What does GTA really mean?

MANILA, Philippines - Rihanna returns to Manila for a 100-minute thrill ride tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena as part of her Diamond World Tour (presented locally by Fibr and Smart) with the support of the electronic dance music DJ-producers known as GTA.

The name GTA was originally from the PSP game Vice City for Grand Theft Auto, which was shortened to GTA and could either mean “Get That Ass” or “Guatemalan Techno Army” according to the duo. Formed by Miami natives Matt van Toth and Julio Mejia, GTA developed their loud sound with a hip-hop slant and a tropical vibe in their bedroom studio. Their sound cannot be boxed into one genre, giving them a reputation for cutting-edge music with “death to genres” as their motto. They produce music for the adventurous and those with eclectic taste, experimenting with trap music, house, moombahton, funky electro, booty bass, salsa, big room and more, giving it a spin completely their own.

GTA performed alongside David Guetta and Haim in certain European cities for Rihanna’s Diamond World Tour and also worked with other big-name artists/producers/DJs like Pharell Williams, Afrojack, Diplo, Laidback Luke and A-Trak.

Having destroyed the likes of the Stade de France and Twickenham Stadium in front of crowds exceeding 60,000 throughout Europe, GTA joins Rihanna officially in Manila, among others in Asia, Australia and more to come. The guys will have played a monster five continents and to over a million people by the time the tour draws to a close in mid-November this year.

Here are excerpts from the Q&A with GTA:

Being no strangers to the Diamonds World Tour, having joined Rihanna in the European leg and now in the Asian leg, what is the difference playing for crowds around the world? 

“Every region of the world is a bit different. Some songs will work in some places and some won’t!” 

Out of all the DJs out there, why do you think you were chosen for Rihanna’s tour? What makes your music a perfect complement to her sound?

“Our sounds can be pretty similar to hers. We’re very diverse in our selection of tracks and samples. I think because our sets are so hyped that it’s very accessible to a lot of people so it’s perfect to hype up her show.”

Who are your musical influences and whose career would you like to emulate?

“We want to make our own careers. There are a lot of influences for us. Our favorite producers are Pharrell, J Dilla, Diplo, Switch and many others.”

The phrase “Death to Genres” seems to imply openness to all kinds of music. What does it mean to you and what is the backstory to that?

“Well, we were answering a few questions for a blog a few months ago and it had a fill the blank, ‘Death to ____.’ So Julio filled in ‘Death To Genres’ and we just thought that that resembled exactly what we stood for and kept it.”

What does GTA still want to achieve, despite all the success?

“We want to be able to sell out more shows! We just sold out our first show in our hometown and playing for so many people who come to see US felt amazing.”

What can Filipinos expect from your set?

“Lots of hype and cool tracks. We try to keep things interesting for everyone so expect the unexpected.”

(Rihanna’s Diamonds World Tour on Sept. 19 at the Mall of Asia Arena is locally presented by Fibr and Smart Music with Music Management International as tour promoters in association with Live Nation Global Touring and Roc Nation. Major sponsors are Fox and StarWorld with special thanks to EDSA Shangri-La Manila, MCA Music, Inc., Mercedes Benz and FILSCAP; with media partners Philstar.com, Inquirer.net, ABS-CBN, MYX, Mellow 94.7, RX 93.1, Chalk, Metro Magazine and Metro Society, ClickTheCity.com and Pep.ph.

Buy your tickets at all SM Tickets outlets. Ticket prices are SVIP P26,990; VIP P21,710; Patron Seated P16,430; Lower Box A P13,260; Lower Box B P11,150; Patron Standing P11,150; Lower Box C P7,980; Upper Box P4,810; and General Admission P1,960. For details, call 470-2222 or visit www.SMTickets.com.)