What made you decide to start the band / become a soloist?
I’ve been a music producer for a long time now (over 10 years) and have worked with other artists. However, in the early part of 2022, I wanted to have my own personal artist project where I have an outlet to release music autonomously alongside the other projects I am currently working on.
Introduce us to you and your musical history?
I’m tdotostudios aka Theo Davis. I am a multi-instrumentalist and a Silver-Award Winning music producer. I have always had a love of music which started from the age of two years old. At the time, I was trying to pick up instruments like the piano, drums and guitar. I remember trying to play music I heard on TV on the piano. When I was in the car with my family, I would use drumsticks to play along to songs played on the radio which most definitely damaged the car’s interior. Through attending youth projects, early exposure to playing at church and being involved in my university’s theatre society ARTE, I was able to hone my skills as a musician and as a producer.
What’s one question you’re sick of being asked when interviewed?
A common one I get is if the music were to take off, would you quit the day job? The reason why is that I am finding having a job on the side reduces the financial pressure on music and is also a part of my brand identity.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories?
No, I do not actually
Did you buy anything you don’t need in the pandemic?
No, not really
What useless party trick do you have?
You know what, I do not think I have one.
What was the most fun you have had on stage?
Praising God every Sunday at my church by playing keyboards as part of the worship band (albeit it is not a performance per se).
What was the worst experience on stage?
Some years back, I was drumming at a university concert but I had a blocked ear canal meaning that I could not hear out of one of my ears. So I had to rely to the vibrations and sounds from the band using my opposite ear to help keep time. That was some serious pressure. Fortunately, the concert turned out well.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about?
I work as a medical doctor as my main job but also plan on combining this with music long-term. Aside from that, I have managed to do a few cool things within music. I scored my first UK Top 30 single as a producer with a track called Azonto by Fuse ODG, which to date has a combined total of over 70 million views on YouTube alone, which was pretty cool. This song was an important part of pioneering a new sound of UK afrobeat at the time of release.
If you had to describe your band/music to an alien how would you describe it?
Ghanaian-British music producer based in South London that makes chilled Afro-Lofi music.
What makes you stand out as an artist?
Interestingly enough, there are not many artists/producers who are full-time medical doctors. I guess this ties into the uniqueness of my own brand. I, therefore, have to build in time to create music around a busy schedule. Music is also a means of helping me to de-stress after a busy day at work.
What’s your favourite song to play live and why?
I do enjoy playing Luther Vandross’ ‘s Never Too Much, always a fun track to jam with others.
I hear you have a new single, what can you tell us about it?
The new single is called AFUA. The reason for the name is that it is a female Ghanaian name meaning “born on Friday”. Being of Ghanaian descent, there was a longing to shine a spotlight on his own personal heritage and the African Diaspora. He also wanted to create a lyricless sound that encapsulated the beauty of women from the African Diaspora. The aim was to combine the vintage and granular atmosphere of Lofi music with infectious afrobeat rhythms to create a pleasurable listening experience. This will form part of a larger body of work called ‘Kofi’s Lofi’. Kofi, is one of my Ghanaian names (which also means born on Friday) so wanted to display my culture through my own personal music project.
Talk me through the thought process of the single?
As stated above, there is a lot of Lofi music of hip-hop origin. However, I wanted to take elements of those productions and soundtrack them to chilled Afrobeat rhythms to help create a different sort of vibe. There seems to be a niche for chilled instrumental Afro music that can serve as background music for everyday work, studying, and relaxation.
What was the recording process like?
It was a lot of fun actually. I made it in my home studio and essentially I used my laptop, a midi keyboard, and a pair of headphones. I did not necessarily go into the creation of the song saying I wanted to make this exact track; the track came through a series of different creative decisions and experimentation which is the beauty of music. I am definitely happy with the end product.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the single/album/ep?
Creating that typical lofi-sound and fusing it together with Afrobeat rhythms.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Nothing at the moment, glad to have released the track and seen it through.
What are your plans for the year ahead?
I will be releasing more music like this in the same genre over the next year as well continuing to collaborate with other artists and producers.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Nothing else, thank you for your time!
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