Goth Trad is a Japanese artist I first came across thanks to the Rarekwai boys who put me onto him after introducing me to his manager, Hiroki who runs POPGROUP records (and used to manage the Boom Boom Satellites).
Goth Trad’s been doing his thing on the Tokyo underground for a long time now, moving through various types of electronic music and settling on his own style in the last year which he’s entitled Mad Rave – an amalgamation of sounds and riddims from jungle, early rave, dubstep, grime and more. His first two albums were pretty experimental to say the least but his third album, Mad Raver’s Dance Floor, showcased a more unique and very listenable blend of electronic music that is fast earning him props worldwide, and rightly so.
The appeal of this LP for me was the freshness of the music – it’s made without any seeming attempt to conform to any style or genre. I guess Goth Trad being in Tokyo and away from a lot of what’s going on in electronic music both in Europe and the US is likely part of the reason why the album sounded so fresh, he was able to just do what he wanted in a way that is lacking in the output of a lot of scenes. Every track is different, giving the album a weird flow at first which leaves you wondering what just happened. But after a few listens you start to see the quality and eclecticness of the music.
Another likely reason for his music sounding so unique is that he doesn’t just use samplers, synths and other tools of the modern producer’s trade – he also uses self-made instruments which he feeds into his set up and samples live in the studio for anything from hi-hat sounds to fills, soundscapes etc… The addition of these instruments gives his music an additional dimension that hits home each time – whether it’s live or in the studio.
The album was released in Japan in November 05 and finally got a European release in late 06 through a German label – unfortunately the album is only available on CD. A few tracks are available on wax via POPGROUP, but ‘Back To Chill’ which has become a bit of a dubstep anthem worldwide is unlikely to see the light of day on wax until later on this year. If all goes well Matt Hyponik in the UK will be releasing ‘Back To Chill’ alongside ‘Far East Assassin’, a newer dubstep offering from Goth Trad which should come with a DJ Distance remix. I’ve also been told by the man himself that he will be debuting on a UK dubstep label later on this year too – so keep your ears peeled.
For now though if you’re still unfamiliar with his music check this set that the he did on Resonance FM when he was in town last September – the set followed from a gig we did together at the Dragon Bar and was made possible by the good people at Resonance. The set showcases GT’s eclectic production style and contains a lot of tracks from the LP as well as some newer bits – from dubstep to jungle via Mad Rave. And if you like what you hear than get yourself onto the site and buy the LP.
Oh and if you’re in the Tokyo area look out for GT playing at a whole bunch places including his monthly ‘Back To Chill’ dubstep night, the first of its kind in Japan. If all goes well I’ll be playing at the next installment, so fingers crossed.
More info at:
Homepage
POPGROUP homepage
BTC blog
Myspace
GT blog
Download the mix here:
Goth Trad live on Resonance FM
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