With enthralling bittersweet vocal tones and lo-fi style productions, meet emerging Soundcloud producer Thieta. Having become a cult favourite among the underground scene with his collaborations with IAMDDB and Sam Wise, the emerging talent channels his personal life with trembling basslines for his debut single “Sense”. Thieta hones in on his artistic direction and creativity for this debut single with a trippy intergalactic video.
The rising talent is also apart of Soundcloud collective Dialtone Digital, who have been quietly developing their unique sound and lo-fi vibe. We caught up with Thieta talking inspirations, new music and the Soundcloud collective.
Check out the interview below…
Hi Thieta, how has lockdown been for you?
Lockdown has been tricky. I feel like my productivity has definitely taken a shot but it’s given me a lot of valuable time to think about what Iʼm doing moving forward with music. I think that clarity is something I’ve needed. Ebb and flow.
How have you been staying creative?
Since a lot of my music is collaboration based, it has been hard staying creative. But when I get ideas for a song as Thieta, I definitely hold on to that and strengthen it. Itʼs very much a sporadic process right now.
What was the moment you realised you wanted to make music and who were your musical inspirations growing up?
I feel like it comes back to the whole bedroom producer thing. I spent a lot of time as a kid in the mid-2000s on forums and chat rooms so I had a lot of internet friends. One of these friends showed me how to download a music program called Reason and at the time, I wanted to imitate producers like Madlib, though I was terrible at the start. I didn’t properly get into production until I was maybe around 18-19 though. I guess this sounds young still but I often see interviews where people say they got into playing an instrument at like 8 years old and it shocks me. I almost wish I could go back to not being so familiar with the software because itʼs like a new world full of experimenting! As well as a lot of hip-hop producers, being from Manchester I took a lot of inspiration from bands like New Order, Happy Mondays and Joy Division.
How would you describe your genre in three words?
Dusty, textural, messy.
You found great success on Soundcloud – how do you feel like your experience of being self-produced has affected your music/ production style?
I’ve always produced for other artists, even before I was producing for myself and it’s definitely a different experience. Being a producer first and foremost, it gives me a lot of control, though the project takes longer to form as well. Usually, each track takes on new influences and inspirations over time. It’s a great way to define yourself through the music.
Do you enjoy the freedom?
Honestly, freedom is the best part.
Youʼre an avid chess player and enjoy mathematics – do you feel like this analytical side has fed into your music at all?
I often wonder about this myself but I’m not entirely sure. I think to some extent it helps as I definitely feel like I can put ideas down very fast. Truthfully I’ve always felt that my logical side and my creative side exist in separate places in my mind, but I think it’s possible it could affect me on a subconscious level.
Youʼve had amazing collaborations with the likes of IAMDDB, Sam Wise, Jeshi, Fredwave – how did these come about and how do you pick who you work with?
There was a period where I was going to the Young Turks studio a lot, which is where a lot of the music I made with Jeshi and Fredwave came from. But otherwise, people like Sam Wise I met really early on in my career, and the same with IAMDDB – she was actually someone I met in Manchester. The UK scene is quite close-knit at this point, you often hear about music through friends and then you might meet them at an event. The collaborations I’ve had have all happened naturally and stem from each other. If I like the sound, I’ll reach out.
Congratulations on “Sense” – what was the track inspired by?
“Sense” was definitely inspired by my friend TEX, who is also a part of Dialtone Digital. I moved down to London quite impulsively and ended up living in a bit of a dysfunctional warehouse in Hackney. I met him there, and to me, his talent is unprecedented. He always had a guitar laying around, or keyboards, samplers etc. It made me a lot more interested in making a different type of music, something I could imagine playing with a full band on a stage, as opposed to the beats and loops I’m more used to.
Who is your dream collaboration?
That’s a tough question! I’d say Flying Lotus.
Whatʼs next for you?/what are you excited for in 2020?
I’m just taking it as it comes. Keep going forward, record more music, create new videos. Everything! In terms of artistic direction, I want to be making music more inspired by my family roots, a lot more post-punk and band influences. But otherwise, I’m going to keep on doing myself and enjoying the process.
