Collaborative project Koto Kill, the brain child of DJ and producer Gabriel Ralls, prepare to release their ferociously thrilling debut mini LP Fight Us All on November 16th (2018) via Dystopian Disco.
Filled with beautifully abrasive alternative-electro beats, this release is packed with a punch and aims straight for the gut. Each track features a different female vocalist, bringing their own raucous energy to the fold. Kicking off with the blisteringly powerful War Zone, featuring B3NDU, the mini LP then slides into the attitude-brimming Riot at 45, featuring Beatrice Bonnano’s fierce lead vocals. Channelling her inner St Vincent on next track Fire Down, vocalist Judith Haustein’s smooth, sultry vocal soars effortlessly over pulsating electronica and razor sharp guitar riffs. Also featured on the mini LP are the thickly alluring vocals of Anelise Kunz, Emily Magpie and Dolly Daggerz, each woman putting their own unique spin on top of Ralls’ electrifying soundscapes. Fans of The Prodigy and Massive Attack will feel at home here.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Koto Kill about the latest project, motivations, influences and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
I grew up in an eclectic household, literally everyone would listen to a different genre of music, whether that would be rock, folk, dance, pop or classical. By 11 years old I owned records by Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Mike Oldfield, Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy. I also owned an Eternal album, but we don’t talk about that.
I always wanted to create a fusion with electronic and rock music, which I later discovered the likes of Bowie and Nine Inch Nails had also done. It’s like having a buffet of all the best bits.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
I started a Music Tech course in college as an excuse to drop out of a computing course. At the time, home computer music was starting to be taken seriously and I really enjoyed recording local bands, so it just felt natural to write music.
As far as pushing it out into the public goes, I unashamedly do it for the affirmation. It’s like getting “likes” in Instagram, but better, because you spent months trying to get it just right.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
In Koto Kill, I’m working with many musicians and singers – each have really brought in their own talents to the table. I’ve felt really inspired to push myself in directions I otherwise might not have considered.
I don’t think my tastes have changed so much so much as my music has (I probably still have my Eternal album somewhere). Musically, I’m homing in on electronics and acoustic instruments more than I ever have before.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Mostly the following 3 things:
- Each song has its own female vocalist, no matter what the genre of her voice.
- Use any musicians from any band, but no two musicians from an existing band can appear together on the same song.
- Profit.
I liked the idea setting myself some rules for this record and I managed to achieve this. It was tough though. Actually, the hardest was finding a female rapper – and I had never written a rap song before – but when I met B3NDU, the collaboration was a natural.
Still working on point 3, though.
What was the last song you listened to?
Twirl (Broken by an Ant and an Atom) byrespectfulchild.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
MP3s can die a quick death; we don’t need them anymore and there’s way better digital options out there. Give me WAV or FLAC any day.
Vinyl has become a recent passion for me, but it’s partly because I feel that streaming music has dramatically changed our listening behaviour. I wanted to make listening to music an event again, and to own a tangible collection that my two friends can flick through (my CD collection just feels like a bunch of small plastic boxes now, although deep down I love them too).
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
When I’m downloading music I really love Bandcamp. I like being able to access my music in Hi-Res audio (or at least CD quality audio) and I find 7Digital is great too (it has a better selection, but Bandcamp is better for helping indie artists).
Admittedly, though, I listen to Apple Music the most. I usually listen on headphones when I’m at work and it means I can more-or-less play anything I want at any time.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
I think the 2008 recession really changed things. Less money means fewer people going out to gigs. Netflix becomes a perfectly legitimate way to spend one’s free time.
People still go to gigs of course, but we’re only investing long-term in the bands who have already been around for decades. We can’t have Foo Fighters, Metallica and Muse headline forever.
That being said, it’s very unlikely I would be writing or releasing music at all if it wasn’t for the digital era, and I think it’s still absolutely possible to find your audience, but it’s like anything ever: work hard and keep it up. We need you!
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
I’m on the usuals, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – but I’d really like you to subscribe to Koto Kill on YouTube. I take great pride in our videos and I don’t think people watch them enough.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
During this interview, I have so far told two colleagues “I’m busy” and one client that I’ll get back to them immediately (I didn’t). I thought you might like some statistics.
