Koto Kill, the new collaborative project of British DJ and producer Gabriel Ralls announces new single, “Riot at 45” to be released on 1st June via Dystopian Disco. Despite their early days, they’ve already caught the attention of Clash Mag and Spill Mag. British DJ and producer Gabriel Ralls, has plenty of ideas to share. We asked him to write down his top 5 music influences.
Michael Jackson – Black or White
GR: I was watching some Saturday morning TV show as a kid and they premiered the video for ‘Black or White’. I instantly loved it – and became the first single I ever bought. There was of course a lot of controversy about the song at the time from the newspapers, because “Michael Jackson used to be black”, whilst adding that he was a “weirdo”… but I didn’t care! I loved the song, I loved its message and I was starting to love controversial weirdos. MJ is responsible for getting me into music, performance, dance and music videos all at one fell swoop.
Marilyn Manson – Great Big White World
GR: I had heard a lot of rumours about Manson, but not the music – until a friend introduced me via medium of mix-tape. I was intrigued by the Bowie-esque industrial glam and the androgynous image at the time, so I got a copy of ‘Mechanical Animals’. The opening song ‘Great Big White World’ is a powerful, nihilistic existential crisis; sugar-coated in a warm and fuzzy wall of synths, guitars and solos that go “wah-wah”. I listened to this and this song and album on repeat for years to come, much to the dismay of just about everyone who ever knew me.
Björk – Pagan Poetry
GR: What I mostly adore about Björk is her ability to continuously develop her sound; embrace digital technology and have some of the most imaginative music videos ever. When I heard ‘Pagan Poetry’ (as the whole of ‘Vespertine’, for that matter), it was a big surprise as it was so minimal and intimate (compared to her previous albums) while pulling all the heart strings. The video was an equally-emotional ordeal. For most artists, this change in direction wouldn’t be a gamble, but for Björk it felt like it had always existed, she was just waiting for the right moment.
The Prodigy – The Day Is My Enemy
GR: My mate’s older sister thought it would be funny to inflict a bunch of 10 year-olds to ‘Music For the Jilted Generation’. Some 20 years later, I hear ‘The Day Is My Enemy’ and I’m still marvelling at their electro-punk sound. And to this day, I’ve not heard many dance artists that can match their sound, or their attitude. This song in particular became a strong influence for me when writing and producing the final Plastique singles, and I think its influence is pretty prevalent when listening to ‘Riot at 45’.
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
GR: “Oh great, another person who’s listed ‘Closer’ on their list” (- everyone, ever) – so let me add one more to the collection. Actually, this isn’t my favourite NIN song (although it’s definitely up there), but I feel I owe you guys a better selection of music videos , and this is by far the best NIN video. What I do love about this song, however, is its cathartic layers on the second half, especially on the album version of the song. It keeps growing and growling and perfectly leads into ‘The Ruiner’. It’s not hard to see that Nine Inch Nails is one of my most influential bands and the video simply blew me away as much then as it does now.
