Presently riding high in the new beat scene in South Africa, Tshego Nyatlo is a professional visual artist and designer who also works as Micr.Pluto (pronounced Micro Pluto) on his hip-hop infused electronica.
‘I am intrigued by new ideas and approaches to art,’ says the experimental music producer and DJ. ‘My workflow fluctuates a lot since I am constantly trying out new things, so it’s a bit hard to pin down. I usually start with recordings/collecting sounds which become the foundation of my compositions and try and build songs around those.’
His set-up, while simple, includes an Audient iD14 USB audio interface alongside a collection of sound creation tools. ‘The iD14 fits well into my process because it’s portable and I can record anywhere, but also great for my home studio because I prefer to mix my own music most of the time,’ he says.
‘My set-up is made up of Midi Keyboard, MicroKorg Vocoder, Akai MPK, Korg PadKontrol and Monotribe – and the Audient iD14 soundcard,’ he continues. ‘The preamps are great and have improved the quality of my recordings (which I do a lot of) and the interface is also user friendly which makes the working process so much better.’
Motivated by ‘the thought of having an infinite world of creativity to explore’, he has played many of the major festivals in South Africa without compromising his music, and particularly loves the energy of the city he calls home, Johannesburg. ‘It is enough to make me wake up and want to contribute something to it.’
Working on a number of collaborations at the moment, Tshego is focusing on a new EP to be released in 2017, as well as a compilation for his newly established label Subterranean Wavelength, which he describes as ‘collective movement of artists showcasing the Sub-Saharan African experimental music scene’.
His EP, Dead Rainbow: Broken Shadows ft Michaela Kruger, is out now and his work can be found across the relevant internet outlets, including a music video on YouTube. ‘I put artistic value before most things and never limit creativity,’ says Tshego.
