JBL Emerging Interview: electronic producer Tita Lau talks new found success

In this Emerging Headliner interview powered by JBL,  electronic producer and DJ Tita Lau talks to Headliner about her ‘70s rock influences, some of her big remix projects, and why she recently decided to make the transition from vocalist to producer...

Despite being a vocalist at her core, London-based artist Tita Lau’s recent transition to fully fledged electronic producer has already started bearing fruit. She’s just survived a “crazy” summer of relentless touring, and is eager to discuss more exciting plans on the horizon.

Inspired by ‘70s rock icons like Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar, Lau says she’s always been drawn to the energy that they bring to the stage: “I'm not one to just kind of stand and groove; sometimes I can be in that mood, but the majority of the time the music just completely takes over my body. I want to inject a bit of rock and roll energy into house and techno.”

Lau’s list of credits as a vocalist on some of the biggest house tracks in recent years, including Patrick Topping’s Turbo Time and Anton Powers’ Thinking About You, speak for themselves. However, it was during the lockdown in the UK when she really started experimenting and making her own music.

“I was so super busy with DJing and singing and everything that I never had time to sit down in the studio and just focus on my sound,” she tells Headliner. “And then 2x2 was born, and it was wild. Clubs weren’t open at the time, so at first I thought it might be a bit too crazy, but I decided to put it out and just see how it goes and it went really, really well.”

Since then, Lau has secured consistent top 10 positions on the Beatport main chart, with her debut tracks on Stereohype – a label owned, pioneered, and championed by British DJ and producer James Hype (and Lau’s boyfriend) – receiving much praise.

Lau also used lockdown as an opportunity to establish an enduring musical connection with her fans, having started live streaming shows every Tuesday and Friday.

“People tune in from all over the world and just vibe, and that's really where T-Gang, which is our little squad, was born,” she explains. “Now whenever I'm out playing live they come to the shows, and I recognise them straight away. It’s nice putting faces to the names that you talk to every week online, and it's a great way to create a community and connect with people.”

Some big collaborations and remix projects have also been on Lau’s radar since she blew up, including Navos and Galantis’ What It Feels Like and a slew of infectious tech house floor fillers for Tomorrowland Music. Her most recent remix was of Meduza’s Bad Memories – arguably her most high-profile remix to date: “It’s filthy,” she tells Headliner. And filthy it is.

“I’ve got another one coming out with James Hype later this year called Back To Basics,” she reveals. “I've played it a few times on my stream and it is sick. So I'm super, super excited for that to drop too.

“This year I played Nameless in Italy, and it was my first big festival I’d played as Tita Lau. So many things went wrong, like the decks completely switched off about three times and they were soaking wet from the rain, but we kept it moving and the crowd kept chanting my name. That was a real special moment for me and a bit of a turning point when I realised people actually know who I am. Touring is the best experience ever, but it’s a tiredness like you would never believe!”

Having established herself as a one-to-watch artist over the last few years, Headliner is curious to find out what Lau thinks she brings to the table that really sets her apart from the crowd.

“I think because I use my own vocals on every single one of my records, that's instantly a sound in itself,” she responds. “The rest of it is just acid baseline-fuelled madness. Sometimes I just want to try something and I’ll throw it out, and then sometimes I can take things too far and have to simplify them a bit.”

Now leading the charge for young, exciting emerging female producer/DJ talent in electronic music, Lau is quite rightly excited for what’s to come, and is quite clearly ready to take things to the next level.

“I'm just really super grateful for everything that's happening,” she admits. “I feel like growing up, there weren't a lot of mixed Asian artists for me to look up to, but obviously now there are so many more, and so many more females just absolutely killing it in the industry as well. To be emerging now and amongst so many great females who are also pushing and pushing to be recognised within this industry is just amazing. I've worked really hard my whole life, and this is another level now, but I love it.

“After my next tour I’m just going to spend a little bit of time with James, and actually be in a little bit of a relationship for a while! I think we’re going to be out in Australia together when he’s on tour, and I'm excited for that. He is crazy busy and has literally no time off right now, so hopefully we can find a few days where we can just enjoy the time together.”

You can listen to the full interview with Tita Lau on Headliner Radio, here: