Producer TOGO explores the ancestral music of his Mongolian roots on his hybrid debut EP, forthcoming on HTS
TOGO is an electronic music producer from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. He has lived in Brussels since the age of five, growing up between two completely different cultures: Mongolian and Belgian.
Inspired as much by hip-hop as by the most underground and alternative scenes, TOGO explains that he is influenced by the sensitive side of music rather than by specific musical genres. Although attracted by bass music and ethereal melodies, the producer nevertheless sees music as a whole and places no constraints on his creative process. Today, TOGO is looking to reconnect with his native culture and draw on the sounds of his ancestors, and this is exactly what he was able to express in his debut EP: URTICA.
To be released on the HTS label, URTICA crystallizes the producer’s search for an artistic, musical, and cultural identity in four tracks. A natural hybrid of techno, breakbeat, and bass music, TOGO reveals a highly accomplished personal sound universe. In addition to these rave influences, the producer has also revisited Mongolian music and sounds, notably in the track ‘EMBRYO’, which we are unveiling in our columns today. On this track, TOGO samples a traditional instrument called the Morin Khuur, and the result works wonders. “This is a first experiment with fairly simple sampling techniques, to begin with. This means that the EP is only the first part of a more global research in this direction”, explains TOGO in the presskit for the release, and we can’t wait to hear what happens next.
Artwork: Victor Guyomard. Mix and mastering: Paul Gronier & TOGO.
Pre-order URTICA by TOGO on Bandcamp, out on 22 June via HTS.
