Tama Gucci has a knack for pushing the envelope. The Miami-raised, New York-based singer, producer and DJ’s long awaited debut album, Notes to Self, is the culmination of years of forward-thinking pop songwriting and creating intricate club soundscapes. It tracks his evolution from fun-loving cover artist and studious songwriter/producer to self-assured, wholly encompassing visionary.
What began as a bedroom SoundCloud project to cover and remix popular songs, quickly blossomed into something far greater. Tama began to write, produce and perform his own music and became enamored with his hometown’s queer underground rave scene. The breakbeat-heavy sound of the city’s bustling warehouse parties rubbed off on his music, morphing it into an immersive blend of the ‘90s R&B and ‘00s pop he grew up loving, and the jungle and drum and bass music that fueled his nights out. The South Florida rave scene also brought Tama closer to his Jamaican roots, as electronic music was built on the foundations of dub reggae and, since its spaces uplifted both queer folks and people of color, he found community there.
Tama Gucci’s music thrives in the physical world, embracing the serendipity of the moment and the rapturous mush of the dancefloor. Given the magnetic quality of his brisk breakbeats and honeyed intones, listeners will have no problem joining in. His first mixtape, 2017’s Out of Order, saw him try his hand at writing lyrics and singing melodies over other artists’ beats. Two later EPs – 2019’s Fantasy and 2021’s Almost Blue – were his first fully self-produced efforts: somewhat surprising given the delicate finesse and sizable ambition of those releases, which seamlessly melded a searing pop euphoria and dance music sophistication.
For a debut album, Notes to Self sounds rather seasoned, with him fearlessly dipping in and out of various styles, from the warped rock of “Runaway Pup” and the thrumming dance-oriented R&B of “Didn’t Have To” to the blinking electro-pop of “Back Then” and moody, atmospheric techno of “You Lost Me.” The one word that best captures his approach to dance music is “tender,” with his soft, breathy voice—inspired by Y2K pop artists like t.A.T.u. And Frou Frou—cresting atop waves of throttling beats with a warm sensuality and divine omnipotence. But that’s not the only way he utilizes his voice on this album. With songs like “Out of the Loop” and “Stalk Me 151 to 170,” he dramatically pitch-shifts his vocals over industrial throbs and cutesy hyperpop, respectively, to invigorating effect.
It’s easy to lean into the escapism of the music, but lyrically, the album is quite rewarding for anyone paying attention. It’s an unabashedly romantic and brooding record, predominantly centering self-growth and happiness and gleaning wisdom from past mistakes. Sprinkling sobering moments of clarity into dance music was a meaningful choice for him, who cherished songs of a similar vein as a child. “One of my favorite songs that I specifically remember waiting for the radio to play when I was 10 years old was ‘Cry for You’ by September,” he says. “I always admired how it was a sweet, sad song, but also a breakthrough clarity moment over a club beat, and that’s definitely something I wanted to capture.”
In several ways, Notes to Self is a post-breakup clarity album, as it brims with glaringly straightforward, honest lines about coming back into yourself, contemplating your true priorities and forging towards a new, healthier relationship where you can finally breathe again. “Good Morning Babe” is about reveling in the unexpectedness of a new day, “See You Later” is an empowering realization that a relationship has run its course and “At The Moon” chronicles the ecstatic, fairytale-like rush of fresh romance. He describes the record as reimagined Notes app musings and journal entries, and while the album’s stylistic experimentalism was fortified by late-night, weed smoke-glazed recording sessions, its stark candidness was influenced by the daytime writing stints that wrapped up the LP.
Previous releases allowed him to steadily build his sound and cultivate his artistic voice and with Notes to Self, he opened his sonic universe to guest contributors. NYC songwriter/producer Cassius Cruz lent an ebullient rap verse to “No More I Love You’s”; ambient pop artist Colle (also of Chanel Beads) added heartrendingly beautiful whispers to “You Lost Me”; and Australian multi-hyphenate Jack Slade produced a pair of pop-forward tracks.
As much as Notes to Self can be enjoyed from a catchy R&B-pop lens, it was actually constructed from a functional dance music standpoint, as he left room for DJs to integrate these songs into club sets or remixers to put their own spin on them. “I like to give breaks and breathable moments so people can adapt my music in other ways,” he says. Tama has also secretly tested out some of the new music at clubs too. “I wanted to see if this is something people can hear in this environment and still connect with it?’” After taking a pause, he says with a wry smile, “It definitely checked that box.”
Notes to Self also arrives at the perfect time for Tama Gucci, who’s become a staple of New York City’s queer electronic underground. He’s opened for the likes of Erika de Casier and Christine and the Queens, and guested on Caroline Polachek’s Club Quarantine set. He has also been making waves in the fashion world where he’s scored New York and Milan Fashion Week runway shows for Mirror Palais, Prabal Gurung and Moschino alongside his partner and fellow DJ, Matthew Mazur; has modeled for the likes of tastemakers like Telfar and more, and he also helms his own brand of tongue-in-cheek handmade apparel & clothing, Tama’s Corner.
Tama Gucci is immensely proud of how far he has come, and is rightly excited by the prospect of people hearing Notes to Self.
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