Godlands Gives Trap Music a Home in the Land Down Under

For the past decade, trap producer Godlands (aka Annabel Hartlett) has been turning the down-under upside down with her bass-heavy trap music.

Now, after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Aussie is ready to hit the stage again — but in 2022, she’s going international with the GODSP33D Tour.

“I’m actually heading to Europe in July!” Hartlett joyfully exclaims. “I’m super excited. I’m playing my first ever European show with Steve Aoki at Amnesia in Ibiza.”

Performing alongside Aoki for her first European show is only fitting. Harlett signed with Dim Mak, Aoki’s music label, at the start of her career, calling this whole experience a “full-circle moment.”

“Dim Mak was literally the first label I ever knew about when I first got into EDM. They were trailblazers for the scene and to be able to say I’ve worked alongside such a legend of the industry is truly humbling. Dim Mak has such a love for the scene and they truly look after their artists. They’ve believed in me from the beginning and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me as an artist.”

Thanks to those opportunities, Godlands recently signed with Canadia’s electronic music label Monstercat and has been blowing up Australia’s EDM/trap scene with her latest two releases “GODSP33D” and “Tell Me,” featuring English music producer Tisoki.

“The opportunities I’ve had with Monstercat have been incredible,” Hartlett says. “They’re such a well-oiled machine and have such a great crew that truly love what they do.”

When asked what makes a good team, Hartlett said that it all comes down to making genuine connections and having great conversation, communication, and trust. Having that feeling of support is essential, but supporting and prioritizing one’s self is just as important, but not easy.

“You really do need people you genuinely get along with because not only do they manage you, but they’re also there as friends to support you when things might not go the way you expect. A good team will get you through anything.”

—Godlands

Hartlett mentioned her past struggle with procrastination and that making daily to-do lists has helped tremendously in remembering what needs to get done. It’s as if a weight is being lifted off her shoulders with each task she successfully crosses off.

“I was a kid that had a lot of hobbies, but nothing ever really stuck,” she reminisces. “My fascination with wanting to pursue music was different. I had to really dive in and teach myself, or get lessons. YouTube tutorials really came in handy, especially in the later years when I was learning music production. To this day, I’m still on YouTube learning new techniques.

“I like to think of it all as video game quests,” she simplified. “Put your main quest as a priority. Then for the jobs that don’t have much of a time crunch, you can label them as ‘side quests.’”

What’s a current priority quest for Godlands? One day, she hopes to work with the record label Sable Valley.

“They’re the main guys for trap,” she says. “It would be a dream to be able to release music with them.”

Hartlett’s trap obsession goes way back, from early memories of listening to the Prodigy with friends to having “makeshift raves” in her living room. She credits Prodigy for helping her dive deeper into electronic music. Over time, Hartlett’s taste shifted and she found the Bloody Beetroots. After trap gained a huge following in Australia in 2010, she knew that’s what she was meant to do.

“[The EDM scene] is definitely smaller in Australia. However, it’s a loyal crew. Every city has its own preferred genre, but the masses still come out. I love Australia and I’ll always be so grateful for each and every person that comes out to support me and other EDM artists. It’s important to show out for artists and even more important to keep cultivating the scene.”