TaTo is a 19 year old electronic music producer from East Los Angeles, CA. A self-taught pianist and on Ableton Live, TaTo, has begun to make waves in the local East Los Angeles music scene with his ability to uniquely mix elements of indie rock with electronic sounds and samples, all while still creating a signature sound that is distinctive to his listeners.
“Feel It” is TaTo’s latest release and we’re hooked. The mesmerizing female vocals add a sense a contrast with the heavy hitting bass during the hook. The song’s emotionally moving lyrics, melancholic chords, and melody were inspired following a break up the artist had earlier this year. With featured vocals from Japanese vocalist, Madoka Sora, “Feel it.”, tells the story of hopeful love between two individuals. The art of music production is often lost among gimmicks and quirks in modern playlists, but this track drives with heart. That rhythm and the various stages, somewhat dark and rightfully connected to the underlying sentiments, whatever they may be for each listener. These are the things that help make “Feel It” an easy go-to. A pleasure to have fill the room and I look forward to hearing more!
Listen to “Feel It” here and check out our interview with TaTo below!
Hi TaTo! We're so happy to have here at BuzzMusic! How old were you when you released your very first track?
- Hey! Huge pleasure to be featured here, thank you guys so much for having me! I uploaded my first ever track to Soundcloud at the age of 16. It was a very mediocre tropical house track I made with my cousin called "Voices". I wouldn't really call this my "first track" though. The first-ever track I released officially was my debut single named "resilience.", with featured vocals from my talented friend Victoria Elise. I wrote, produced, and recorded the whole song on my own! Releasing this song was the scariest thing as it was my first ever official release. In the end, it was all worth it! I'm super proud to have had that song as my first track.
How does your earlier music compare to your recent release “Feel It”?
- My earlier music is what I can describe as this vibe-y, down-tempo, feel-good kind of music. My most popular release, "spend the night.", is this very summery song with live instruments, a catchy vocal melody, and a crazy amazing guitar solo played by my friend Jose Plasencia. This song was very fun to make as I made it with my best and most talented friends. "Feel it.", however, is a song that is much more personal to me, in the way in which it was written. Earlier this year, I went through a couple of personal issues that made me question my self-worth. Writing music was the only way I was able to channel these emotions in a healthily. I used what I was feeling at the time to write "Feel It.". The crazy thing is, I wrote and produced the instrumental for "Feel It." in less than a day! Something very rare and uncommon on my part. I never knew what spontaneity was until I wrote this song! Not to mention, of course that there is a whole section of this song that is written and sung in Japanese, thanks to my talented friend, Madoka Sora. All in all, "Feel It.", came from a place of pure, uncut, and raw emotion. Unlike my first two fun and melodically driven singles.
Tell us what you want your listeners to take away from “Feel It”!
- I want my listeners to really dig deep and think about a person they've felt an uncertain but fulfilling connection to when they hear this song. This song is about a hopeful love between two people. I want people to really visualize the great and not so great times they've had with the person they have in mind. Whether the song makes my listeners feel happy, sad, or even bittersweet, I really want the song to take you on an emotional journey. Feel something, anything really. Cry if you need to, it's okay I encourage it!
Do you have diverse influences that add a unique flare to your sound? How so?
- I'm really influenced by emotionally and melodically driven electronic music and Indie music for the most part! My biggest musical influences would have to be Porter Robinson, San Holo, and Skrillex. These guys really know how to create music that makes you feel a certain way with their signature sound. Porter Robinson's debut album, "Worlds", really influenced me in the way I craft my melodies and chord progressions. San Holo's debut album, "album1", opened my mind to mix organic and live instrumentation with the electronic sound I love producing. I have no words to describe Skrillex, that guy is a legend that inspires me with his humility and energy as a performer. I could talk for hours about who and what influences me, but I'll keep it concise with the talented individuals I mentioned above.
What inspires you to keep making music everyday? How has it been creating music in LA?
- What inspires me the most to create music are my talented friends I've made along the way in the East LA music scene. The East LA music scene is filled with too much underrated talent that deserves all kinds of recognition! Seeing the work ethic, the drive, and the hunger my friends, fellow musicians, and artists have to succeed in this industry is something very beautiful to me. We're always there to support, push, and collaborate with each other to succeed together. The feeling I have knowing I have these people by my side is inspiring and irreplaceable.
Stay connected with TaTo!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tato.music
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TaToMusic_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mynamesTaTo