Tokio Myers’ Our Generation is out now. He is playing Belfast’s SSE Arena on Saturday, April 14, at 8pm. Visit ssearenabelfast.com/ tokio-myers for details
Why he loves surprising people
Tokio Myers relishes being labelled an underdog. It worked for him when he rocked up to the prestigious Royal College of Music not as an aspiring rapper, as many expected, but as a pianist with a love for Frederic Chopin and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
It happened again when he brought his electrifying mash-ups to television screens across the country courtesy of Britain’s Got Talent, sweeping to victory in the process.
From delicate piano constructs to full-on electronic sculptures, he mixed Adele with Beethoven, and Ed Sheeran with Claude Debussy.
People lapped it up, and now they’re doing the same with his debut album, which fuses classical, cinematic, hip-hop, dance and Nineties soul.
The relatively new star will play Belfast’s SSE Arena on Saturday, April 14 — and tickets are nearly all sold out.
Stretched out in a wide booth in a central London restaurant, the 33-year-old smiles widely as he reflects on a magical year.
“The more you put me in a place I’m not supposed to be, the more it excites me. I get a kick out of it because I know I can educate people,” he says.
“I really love being the underdog, I don’t like doing the obvious thing. I don’t want to be put in a box.”
Hismotivationtoauditionfor the ITV talent show came from a fear of stagnation. After years as a session musician for Mr Hudson And The Library, where he toured with everyone from Kanye West to Amy Winehouse, Tokio wanted to flaunt a sound he’d worked hard to hone.
“I reached a point in my life and things were pretty static, and I hate static,” he says.
“I woke up one morning and decided I was going to do it, just forthesheersakeofit.Itwasgoing to be super challenging.”
A few days before we meet, Tokio teased the album, Our Generation,atanintimateshow- case where he was introduced by broadcaster Reggie Yates, a friend since his Mr Hudson days.
The atmosphere was scintillating. A 360-degree performance space was created by keyboards, an electric drum pad and copious other pieces of equipment.
Tokio sweated his way round the instruments to flaunt his sound to journalists, critics and industry figures.
He was keen for it to not have a “soulless vibe”.
“These people have seen loads of these things”, he says emphatically, punching his sentences to make his point.
“They’re going every week, week in, week out, so the challenge for me was to make things different.” His performance was all the more exceptional when because it was completed while he had the flu.
Tokio, who was born in London, was touring musician. Tokio also per- that’s all I want, nothing much.” the same time, it should be for awarded a formed at Glastonbury in 2009. During his classical training, everyone. There’s loads of kids scholarship at It’s a platform he would like to Tokiowassurroundedbyalotof who won’t do it because of the the Royal College return to. aspiring musicians from a rich, perception it’s not for them.” before going “I want to take this to the top white background. It would be “I hope those kids will see me on to work with Mr — this isn’t just for my bedroom,” easy for him to say he wants to and say it’s cool to play Chopin Hudson. Kanye was a he laughs, in bewilderment perhaps change that. or Rachmaninoff.” highlight, he says, recalling at his own rise from small And in a sense he does, but He picks up the point again. a backstage basketball match crowds to the Royal Variety Show not at the expense of targeting He wants to offer escapism. with the superstar. (BGT winners automatically play his former peers. “I’ve been lucky to go away,
“Within five minutes, we were the event). “My fight isn’t with race,” he and in certain places culture and off to play basketball,” the musi“I definitely would love to be says. “My mum’s white, my dad’s nature is priority,” Tokio says. cian explains. “They bring a net a household name — that’s a black. I’ve got nothing against “People live simply, they’re not with them on tour and I’m there dream. The same as Hans Zimmer race, or money or wealth or any chasing a Ferrari or big house. blocking Kanye, taking jump is... you say his name and of that kind of stuff. Them kids “I try and take people into a shots in his face, pulling faces at you’re like, ‘Ah amazing, epic didn’t choose to be part of that world and forget all about the him... it was very surreal.” As a composer’. That kind of vibe — — they were born in it. But at c*** we have to deal with, chasing
❝ Within five minutes, Kanye and I were playing basketball and I was taking shots in his face... it was all very surreal
Tantalising talent: Tokio on Britain’s Got Talent, and (left) Simon Cowell, whose record label he has signed with the rent money or their struggles.”
Perhaps it’s not exactly something you expect to come from an artist signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco record label to come out with. But as we’ve worked out, Tokio is no ordinary artist.
He’s adamant that despite his own hesitations about the world of shows like BGT, he owes them, and Simon, a lot.
“Simon’s been massive,” he says. “I spoke to him last night on the phone and he’s just been there through the whole process.
“He flew me out to LA and I went to his house. We were just playing demos. I feel like a kid in a spaceship.
“Theteam,theyareonit.They are really good, they’re really excited. We recorded a 40-piece live orchestra in Abbey Road with full brass system... everything is real, nothing is cheap.”
Tokio goes to these lengths because it is his job to connect with people, he says.
“I’m just choosing to do it through music, and the piano and music are my voice,” he adds.
“I am here to connect — it’s a crazy time that we live in and music is important to all of us when we’re down, when we’re happy, and when we need a little boost.
“What do we go to if it isn’t music?”