BIGSOUND 2019 Artist Focus: Tobacco Rat

Answered by: Jacob Steele

Give us a short description of your music: Experimental bass music first and foremost. Halftime drum and bass, leftfield beats, heavy electronic hip hop, industrial dubstep, experimental trap, weird techno vibes.

Which acts are on your must-see list at BIGSOUND? Damn, there’s a fair few! But I’ve narrowed it down to these ten! DRMNGNOW, CHAII, LÂLKA, Mickey Kojak, P-UniQue, Reija Lee, Luboku, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, SUPEREGO, Temgazi.

Why should people come and see you among the many amazing bands at BIGSOUND? The rat brings an array of his dark, intense productions and mixes them into a unique, non-stop, electronic assault of a performance. The show has been fine-tuned over the past couple of years to take the audience on an explosive journey.

What music trends do you think are dominating right now, and do you have any predictions for the coming year? Things are changing so quickly it’s hard to keep up these days ha ha. Sounds like disco is coming back, or never left? Every man and his dog seems to be on that techno vibe also. On another note, look out for my weird techno EP coming out soon.

In your career to date, what have been the key watershed moments? Winning triple j Unearthed a few years back and opening up one of the main stages at Listen Out was definitely a moment! Since then I have played festivals and shows all around the place, including Rabbits Eat Lettuce earlier this year, which was probably my favourite gig to date.

What industry lessons would you like to take away from the BIGSOUND conference? The best way to create and build those international connections for touring, acquiring a booking agent/getting those festival shows and coordinating releases and effective marketing/promo all around the same time.

What do you identify as the most pressing issue impacting the Australian music industry at present? Standing out from the crowd. [There are] so many artists out there now. You need to tour a lot to build that fanbase, but Australia being such a big country without something like triple j support it can be hard to reach and grow a new fanbase.

What is the best bit of advice you've been given to prepare for your time at BIGSOUND? Have your 30-second elevator pitch down pat, and get those business cards or stickers printed and ready to dish out. Always check out the pre/side/after parties. 

When and where is your BIGSOUND showcase? 3 Sep, The Wickham, 11.20pm; 5 Sep, The Flying Cock, 11.20pm.