Creative Conversations 057: Donatachi Is Hyperpop's Monarch

Interview by Lukey Byatt

The sugary sweet appeal of Hyperpop has captured the attentions of millions around the world. Domestically the scene’s monarch, Donatachi is guiding the way with their superb sonic and visual aesthetic. We caught up with the Sydney creative to talk all things Hyperpop, following the release of their mini album donatachi.com.

Futuremag Music: Hey Donatachi, how're you doing? What's new in your world?

Donatachi: I’m really great thank you, I’m still on a high after releasing my mini album it’s been so great to finally share it with everyone! 

Futuremag Music: Congratulations on the release of your mini album,  we're stoked to see you release a new body of work! Before we dive into it, could you provide some context around the "Bubblegum Pop" genre and how it fits within the wider Hyperpop scene?

Donatachi: For me Bubblegum Pop is a distillation of classic shiny top 40 Pop sensibilities mixed with the harder edge of underground club sounds. It’s another form of Hyperpop in many ways and like Hyperpop, it’s constantly evolving and very dynamic in the sub genres it’s influenced by. I think it originally was used as a pejorative in the 60s in reference to bands like The Monkees not being considered serious artists and I really relate to that.

Donatachi (Provided)

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Futuremag Music: Let's jump into donatachi.com, how does it feel to have the mini album out in the world? Could you talk us through the sonic and visual identity of the record?

Donatachi: It feels more amazing than I expected, it’s been so heartwarming to receive so much love for the mini album in its entirety, not just individual songs. It was my goal to make a body of work that’s cohesive and all hits plus no skips so I’m really happy people are listening to the whole thing and responding so well. The sonic and visual were very much intertwined from the early stages of development and the utopian ideals of Rave culture had a big influence on the visual and sonic aspects of donatachi.com. I wanted to capture the energy and excitement of the Rave community’s joy and mutual love for the club. Working with graphic designer ANDYPANTS, stylist Kurt Johnson and photographer Jamie Heath who all shared similar references and love of 90’s club scene really helped make for a cohesive visual story to accompany the music in my head.

Futuremag Music: There are a couple of wonderful collaborators featuring in the body of work! Could you talk us through how you looped in with each of them and the collaborative process?

Donatachi: I’ve been so lucky to work with friends and artists I admire so much who really helped elevate my sound on this project.

I love Cowgirl Clue’s style and sound plus we have wanted to work together for so long. This seemed like the perfect time for us to join creative forces, and I love her energy and instincts on ‘b2b heartbeat’. The guitar shredding in the back is all her and it’s one of my favourite moments on the project.

I really wanted an unapologetic pop song to honour my genuine appreciation for top 40 and Chymes’ stunning vocal work combined with Muki’s co-writing took this song to another level. Muki and I have been friends for years and it’s our first time writing together, I can’t wait to do more.

Rromarin is another friend I’ve known for a few years. We operate on such a similar wavelength and we barely have to explain any ideas to each other. I knew the song needed a spoken vocal bridge and she offered up the perfect take without me even asking for it. 

‘fwd’ with LALKA was what really started everything in this new era. I started the demo in Tokyo last year and worked on the writing at our friend Oh Boy’s studio soon after. She’s so talented and brought such a frenetic and intense energy to the song that really helped set the tone for everything I would write after it. I’m so grateful for their creativity and will always be indebted for helping me make the mini album.

Futuremag Music: To round it out, In partnership with Your Favourite Team, what is a piece of advice or something you wish you knew when starting out following a career in music?

It’s a lot of work learning your craft, finding the time to perfect it while juggling day jobs and life commitments and just finding your place in this massive scene. Be kind to yourself and avoid comparing your success to others. Even the most successful artists have lulls in creativity and you can’t operate on an empty tank, so try to feed your creativity in ways that don’t feel like work, you’ll always make better music when you’re enjoying it.

Donatachi (Provided)

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