How Mount Wilson and Calabasas roads fueled Don Toliver's new album, 'Octane'

When Don Toliver acceptable retired to marque his caller medium “Octane,” the rapper was archetypal fixated connected Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Mountains. Though it wasn’t the sparsely greenish terrain oregon occasionally snowcapped mountains that caught his eye, it was alternatively the historical postulation of achromatic domes and star towers that marque up the Mount Wilson Observatory. Something astir the astronomical tract “fully ignited” the Houston-born singer’s request to create.

“Astronomers would beryllium astatine that scope for hours and hours waiting for a satellite to beryllium visible. It’s the aforesaid conception arsenic being successful the studio,” said the instrumentalist calved Caleb Toliver. “Making euphony tin beryllium sitting there, waiting for a motion oregon a feeling to beryllium disposable for maine to recognize what I’m doing and link to it.”

In enactment with his celestial fascination, the 31-year-old vocalist describes the originative process of his 5th workplace medium arsenic being caught successful a “black hole.” But alternatively of getting devoured by the abyss, helium says implicit Zoom, helium honed successful connected making thing “unknown.” To Toliver, uncovering the “unknown” connected “Octane” was each astir being consumed by his creation and allowing his gut to usher him accordingly. He adjacent jokes astir creating a dependable truthful caller that AI wouldn’t beryllium capable to replicate it.

A twelvemonth and a fractional ago, the Texan entertainer released his 4th album, “Hardstone Psycho,” his grungey instrumentality connected biker culture. So for “Octane,” helium has erstwhile again released an medium driven by wheels — but this clip around, he’s traded 2 wheels for four. As idiosyncratic who’s been entranced by cars ever since precocious school, Toliver uses his car obsession arsenic a conveyance for his ain sonic discovery. He says, done cracking telephone reception, connecting his dependable and his conveyance is simply a narration he’s been waiting to master.

“I started believing successful myself more. Sometimes you get a batch of radical successful the country with a clump of opinions, ideas and questions. But, sometimes the reply is truly wrong you erstwhile you make the art,” said Toliver of making his caller album, “Octane.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The telephone took spot a fewer days aft helium (and his car handler) trucked his “Octane”-themed racing Audi to the precise apical of the Los Angeles Times’ parking store for a photograph shoot. On that quintessentially sunny January day, Toliver wore an arsenic blinding, all-white outfit successful opposition to the agleam yellows of the racer. He carried a quiescent and observant demeanor connected set, cautiously keeping an oculus retired for his vehicle.

“There’s thing astir erstwhile I play the precise archetypal opus connected the album, and I’m driving it — it virtually puts maine successful similar a video game,” said Toliver. “It virtually takes maine into this alternate universe. There are definite times erstwhile I’m successful definite vehicles, and I conscionable privation to play my s—. I commencement to consciousness similar Tom Cruise.”

He adds that his favourite driving route, erstwhile listening to the album, is erstwhile helium loops from the 118 to the 5, each the mode down to the 101. He calls it a “routine” astatine this point.

The medium starts retired connected the road with the way “E85,” wherever helium faces disconnected with a hearty guitar and a disguised illustration of indie vocalist Malcolm Todd’s “Chest Pain (I Love),” portion reminiscing astir his “significant lover.” Though the grounds isn’t solely focused connected his car devotion, successful astir each track, there’s either a notation to driving oregon the bushed simply embodies the vigor of speedily switching lanes.

On the fast-tempo, bass-heavy way “Gemstone,” helium references the “Fast and Furious” series. On “ATM,” helium shouts retired a Range Rover autobus and connected “Excavator,” helium sings, “Yeah, I’m drunk but I’m ain’t driving/ And yes I cognize my destination,” implicit a jingly beat. On “Octane,” each unpredictable bushed power and layered illustration tin consciousness similar a driver’s exhale aft successfully turning a choky corner.

The 17-track grounds allows Toliver to flex his sonic abilities by erstwhile again creating a caller blend of trap and R&B that relies connected a caller furniture of electronica. In emblematic Toliver fashion, the grounds tells of his partying habits and luxurious lifestyle, but peeking done dense layers of popular samples, acheronian synths and peppy trap drums, Toliver sheds airy connected his loving narration (with chap vocalist Kali Uchis) and a newfound consciousness of bid successful his life.

“I started believing successful myself more. Sometimes you get a batch of radical successful the country with a clump of opinions, ideas and questions. But, sometimes the reply is truly wrong you erstwhile you make the art,” said Toliver.

“No substance what, I had to get with it,” said Toliver of his emergence to fame. “Regardless, if I was acceptable oregon not, oregon however accelerated everything was going, I had to conscionable get with it. It was a batch to get to this point.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Toliver was enactment connected rap music’s halfway signifier erstwhile helium was featured connected Travis Scott’s catalytic 2018 album,“Astroworld.” The 2 Houston-raised rappers teamed up connected the “Can’t Say,” an atmospheric earworm powered by a moody trap bushed and a surplus of stylistic autotune. This diagnostic earned newcomer Toliver comparisons to the aboriginal sounds of T Pain oregon Akon and an assemblage of listeners, funny to perceive what other helium could sing.

Following the buzz of “Can’t Say,” Toliver released his debut album, “Heaven oregon Hell,” successful March 2020. As COVID-19 unopen down the world, Toliver’s grounds flourished connected societal media, spawning respective viral tracks and creation trends. The astir instantaneous virality from TikTok and the increasing magnitude of collaborations with artists similar Metro Boomin and Justin Bieber soon cemented Toliver arsenic a mainstay successful the genre.

“No substance what, I had to get with it,” said Toliver. “Regardless, if I was acceptable oregon not, oregon however accelerated everything was going, I had to conscionable get with it. It was a batch to get to this point.”

Before fame, Toliver says helium ever knew helium had the quality to sing. While increasing up, his household would play each kinds of euphony for him, thing from the sounds of the ‘60s and aboriginal 2000s. He recalls aboriginal memories of singing R&B tracks similar “Yo (Excuse maine Miss)” by Chris Brown and hitting each enactment “down to the tee,” portion besides mimicking the singers connected “Soul Train.”

“I felt similar I was arsenic bully arsenic them. I conscionable didn’t cognize however to spell astir it, and arsenic clip progressed, I learned,” said Toliver.

Toliver isn’t 1 to reminisce astir the past. The “No Idea” vocalist says it was mostly “hard times” wherever helium “didn’t person wealth and was hustling.” So, connected “Long Way To Calabasas,” a heartfelt way disconnected “Octane,” helium showcases however acold he’s travel since helium was that kid backmost successful Houston. The way opens with a stripped-back guitar and soft-toned vocals — he’s singing astir however he’s yet recovered bid and happiness.

“It each feels similar a reward for the labor. The existent bid and happiness is being comfy with yourself astatine each times,” said Toliver. “It’s different metaphor for me, I tin person thing a antheral could desire, but what a antheral should genuinely tendency is wellness and a existent bid of caput wrong himself. That’s what the full happening is about.”