Producer duo GTA stands as a testament to the idea that people and music no longer belong in boxes. Born Matt Toth and Julio Mejia, the Miami-bred GTA have taken the music world by storm with their unique takes on everything from hip-hop instrumentals to big room house. Their ability to bob and weave through sound has earned them a global following, a tour with Rihanna, and collaborations with everyone from Diplo to Rick Ross.
Next up is GTA's debut studio album, Good Times Ahead, set to drop on October 7 under the Warner Bros. Records umbrella. The video for the lead single, “Little Bit of This,” which features a bouncy flow from rap heavyweight Vince Staples, has amassed hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube since its release on September 15.
The album, a concise ten-track project with contributions from Jarina de Marco, Tinashe, and Iamsu, is the latest endeavor for the duo devoted to the “death of genres.” At its best, the album is vibrant, sultry, and tailor-made for a night out in Miami.
Over the phone, Toth and Mejia sound self-assured (and maybe even a bit relieved) about Good Times Ahead. “We’re happy we put together this body of work because a lot of electronic albums are not cohesive,” Toth says. “We had a ton of tracks we took off the album to make sure the album came together right,” Mejia adds. “With this album, we tried to break the boundaries, expand our comfort zone, and showcase our skills as producers.”
Still, even with their eyes fixed on the future, Toth and Mejia cheerfully reminisce on their humble beginnings in Miami.
Mejia and Toth, Honduran and Cuban respectively, don't downplay the influence their family and the city’s Latin identity had on their early musical leanings. “In Miami, as kids, we listened to all kinds of Latin music — salsa, bachata, reggaeton — and it’s always been a major influence,” Mejia says.
“A lot of the rhythms we use now — the drums — they are very much based on salsa and merengue,” Toth concedes.
Miami childhoods spent listening to salsa legends like the Fania All-Stars and Miami rap icons like Trick Daddy helped spark a shared interest in producing, albeit independently of one another.
As teenagers making beats in the same city, a mutual friend introduced Toth and Mejia to each other and the rest is history. “We met up, talked about music, made our first song, and the friendship — as well as the
Having played around the world, the two laugh a bit as they reminisce about their first gigs. “We started out spinning at places like Oasis, [a hookah bar in Coconut Grove], and Reno’s in Gables,” Toth laughs. From there, GTA eventually moved on to bigger venues like Grand Central, LIV, and a residency of sorts at
“We got invited to open for Rihanna on a European tour,” he says, his voice rising an octave as he finishes his thought. “We started looking at ourselves differently.”