The first time I came I was invited by Annie Mac for the “Annie Mac Presents..” tour, I had just put out my first tune, I was like first on, little kid playing, whatever. Second year, I played at Ultra for the first time and this year, Ultra again, so it’s just progressed slowly and surely.
How do Miami cats find you?
You know what, this is not a good representation of an average Miami week, because most of the people here aren’t from Miami anyway. I’ve got my British friends over there, American friends, French friends. The parties are full of people who aren’t from Miami, so it’s a worldwide crowd type of ting. It’s always good though man. America’s a funny one for me because sometimes it goes down perfect and sometimes it flops. It always depends I guess, who, when, where, why.
So, nothing to do with you!
Never! What it is yeah, is a lot of the time when I play in North America, no-ones heard the style of music I play before, so it’s quite a new thing for them. America is Dubstep crazy right now, it’s absolutely bizarre, they’re all on the ting hard! I don’t play that type of ting, but I get lumped in with that sound, so I guess they’re all new to the sound I’m playing right now.
OK, talk us through your sound, for those who don’t know?
I just play new club music, I play stuff that just excites me, as a DJ. It’s fun man, it’s all got a party vibe to it and a jump up style, it’s very British though, a lot of funky sounds, a lot of reggae influenced stuff, a lot of sub bass-y stuff. Stuff like Afrojack, what Diplo does when he makes club music, so it’s not a straight forward ting.
Where else are you playing this year outside of the UK?
I came here from a place called ‘Edminton’, which is in Canada, and it is a bit bizarre. We played there, we played at Vancouver, when we’re finished here we go to DC, New York, Vancouver and then we come home. So most of the time it’s in America really, I play in Europe a little bit, but most of the time I come here, which is quite weird actually.
What naughtiness do you get up to?
Naughtiness? Wow. You know what, every time I come to America I say I’m not going to drink Coca-Cola, I’m not gonna eat like wings, burgers and that, because that’s what gives me my little belly. My food is naughty! I don’t mess around with anything silly after hours, there’s no after parties in my room, I don’t smash TV’s.
What about the US girls?
The girls are lovely but you know I can’t do that anymore unfortunately due to circumstances back home, I can’t step into that realm, I don’t go there, I appreciate them, I like the way they look, the look they give me is lovely, but I just don’t go there anymore. So that’s that one answered for you, BOOM!
So, you’re working on your new video, aren’t you?
We have just shot a video, I’ve got a tune with Shola Ama and J2K.
What has she been doing?
She’s been doing her ting man but she’s back now. The song is called ‘Take It Back’, it’s 90’s sounding thing, shot a video in South-London in a council block, doing like a pirate radio station, so that’s out now. The radio play on that has been great, got great support off of Trevor Nelson, Mistajam, so it’s probably my biggest tune right now.
Have you got an album coming out?
I’ve got an album coming out in the Summer, it’s called “Watch Me Dance”.
Are we going to see you dance?
You might see me dance, I might be dancing over there if you’re lucky! Loads of people, I’ve been to Jamaica three times on it, so I’ve got Jamaican session musicians, I’ve got English people, I’ve got a heap of people on there man. Sounding goof man.
You just did a Fabric mix?
I did just do a Fabric mix...about a year and bit ago.
So not just now?
Not just now, but you know, Fabric’s just one of those compilations that’s kinda, I wouldn’t say they were timeless, I think that’s a bit bold to say my Fabric Mix is timeless, it’s not disposable, that’s what I’m trying to say. You can always go back to them. It sold more than my album, which is a good thing and a bad thing, if you think about it. It’s a wicked way of showcasing my sound worldwide with having to travel!
How did you choose those tracks?
Well, it was a funny one because I wanted the compilation to be full songs that people haven’t heard and it’s exclusive to that record but, at the same time represent what I do in the club. So I called loads of favours off labels and producers to do dubs, VIP’s and exclusives, and try to do it that way but also representing an hour and a half of what I do in Fabric, so that’s what I try to balance it being fun and dance floor with stuff that people haven’t got. It was kind of a fun but hard process getting the licenses and stuff like that.
Before this interview, you were talking about seeing some Hip-Hop?
I love Hip-Hop. Hip-hop’s what I grew up listening to. Today now, there is a party over there, so I’m going to go there and get jiggy! Where have those mojito’s got to?!
Toddla T feat. Shola Ama & J2K 'Take It Back' is out now. Check out www.toddlat.com
BOOM!
We’re here with Mr Toddla T
Yo! It’s T Willy from the steel city, you are live and direct from Miami at Standard hotel, there’s a party over there, A-Trak’s playing, there’s loads of mojitos kicking about, we’ve ordered ours but it ain’t here yet! But in the meantime the vibes are nice so it’s blessed the same way.
You’ve been here since Sunday right?
Been here since Sunday night, at midnight or something, conked out, and everyday I’ve just been doing this (sitting in a deck chair next to the pool)....which, is hard work you know! You have to re-apply the suncream, ask for a drink, occasionally you have to walk to the pool and dip in there which is stressful! (sarcastically)
But apart from that, it’s all gonna start kicking off from tonight!
Where are you playing tonight?
I’m playing at a cinema/bar/disco downtown, playing with Redlight under our Roller Express alias, so we’re doing that tonight, it gonna be good man!
Yeah, and then what? You’ve got loads going on this week haven’t you?
Yeah I’ve got loads, I’m doing that, I’m doing a party with the mad decent guys (Diplo etc), which is a new sound coming out of America that I have been supporting on my radio show. I’m doing ultra sound on Saturday! And what else am I doing? I can’t remember you know!
How are you going to manage with all these shows?
The key to this thing right here, is not drinking during the day, because if you drink during the day, people like Skream who you will see shortly, and you’ll see what he’s like now proper mad at six o’clock, he’s got gigs to do, but that man can handle it, that’s fine, I can’t.
So, if I don’t drink, I’m nice...I’ll drink later! Anyway, so it’s all good.
So it’s your third year at Ultra, tell us how you came to play here?
The first time I came I was invited by Annie Mac for the “Annie Mac Presents..” tour, I had just put out my first tune, I was like first on, little kid playing, whatever. Second year, I played at Ultra for the first time and this year, Ultra again, so it’s just progressed slowly and surely.
How do Miami cats find you?
You know what, this is not a good representation of an average Miami week, because most of the people here aren’t from Miami anyway. I’ve got my British friends over there, American friends, French friends. The parties are full of people who aren’t from Miami, so it’s a worldwide crowd type of ting. It’s always good though man. America’s a funny one for me because sometimes it goes down perfect and sometimes it flops. It always depends I guess, who, when, where, why.
So, nothing to do with you!
Never! What it is yeah, is a lot of the time when I play in North America, no-ones heard the style of music I play before, so it’s quite a new thing for them. America is Dubstep crazy right now, it’s absolutely bizarre, they’re all on the ting hard! I don’t play that type of ting, but I get lumped in with that sound, so I guess they’re all new to the sound I’m playing right now.
OK, talk us through your sound, for those who don’t know?
I just play new club music, I play stuff that just excites me, as a DJ. It’s fun man, it’s all got a party vibe to it and a jump up style, it’s very British though, a lot of funky sounds, a lot of reggae influenced stuff, a lot of sub bass-y stuff. Stuff like Afrojack, what Diplo does when he makes club music, so it’s not a straight forward ting.
Where else are you playing this year outside of the UK?
I came here from a place called ‘Edminton’, which is in Canada, and it is a bit bizarre. We played there, we played at Vancouver, when we’re finished here we go to DC, New York, Vancouver and then we come home. So most of the time it’s in America really, I play in Europe a little bit, but most of the time I come here, which is quite weird actually.
What naughtiness do you get up to?
Naughtiness? Wow. You know what, every time I come to America I say I’m not going to drink Coca-Cola, I’m not gonna eat like wings, burgers and that, because that’s what gives me my little belly. My food is naughty! I don’t mess around with anything silly after hours, there’s no after parties in my room, I don’t smash TV’s.
What about the US girls?
The girls are lovely but you know I can’t do that anymore unfortunately due to circumstances back home, I can’t step into that realm, I don’t go there, I appreciate them, I like the way they look, the look they give me is lovely, but I just don’t go there anymore. So that’s that one answered for you, BOOM!
So, you’re working on your new video, aren’t you?
We have just shot a video, I’ve got a tune with Shola Ama and J2K.
What has she been doing?
She’s been doing her ting man but she’s back now. The song is called ‘Take It Back’, it’s 90’s sounding thing, shot a video in South-London in a council block, doing like a pirate radio station, so that’s out now. The radio play on that has been great, got great support off of Trevor Nelson, Mistajam, so it’s probably my biggest tune right now.
Have you got an album coming out?
I’ve got an album coming out in the Summer, it’s called “Watch Me Dance”.
Are we going to see you dance?
You might see me dance, I might be dancing over there if you’re lucky! Loads of people, I’ve been to Jamaica three times on it, so I’ve got Jamaican session musicians, I’ve got English people, I’ve got a heap of people on there man. Sounding goof man.
You just did a Fabric mix?
I did just do a Fabric mix...about a year and bit ago.
So not just now?
Not just now, but you know, Fabric’s just one of those compilations that’s kinda, I wouldn’t say they were timeless, I think that’s a bit bold to say my Fabric Mix is timeless, it’s not disposable, that’s what I’m trying to say. You can always go back to them. It sold more than my album, which is a good thing and a bad thing, if you think about it. It’s a wicked way of showcasing my sound worldwide with having to travel!
How did you choose those tracks?
Well, it was a funny one because I wanted the compilation to be full songs that people haven’t heard and it’s exclusive to that record but, at the same time represent what I do in the club. So I called loads of favours off labels and producers to do dubs, VIP’s and exclusives, and try to do it that way but also representing an hour and a half of what I do in Fabric, so that’s what I try to balance it being fun and dance floor with stuff that people haven’t got. It was kind of a fun but hard process getting the licenses and stuff like that.
Before this interview, you were talking about seeing some Hip-Hop?
I love Hip-Hop. Hip-hop’s what I grew up listening to. Today now, there is a party over there, so I’m going to go there and get jiggy! Where have those mojito’s got to?!
Toddla T feat. Shola Ama & J2K 'Take It Back' is out now. Check out www.toddlat.com
