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Video: TAMA GUCCI to Release Debut Album; Shares Lead Single
He will play a performance at NYC’s LadyLand Festival later this month and two shows in the Netherlands in July.
By: Josh Sharpe Jun. 04, 2024
Tama Gucci has a knack for pushing the envelope. And pushes he does with the deliciously devious video for new track, “Runaway Pup” – the lead single from his long awaited debut album, Notes to Self.
Out August 16 via Sinderlyn, the album is the culmination of years of forward-thinking pop songwriting while creating intricate club soundscapes, and tracks Tama’s evolution from fun-loving cover artist and studious songwriter/producer to self-assured, wholly encompassing visionary. He’s also announced a performance at NYC’s LadyLand Festival later this month and two shows in the Netherlands in July – see dates below.
New track “Runaway Pup” pushes the Miami-raised, New York-based singer, producer and DJ’s Y2K sound into new realms, folding his intoxicating electronic melodies into a nostalgic pop-punk ballad. Directed by longtime collaborator Jonathan Qualtere, Tama Gucci notes of the video, "This video was so fun to make! We reference ‘Funny Games’ – one of my favorite movies ever, by one of my favorite directors, Michael Haneke… I was challenging myself to create something just as cool with the best team behind me. It was very rewarding to see this come to life!"
Described as reimagined Notes app musings and journal entries, Notes to Self’s stylistic experimentalism was fortified by late-night, weed smoke-glazed recording sessions but its stark candidness was influenced by the daytime writing stints that wrapped up the LP. The album is also an unabashedly romantic and brooding record, predominantly centering self-growth and happiness and gleaning wisdom from past mistakes. Sprinkling sobering moments of clarity into dance music was a meaningful choice for him, who cherished songs of a similar vein as a child.
His previous releases – 2017’s Out of Order mixtape, and 2019’s Fantasy and 2021’s Almost Blue EPs – allowed him to steadily build his sound and cultivate his artistic voice and, with Notes to Self, he opened his sonic universe to guest contributors for the first time. NYC songwriter/producer Cassius Cruz lent an ebullient rap verse to “No More ‘I Love You’s’”; ambient pop artist Colle (also of Chanel Beads) added heartrendingly beautiful whispers to “You Lost Me”; and Australian multi-hyphenate Jack Slade produced a pair of pop-forward tracks.
Notes to Self also arrives at the perfect time for Tama Gucci, who’s become a staple of New York City’s queer electronic underground. He’s opened for the likes of Erika de Casier and Christine and the Queens, and guested on Caroline Polachek’s Club Quarantine set. He has also been making waves in the fashion world where he’s scored New York and Milan Fashion Week runway shows for Mirror Palais, Prabal Gurung and Moschino alongside his partner and fellow DJ, Matthew Mazur; has modeled for the likes of tastemakers like Telfar and more, and he also helms his own brand of tongue-in-cheek handmade apparel & clothing, Tama’s Corner.
What began as a bedroom SoundCloud project to cover and remix popular songs, quickly blossomed into something far greater. Tama began to write, produce and perform his own music and became enamored with his hometown’s queer underground rave scene. The breakbeat-heavy sound of the city’s bustling warehouse parties rubbed off on his music, morphing it into an immersive blend of the ‘90s R&B and ‘00s pop he grew up loving, and the jungle and drum and bass music that fueled his nights out. The South Florida rave scene also brought Tama closer to his Jamaican roots, as electronic music was built on the foundations of dub reggae and, since its spaces uplifted both queer folks and people of color, he found community there.
Tama Gucci is immensely proud of how far he has come, and is rightly excited by the prospect of people hearing Notes to Self.
TAMA GUCCI TOUR DATES
June 27 Brooklyn, NY - Dorian Electra Takeover @ Elsewhere
June 28 Brooklyn, NY - LadyLand Festival
July 20 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Garage Noord Festival
July 21 The Hague, Netherlands - Nyege Nyege x Never Normal @ PIP Den Haag
July 6 Brooklyn, NY - Fox Collective
‘NOTES TO SELF’ TRACK LISTING
01. Good Morning Babe
02. Out Of The Loop
03. Runaway Pup
04. No More “I Love You’s” (feat. Cassius Cruz)
05. Didn't Have To
06. Stalk Me 151 To 170
07. Wanna Know You
08. At The Moon
09. Only Smoke Trees
10. See You Later
11. Back Then
Photo credit: Jonathan Qualtere & Emilio Tamez
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