Red Bull Music Academy and Brainfeeder will team up next week to welcome the LA imprint to its new quarterly residency at the famed London club.
Leading the way will be label boss and former RBMA participant Flying Lotus and Hyperdub head Kode9, with sets also to come from The Gaslamp Killer, Martyn, Daedelus, Nosaj Thing and current RBMA participant Tokimonsta. We caught up with Toki, an LA-based DJ/producer, in advance of her academy term for a quick chat about Brainfeeder, the origins of her name and what she has coming up.How did you get the name Tokimonsta?
"Toki" means "bunny/rabbit" in Korean, "monsta" was some silly way I decided to write "monster." Originally, my family would call me Toki beause I had round cheeks as a kid. Also, there's this Korean children's song called "San Toki" (translated: Mountain Rabbit) and I used to sing it until it drove my family crazy. As of now, I believe my the whole alias symbolizes the yin and yang behind how I enjoy and make my music—like: nice rabbit to scary monster, mellow to crazy, melodic to obscure, soulful to experimental, new to old, sad to happy, loving to angry—all of it. I'm not any one way and my music and alias represents that.
How did you meet up with the Brainfeeder crew?
I always say this, but I believe it was just the course of nature bringing like-minded people together. I knew most of the guys before I was even a part of the crew–the LA beat/hip hop scene is an intimate community.
What have you been working on recently?
Quite a bit actually! I have my Ramp EP, Cosmic Intoxication, coming out sometime in March, a full length Japanese release in mid April, a shared 10-inch on All City coming out sometime in early fall, a project with Suzi Analogue called "Analogue Monsta," and my Brainfeeder album.
Do you remember how you heard that you were going to be part of RBMA?
If I remember correctly, they sent me an email asking me how I "take my tea."