How driving in L.A. fueled Don Toliver’s latest album, ‘Octane’

When Don Toliver set out to make his new album “Octane,” the rapper was first fixated on Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Mountains. Though it wasn’t the sparsely green terrain or occasionally snowcapped mountains that caught his eye, it was instead the historic collection of white domes and solar towers that make up the Mount Wilson Observatory. Something about the astronomical site “fully ignited” the Houston-born singer’s need to create.

“Astronomers would sit at that telescope for hours and hours waiting for a planet to be visible. It’s the same concept as being in the studio,” said the musician born Caleb Toliver. “Making music can be sitting there, waiting for a sign or a feeling to be visible for me to understand what I’m doing and connect to it.”

In line with his celestial fascination, the 31-year-old singer describes the creative process of his fifth studio album as being caught in a “black hole.” But instead of getting devoured by the abyss, he says over Zoom, he honed in on making something “unknown.” To Toliver, uncovering the “unknown” on “Octane” was all about being consumed by his art and allowing his gut to guide him accordingly. He even jokes about creating a sound so fresh that AI wouldn’t be able to replicate it.

A year and a half ago, the Texan entertainer released his fourth album, “Hardstone Psycho,” his grungey take on biker culture. So for “Octane,” he has once again released an album driven by wheels — except this time around, he’s traded two wheels for four. As someone who’s been entranced by cars ever since high school, Toliver uses his car obsession as a vehicle for his own sonic discovery. He says, through cracking phone reception, connecting his sound and his vehicle is a relationship he’s been waiting to master.

“I started believing in myself more. Sometimes you get a lot of people in the room with a bunch of opinions, ideas and questions. But, sometimes the answer is really within you when you create the art,” said Toliver of making his new album, “Octane.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The call took place a few days after he (and his car handler) trucked his “Octane”-themed racing Audi to the very top of the Los Angeles Times’ parking garage for a photo shoot. On that quintessentially sunny January day, Toliver wore an equally blinding, all-white outfit in contrast to the bright yellows of the racer. He carried a quiet and observant demeanor on set, carefully keeping an eye out for his vehicle.

“There’s something about when I play the very first song on the album, and I’m driving it — it literally puts me in like a video game,” said Toliver. “It literally takes me into this alternate universe. There are certain times when I’m in certain vehicles, and I just want to play my s—. I start to feel like Tom Cruise.”

He adds that his favorite driving route, when listening to the album, is when he loops from the 118 to the 5, all the way down to the 101. He calls it a “routine” at this point.

The album starts out on the highway with the track “E85,” where he faces off with a hearty guitar and a disguised sample of indie singer Malcolm Todd’s “Chest Pain (I Love),” while reminiscing about his “significant lover.” Though the record isn’t solely focused on his car devotion, in nearly every track, there’s either a reference to driving or the beat simply embodies the energy of speedily switching lanes.

On the fast-tempo, bass-heavy track “Gemstone,” he references the “Fast and Furious” series. On “ATM,” he shouts out a Range Rover bus and on “Excavator,” he sings, “Yeah, I’m drunk but I’m ain’t driving/ And yes I know my destination,” over a jingly beat. On “Octane,” each unpredictable beat switch and layered sample can feel like a driver’s exhale after successfully turning a tight corner.

The 17-track record allows Toliver to flex his sonic abilities by once again creating a fresh blend of trap and R&B that relies on a new layer of electronica. In typical Toliver fashion, the record tells of his partying habits and luxurious lifestyle, but peeking through heavy layers of pop samples, dark synths and peppy trap drums, Toliver sheds light on his loving relationship (with fellow singer Kali Uchis) and a newfound sense of peace in his life.

“I started believing in myself more. Sometimes you get a lot of people in the room with a bunch of opinions, ideas and questions. But, sometimes the answer is really within you when you create the art,” said Toliver.

“No matter what, I had to get with it,” said Toliver of his rise to fame. “Regardless, if I was ready or not, or how fast everything was going, I had to just get with it. It was a lot to get to this point.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Toliver was put on rap music’s center stage when he was featured on Travis Scott’s catalytic 2018 album,“Astroworld.” The two Houston-raised rappers teamed up on the “Can’t Say,” an atmospheric earworm powered by a moody trap beat and a surplus of stylistic autotune. This feature earned newcomer Toliver comparisons to the early sounds of T Pain or Akon and an audience of listeners, curious to hear what else he could sing.

Following the buzz of “Can’t Say,” Toliver released his debut album, “Heaven or Hell,” in March 2020. As COVID-19 shut down the world, Toliver’s record flourished on social media, spawning several viral tracks and dance trends. The almost instantaneous virality from TikTok and the growing amount of collaborations with artists like Metro Boomin and Justin Bieber soon cemented Toliver as a mainstay in the genre.

“No matter what, I had to get with it,” said Toliver. “Regardless, if I was ready or not, or how fast everything was going, I had to just get with it. It was a lot to get to this point.”

Before fame, Toliver says he always knew he had the ability to sing. While growing up, his family would play all kinds of music for him, anything from the sounds of the ‘60s and early 2000s. He recalls early memories of singing R&B tracks like “Yo (Excuse me Miss)” by Chris Brown and hitting every note “down to the tee,” while also mimicking the singers on “Soul Train.”

“I felt like I was as good as them. I just didn’t know how to go about it, and as time progressed, I learned,” said Toliver.

Toliver isn’t one to reminisce about the past. The “No Idea” singer says it was mostly “hard times” where he “didn’t have money and was hustling.” So, on “Long Way To Calabasas,” a heartfelt track off “Octane,” he showcases how far he’s come since he was that kid back in Houston. The track opens with a stripped-back guitar and soft-toned vocals — he’s singing about how he’s finally found peace and happiness.

“It all feels like a reward for the labor. The real peace and happiness is being comfortable with yourself at all times,” said Toliver. “It’s another metaphor for me, I can have anything a man could desire, but what a man should truly desire is health and a real peace of mind within himself. That’s what the whole thing is about.”