Set for release tomorrow, the 29th of November, ‘City Racer’ is the new album from Barcelona-based producer, Tota. The 12 track album largely comprises electronic music, and brings with it both futuristic and retro vibes.
‘City Racer’ is available to pre-save here.
‘City Racer’ feels like a soundtrack from a sci-fi film, or a video game, and was indeed actually inspired by a 90s anti-gravity racing game Tota enjoyed as a child. We are drawn in by the mesmerising, almost hypnotic soundscape, with the songs telling the imagined story of a racing driver, who leaves home in order to take part in an international race. All through the album, the female protagonist wrestles with love, loss, and her own past, which weighs heavily on her shoulders, while at the same time, attempting to put on a brave face with her career.
The entire album was recorded and produced by Tota himself, even, perhaps surprisingly, right down to the female vocals, which he augmented using AI. The whole process took a year and a half to complete. Speaking about ‘City Racer’, and his own cinematic approach to creating music Tota said, “It’s practically a soundtrack for a movie that doesn’t exist”.
With a sound that at times draws from industrial electronic music, ‘City Racer’ also takes inspiration from 90s electronica, rave, techno, house, D&B, and UK Garage, as well as some elements of dream pop.
While he is now based in Barcelona, Tota grew up in London’s Tottenham, which itself draws its name from the contraction of “Tota’s Hamlet”. The artist started making music while still a child, starting out with a Yamaha keyboard, and over time, through his exploration of ambient music, and experiments with dubstep, he realised that his music would not be tied to only one genre, but instead, he is guided by the mood and the story he wants to tell.
‘City Racer’ is out tomorrow, November 29. You can find out more about Tota and his music online on Instagram, and Facebook.
