Iotosh on the rise
At 23 years old, iotosh believes he has developed “an ear” for what makes a good song. The in-demand producer has racked up an impressive résumé, his latest being Koffee’s West Indies .
West Indies, released October 7, has amassed 3.3 million views on YouTube. It is slated to be on Koffee’s forthcoming album.
“I understand what makes a good song. I think it’s probably my energy in the studio, because I am more to fit my sound and mould it into what the artiste wants,” iotosh told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash.
His production skills are also evident on Zac Jone$ and Jesse Royal’s latest collaboration The Weed Song; Jesse Royal and Vybz Kartel’s Rich Forever; and his Fee Fi Foe, co-produced by Kareem “Reemus” Burrell.
“I enjoy doing music. First it was a hobby and now it’s more of a job and a discipline. I love music and I am glad that people tek to my expression. I’m glad I don’t have to conform to any of the trends or chase what’s the latest hype. I just do what I love doing, and people seem to like it,” iotosh explained.
His entry into music was inevitable. His father is songwriter/reggae artiste Ragnam Poyser (who once recorded for the Xterminator label) while his mother is music journalist Michele Geister, who worked at Canada’s trendy Much Music (Canada’s version of MTV).
A musician, iotosh plays several instruments including the piano.
“I incorporate live instruments in my productions. It gives the production a completely different feeling. I guess it sets me apart to a degree, but it also helps me to express myself better in my productions,” he said.
Born Iotosh Poyser, he attended Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Kingston and later Munro College in St Elizabeth. It was during his tenure at Wolmer’s that his passion for music developed.
“While I was attending Wolmer’s, I saw someone messing around with a programme called Fruity Loops. At that time, I had a keyboard and I used to make beats on it. So that’s where it all began,” he said.
His first major production came in 2020 when he produced three tracks, including the title to singer Jah9’s Note to Self album on VP Records. He has production credits on Lila Ike’s EP, The Experience, Protoje’s In Search of Lost Time, and Jesse Royal’s Royal.
iotosh has also collaborated with Kabaka Pyramid, Chronixx, Leno Banton, Royal Blu, Black H3ro, Jaz Elise, and Kyraxx, with whom he founded the label, SOUND TING.
He spoke about working with Grammy-winning Koffee on West Indies.
“Working with her was really interesting and an eye-opener. She is brilliant. She ended up reaching out to me through a mutual friend and I played her some beats and I think West Indies was about the second or third beat I played for her. She just sat down, wrote the song and recorded it. The song is a different sound, and because it’s been a while since she put any music out, I got the feeling that it would’ve been well-received,” said iotosh.
As for his dream project, he stated, “That would have to be a project that leaves me completely fulfilled in music and ensure I don’t have to do music ever again. Something that I invest in creatively, groundbreaking, and is a critical success.”
