TF Archives

GTs labour of love

Author: michelle pirovich
Sunday, November 10, 2002


GT has a new album out and its quite brilliant but there's something you should know, the title Electrifyin' Mojo, has absolutely nothing to do with that shagadellic movie star Austin Powers. 'I nearly changed the title of the album right at the last minute, because so many people thought it was a reference to Austin Powers.' For those who don't know, Electrifyin' Mojo was in fact the pioneer radio dj from Detroit who exposed many to Kraftwerk and the emerging electro scene. 'The album was titled partly as a tribute, but I also wanted the album to capture the spirit and vibe for what he has done for music.'

Steering in a completely different direction to his previous album Road Kill, Electrifyin' Mojo is rich and diverse in sound and reflects GT's self-alignment with club culture. 'It's the scene I have always been a part of and the music I enjoy the most.' GT speaks proudly of what he accomplished ' I wanted to create an album that you can dance to, and for it to have a lot of sonic texture. My main influences were Kid A and Leftism, they are both timeless and their own thing, which is what I really wanted. The best thing is I can still listen to it now and be really happy with it.'

For GT and co-producer Andy Page, the album was a true labour of love 'It took nine months, 7 days a week, 12 hours a day to get the songs finished, then another few months to fine tune and sequence everything.' Persistence though has paid off, 'The strongest elements of this album would be Andy's programming. Its organic in structure and the music is dynamic and dramatic.' Another noticeable feature is the albums silky smooth progression between tracks, but sequencing doesn't always work as easily as one would hope. 'As to what fits where it was hard work, it can at times be potluck and my DJing experience definitely helped. My plan was to start with a bang, mellow out a bit, and then go sideways. Brand New Day nearly didn't make it on, and Get Clout wasn't in there until 6 weeks ago because I just couldn't get them to fit'

Rather than creating an album heavy in samples 'there are fuck all samples this time round, I have in the past been confronted with the problem of someone else releasing a track with exactly the same sample as myself,' Electrifyin' Mojo showcases the extraordinary vocal talents of our local artists. Kye from Wicked Beats, the Kate Bushesque Connie, Michael GT's persistent neighbour and the haunting voice belonging to Hamish all dramatically enhance the dimension of this album. 'Each of the vocalists have created an amazing vibe, I gave Kye the music and told him to knock himself out, and he did a fantastic job. As for Connie 'Where the world ends' was just made for her.'

GT doesn't expect this album to get a lot of airplay, nor is he bothered by it. 'Brand New Day will receive the most air play, but it isn't an issue for me, I would prefer for my music to be heard in the clubs.' GT adds 'I think the record company was initially having trouble coming to terms with the non commercial-ness of the album, but there's a lot more complexity and longevity to this album.'

About to embark on a national and international tour GT is planning to make this quite an event, 'Just think of what Tomato do for Underworld, its going to be very exciting on both a musical and visual level, I'm really looking forward to it.' If the album is anything to go by, then so are we.

Tags