Whether they’re in Miami banging out some of the finest EDM records or chillin’ with “Brodog” A-Trak, GTA’s unstoppable force is rocking the world of dance music and they’ve only just begun.
It all started about 3 and half years ago when Matt Toth and Julio Mejia first made contact: “We met on Facebook about 3-4 years ago through a mutual local DJ friend that linked us. I (Van Toth) have been learning about production for about 6 years and Julioton for 4.” It wasn’t long before the two became a tight-knit duo, set out to transform the world of EDM.
When talking to the guys, each alluded to Ultra, coincidentally occurring right in their hometown, that kindled their passion to produce dance music, as Toth said, “I went to Ultra for the first time in 2008 now knowing much about it and it was surreal!” Julio also agreed, stating “I worked at Ultra with my cousin in 2010 and watched guys like Diplo and Crookers play the weirdest records, it really got me into it!”
They were glued to the scene, drawing on numerous artists from nearly every genre in their production. Soon they began banging out Moomba/club hits. You may have heard their earlier work, especially moombahton smash “Alerta” or the rump shaker “Booty Bounce”. “We’ve always made mainly house… But at the same time we have always been inspired to make and listen to music from all genres.” The want to be different, weird yet appealing, has placed their sound not only on the tracks of Diplo and A-Trak, but now headlining commercials for Adidas.
“Landline 2.0”, an upgrade from their original Trap anthem with Trizzy, found its way to the mean streets of fashion and is now featured in the Adidas Original Campaign: “It was really Trizzle’s idea at first. We made Landline with him just for fun and then I guess Adidas approached him about it and they liked Landline. So A-Trak asked us to help make a 2.0 version that was more “street” and “random percussion” sounding. So … A few days later we made that and one thing led to another and BAM. Adidas Original.”
Within the past couple months GTA has taken EDM by storm, obliterating charts early with the banger, “Hit it!” ft. Henrix & Digital Lab. Then, just a few weeks later their collaboration with Belgian bro’s Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, “Turn it Up”, off Tiesto’s Musical Freedom, stole #1 on Beatport for even longer. Even more, they’ve launched their Death to Genres war cry while touring constantly in North America and Europe, hitting all the big clubs.
Amidst the crazy touring and events, they also have found time for the studio: “We’re on the last few days of our Europe tour and we just made 2 tracks with Chris Lake that are both probably nothing you would expect from either of us. And we also are almost done with a track with Jacob Plant that sounds really dope!”
In response to their enormous success, the guys still find a way to produce sound unlike any other, claiming “the main difference from most other people is that we never plan our sets”. They take pride in “really push[ing] the boundaries of crazy weird shit we play but still keep it mixed with tracks that are relevant and known to everyone! I mean it’s fun listening to new weird stuff but if it’s mixed with tracks and vocals that you love then it’s that much better! ”
GTA has progressed their sound into something extraordinary, bearing influence from nearly every genre around. One moment they’ll be on top of the electro-house charts and the next they’re runnin’ the Trap with Diplo. Maintaining that experimental spirit while also achieving an amenable sound is something extraordinary that speaks volumes for their musicianship. They have filled the gap of creativity EDM so desperately needed and are without a doubt on a path of unprecedented success.
GTA, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike ft. Wolfpack – Turn It Up
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GTA deserves their rise! These guys are my number one favorites!
PROPS!
GTA reignited my passion for electronic music. They are always the first artist I recommend to people looking to get into electronic music. Their abilities to meld genres and transcend typical sounds is unlike any other. I’m hooked.
Gta r my favorite