Discover
HBT Chats With Tokyo Tav
What first drew you into music production and EDM in particualr?
Originally, I was very naïve in high school and only listened to hip hop. I was heavy into artists like Chief-Keef, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne at that time. During my business class, my friend Cameron would always play edm music and I would be like “Bro, turn this off.” Eventually, it rubbed off on me as our teacher would yell at me and Cameron to turn it down. One day he made a joke saying he was going to start producing and I said I was going to do it as well. Next thing you know, one thing led to the next and I became obsessed with edm and producing.
Tokyo Tav is a very unique producer name, how did you choose that name? Any special meaning behind it?
I love the Fast and Furious series and Tokyo Drift happened to be my favorite. One of the characters Han had a quote saying, ” I have money, it’s trust and character I need around me. You know, who you choose to be around you let’s you know who you are. One car in exchange for knowing what a man’s made of? That’s a price I can live with… Look at all those people down there, they’re following the rules for what? They’re letting fear lead them.” That quote hit me hard and it made me want to base my life and music around it. To live life being around good people who make you better as a person and to take risks as a producer and in life. That’s where the “Tokyo” came from, and “Tav” is just a nickname I was called in high school as well as the first 3 letters of my last name.
You have only released 10 tracks and already gathered over 900 Soundcloud followers and 10s of thousands of views! How does it feel to get such a warm reception from the community?
I love Soundcloud so much for giving artists a platform that’s so easy to use. Seeing comments on Soundcloud from people who love my music is the best feeling ever. I’m a very self-motivated individual, but seeing those responses just gives me an extra push knowing that some people are out there who enjoy what I make. I don’t get as nearly the amount of plays on Spotify as I do on Soundcloud, because you don’t have to rely on curators as much, and it’s easier to promote on Soundcloud. So, it truly means a lot to get those reactions on a platform because we go through so many ups and downs as artists.
Your latest track “Love Till The Dawn” is your best track in our opinion! From its artwork to the Incredibly powerful sound we absolutely love it. Could you tell us more about the story behind this track? Also, what is your creative processes like?
First off, thank you for saying that because that means a lot. With my music, there really isn’t a reason why I made this track or that track. I just go with what comes natural to me. Maybe down the road, I make music based off what’s going on in my life, but for now, no matter how down I may be, I’m just trying to make good music that people can dance to. Typically, I start my creative process by finding samples to spark ideas and build off of that. Sometimes I’ll also listen to a lot of music and find what catches my attention and how I could make something similar, but with my own twist. After I have some idea of what I want to do, I’ll usually work on the drop first by usually creating synths in serum. Then, I’ll arrange the song and go from there. I will end with saying that some people have a problem with sampling, but I do what helps me and sparks my mind. The end result is what I care about. I want every piece to work together, so if a sample if one of those pieces to make the song sound better, then so be it.
Your tracks are very well produced and we can’t believe you have only started producing a year ago, care to share more about your journey as a producer and when you started?
Well, I started 3 years ago actually. I just happened to delete the first few songs I produced because I didn’t want people hearing how bad they were. I made the decision to produce edm when I was a senior in high school. One night I sent a message to Dj Carnage on what DAW to buy. He actually responded and just said,” FL Studio and watch YouTube tutorials.” So I bought FL and went crazy on the YouTube tutorials. I would play and pause the videos and then write down word-for-word what they said in my notes. Then, I would apply that to my music until it became second nature. To this day my notes are filled with nothing but what needs to be tweaked on my upcoming releases, tips on producing, and promotion techniques. I became addicted on getting better and would just grind out a minimum of 4-5 hours everyday in my room. I look back my journey in these 3 years it’s just crazy to see how far I’ve come in my production. All the research, car tests on the way to college, etc. I’ve had my doubts, thoughts of quitting, times of hope, depression etc. It’s a given as a artist, but I’m too motivated at this point because I see my tracks getting better and better and people are noticing that which blows my mind even more.
What are your goals for the new year? Any upcoming projects we can get excited about?
In terms of djing, I would like to learn how to dj on a pioneer and move away from my tractor. In terms of my music, I’m about to switch it up one time and release a trap song called “Count On You” on October 5th. I’m also in talks with a A&R of a major music label. He liked my song and sent it to the label, so if accepted I’d be releasing on their sub label for up and coming producers. If it works out, this would be my first label release and would definitely be a overwhelming experience. I always envisioned myself releasing on such a label. I won’t give any details but maybe in the future you see Tokyo Tav releasing on this guys label who name rhymes with Loki 🙂 However, if it doesn’t work out then that’s okay. Other than that, be on the lookout for a bunch of house music being released after Count On You because I have about 6 finished songs waiting to be released in the archive. Overall, my goal is to grind and fail a bunch of times like my boy Gary Vaynerchuk says, and then learn from it.
Connect With Tokyo Tav:
