Having taken a break from releasing music, David GotSound is back for 2024 with new single, ‘Big Dreamz’. An ode to the grime sounds he grew up on, UD finds out more about his journey and plans for the future.
Fully gripped by the rap and grime music he was hearing growing up, Bexley native David began his musical excursion by penning to grime beats, writing his first lyrics at nine years young.
Photo: Vincent Dolman
Fast forward to 2024, David, now known as David GotSound, is building a career as a rap artist and producer. Since 2019, David has released two EPs – The Mountains (2020) & Greatness Isn’t Given (2022) – numerous music videos, even more singles and performed at venues all over London. With influences including Disclosure, Burial, Skepta, Jay-Z and George Fitzgerald, you can expect a varied hip-hop and dance soundscape. Completing UD’s Incubator Programme in 2023, following a six-month hiatus, David’s back with new music…
Photo: Vincent Dolman
Take us back to the beginning. Tell us about your journey with music.
I wrote my first lyric at I think eight or nine. I took a trip to the States and over there, MTV [and] BET was on the television all the time. I was seeing rappers and that was the first time I remember understanding what rap music is and what rap is. Writing lyrics has always followed me and then in secondary school, [I] started getting interested in recording my music, started off being amateur recordings in my bedroom with mics that I bought and eventually as I kept growing, I decided to go to a studio. I met more producers, I met more engineers. I just kept on growing with it. It’s always followed me through my life. Eight years [ago] I started producing seriously, so that’s added a whole other dimension to my artistry. My artistry’s a combination of beats and bars.
Is there anything that you’re listening to at the moment inspiring what you’ve been cooking up?
Listening to a lot of Victony – I just think he’s really, really cool. I like his approach to Afrobeats and I think it’s very, very novel. I’m not making tons of Afrobeats, but just the approach to rhythm, the melody – that’s inspiring me quite a lot. I’m really liking Central Cee at the moment. I’m just loving his clarity on the mic – the simplicity – but also it’s not just simple – it’s fun. I’m really enjoying that, so yeah it’s good watching and listening to him right now. I’m listening to a lot of house music, garage music, electronic music. Those are sort of my biggest inspirations right now.
Are there any artists that influence your sound?
Burial [is] a massive influence on me. His approach to drums is a bit of an obsession of mine, the swing, distressed sound as well, really rhythmic, dirty drums. Then sometimes especially with [his album] Untrue – tender instrumentation, those vocal samples and the drums sort of contrasted with the music. They were the instrumentation that it paired with, so that’s a huge influence for my production, like massive. I think George Fitzgerald as well, was someone – I still listen to him a lot. I think his music, the similarities with Burial, is the tenderness of the instrumentation. His drums are not so distressed that his music is probably easier listening, but it’s still – especially his earlier garage-y stuff – really nice swing, really nice combination of house and garage music, danceable – the kind of dance music you might listen to in your room rather than necessarily.
How do you adapt your flow to each genre?
I actually think my flow is the thing that doesn’t adapt. I try to rap the same way, with the same depth of lyrics, same clarity, same smoothness, and then it’s just all about the subtleties, that help me adapt to different beats. I try not to let the beats dictate too much how I rap. I just find the little pockets and then stick to who I am every single time.
For anyone who’s not listened to your music yet, how would you describe it?
I’ll describe it as very rhythmic, hypnotic drums, a simple but effective baseline, lots of samples – some string samples, horn samples, guitar samples, with pretty synths, bright instrumentation. Then my lyrics – I like to explore the depths of my feelings, my thoughts and the things that I see. I try to have fun with it, but I also can be serious. I try to explore the whole human experience through my eyes.
What do you think of the state of rap in the UK at the moment?
I think it’s fantastic. When I was growing up and when I was a teenager, Grime was bubbling and it was doing its thing, but it was very clear that America was the pinnacle of rap music, whereas now I feel like it’s very easy to be a UK rap fan and only listen to UK rap music and still get a very varied and full diet. Honestly, for the past five years, I listened to way more UK hip-hop and UK rap than I do American stuff and it’s just great to see the progressions – great to see the progress, the fans, the success and yeah it’s a great thing to see.
As a producer or what do you think of UD’s Studios?
UD Studios are great. I’ve got my own setup at home as well, so I’m quite sensitive to the kind of stuff that you need to make music. I think [they’ve got] a really nice setup – not too much equipment, not too complex. They’ve got different levels so if you’re a super producer, they’ve got something for you and if you’re just a plug in and play producer, they’ve got something for you too.
What are your thoughts on the Incubator Programme?
The Incubator has been amazing. I think my favourite part has been hanging out with and meeting all the other artists on the program. Everyone is really talented in their own special and unique way, and it’s quite affirming to be surrounded with so many people who are just so good at what they do. Everyone’s so nice – you’ll write a song, you perform a song, you do something and the amount of encouragement and love in the room [is] really encouraging. I can’t recommend this experience enough.
Tell us about your new release, the single ‘Big Dreamz’…
“I’m super proud of ‘Big Dreamz‘. It feels like it’s instantly a highlight in my catalogue. During its creation I looked back at the Grime – a lot of freestyles – I grew up on, that feeling of excitement when the artist of the day (Devlin, Tempa T, JME, etc.) was part of a new F64 or cypher or something, and I was also inspired by the contrast of what my life is like now. Feeling the same excitement about being in love, or picking the paint colours for the studio I’ve set up in my new home place. The journey’s been hard as much as it has been beautiful. I am living my dreams, and my music sounds like that too.
What’s in store for you for the rest of the year?
I took a big break last year from releasing music, but it wasn’t time wasted. I spent time honing my song-writing skills and confidence as an artist, performer and producer. A big part of that development came from my involvement in the UD Music Incubator, a Programme for which I’m so grateful to have been a part of. Now, I want to get back to the things I enjoy, which is releasing boundary pushing and honest music. I’m also continuing to focus on my art direction, through more self created visuals and marketing materials. I’m going through a lot of positive changes in my life right now, and I want to put out art that will chart and chronicle this period, so I can look back on it proudly. Functionally, this means I will be dropping new music pretty much every month or so this year, culminating in my next project around the date of my 30th birthday, which is titled ‘More Love’, ‘Big Dreamz’ is just the beginning.
David GotSound ‘Big Dreamz’ is out now.
Follow David on Instagram HERE.
Words: Kat Friar
Intro: Chantelle Fiddy
Photography: Vincent Dolman & Saadiq T
