Over the past few months, Australian producer/DJ 1tbsp has been steadily building anticipation for his latest EP with a string of irresistible singles. Now, the wait is over as he proudly unveils the full ‘Hotel Living’ EP, a vibrant and eclectic collection of tracks that push the boundaries of electronic music.
The EP is a colourful sonic journey that fuses the energy of club music with a playful Latin-American flair. 1tbsp skilfully balances underground textures with infectious pop sensibilities, crafting tracks that are as danceable as they are innovative. From sweaty dancefloors to late-night headphone sessions, this EP is a testament to 1tbsp’s genre-fluid approach and his knack for creating music that connects across cultures and scenes.
We sat down with him to discuss the collaborative process, his U.S. festival circuit, current mood, and more!
WWD: ‘Hotel Living’ is your next body of work. What was the initial spark or mood that inspired this EP? Did you approach it with a theme in mind?
Last year I released my album ‘Megacity1000’ and I was really enjoying the concept, so I think I wanted to find a way to zoom in a bit on it and keep exploring at least the visual concepts. As soon as megacity was finished I started straight away on this EP.
WWD: The focus track, ‘Dolly Destructiva,’ is bold and chaotic in the best way. Can you tell us how the collaboration with Cherry Chola came about and what her vocal energy brought to the track?
Yeah, I made this instrumental a year ago and felt very protective over it. I knew it could be a really special song but wasn’t sure who to have on it. Cherry was over and we were working on Rush and then we decided to try to have a go on this one, and she wrote her part in about an hour! Cherry is really quite a prolifically fast writer.
WWD: This EP is packed with intriguing collaborators — Meth Math, DJ ADHD, MC Pânico, Purient. What drew you to these artists, and how did you select who would be featured?
I’m a fan of everyone that is on this EP, it was refreshing to work with some new people! I just started songs with them all over the last year and these ones got finished in time. I guess that’s just as important, finding people that are prompt and send ideas back and forth quickly is everything haha.
WWD: There’s a raw and almost volatile emotional thread running through the whole record. How does ‘Hotel Living’ reflect where you’re at emotionally or creatively right now?
I definitely have had a very full 12 months – moving cities, touring, and working on projects in and outside of music. So I think the sound is maybe reflected through that, kind of in a rush and at full capacity.
WWD: You’ve been tearing through the U.S. festival circuit this year — CRSSD, Electric Forest, and now Portola. How have those crowds reacted to the new material?
It’s been so fun, I think I’m often DJing a year ahead of where my production is. There was a big influence of French house / dance music on this EP and for the last year I’ve been mixing a bit of that in to see how it lands and see how I can amalgamate it.
WWD: Your ‘Megacity1000’ LP earned an AIR Awards nomination and glowing reviews from outlets like Pitchfork. How did that recognition shape your mindset heading into this EP?
That was nice, but was more interesting for me to see how crowds reacted to it! It made me realise I’ve found a nice little corner in dance music and encouraged me to keep digging.
WWD: The Lot Radio set earlier this year gave us a real-time glimpse into your eclectic influences. Do live sets and studio work feed into each other for you, or do they live in separate worlds?
Yeah for me they really feed into each other! I feel like with DJing, I’m looking for unique combinations to take back into the studio. And the lot radio set was fun to explore lower tempo music that I’m into.
WWD: You’ve built a reputation for crossing genre boundaries with ease. How do you see your sound evolving beyond ‘Hotel Living?’
Right now, I’m incorporating even more styles into my sets, as well as bigger tempo changes. And I’m making a lot of sketches everyday, but letting it flow naturally. And then I’m sure a concept will appear somewhere on the way.
WWD: What’s one thing you hope listeners take away from ‘Hotel Living’ — whether it’s a feeling, a lyric, or just a beat?
Ah I love the song title ‘Dolly Destructiva,’ I think it’s so nice haha. And the line that follows it, “te voy arruinar” or “I’m going to ruin you.” Cherry had something to say that day.
WWD: Love that! Thanks for the chat 🙂
The ‘Hotel Living’ EP is available here