VMM In the Spotlight – TOM THUNDER

The VMM catches up with the London and Miami-based DJ/Producer Tom Thunder! Without doubt, Tom Thunder is one of the most exciting new artists on the scene right now. Whether behind the decks or in the studio, this experienced DJ and dynamic Oxford law graduate he doesn’t mess about. Tom Thunder’s unique genre-defying sound is making some big moves. His new TomThunder.com website has been a massive hit with fans and promoters alike – last month Tom’s 12,000th Twitter follower helped make him the 92nd most followed DJ in the world. His live shows and pitch-perfect ‘ThunderCast’ mixtapes have also gained him major props from big-name DJs the world over. Fusing filtered French house with underground electro, techno and nu-disco, his eclectic sets are a true reflection of the current scene.

With his successful Miami WMC pool parties now in their third year, upcoming international bookings for his live sets including Ibiza and the Amsterdam Dance Event, Tom’s schedule is in full demand. Back in his native England, his host of club appearances & VIP private parties includes a residency at BLOW at London superclub The Egg, Pacha, Soho House, Aquarium, 93 Feet East, The Driver, Birmingham NEC & Sankey’s Manchester. When he’s not producing radio shows for the legendary Crystal Waters on ClubheadsRadio.com, he’s putting in the hours in the studio, working on some exciting new material due on release very soon.

The Interview:

Hi there Tom hope you are well!

VMM Q: The VMM would like to know what were the highlights for Tom Thunder in 2010?

TOM THUNDER: Hello! Probably headlining the ‘Miami Mashup Pool Party’ at the Winter Music Conference (WMC) 2010, as well as doing a live PA with the legendary Crystal Waters at the ClubheadsRadio.com party at Mova Lounge, South Beach. Back in the UK, it was amazing to share the bill with Judge Jules and Marcel Woods at the Dance Crusade Festival, and to DJ as the sun was going down over the roof terrace of Soho House. I was also fortunate enough to gain a residency at The Egg London, which gave me the opportunity to enjoy its lovely outdoor garden, cement my regular following and take the Thunder sound to a wider audience!

VMM Q: Tom Thunder can you tell us when and why you wanted to become a DJ/producer and who has been the most influence on your music?

TOM THUNDER: I think I’ve always wanted to be a DJ or presenter in one form or another – my first gig was my mum’s 40th birthday at the tender age of 8, plundering from my parents’ original 1960s vinyl collection! I then went on to do numerous charity discos in my teens, before becoming the college DJ while a law student in Oxford and Paris. I learnt music the traditional way, reaching Grade 8 in classical piano, ’cello and music theory while at school. However, after university, my academic background led me down the path of getting a ‘proper job’… I enjoyed five years as a global marketing manager at the Daily Mail and at a London advertising agency, before deciding in 2009 that I didn’t want to sit behind a desk for the rest of my life, and that the time was right to follow my passion for DJing and make it happen! In terms of musical influences, as a child of the 80s, I enjoyed pop and disco, and after a brief flirtation with Britpop and indie-rock, got properly into dance music in 1996, having been blown away by The Prodigy and Underworld at the Reading Festival. As a DJ, I’ve always been most impressed by those performers who know how to work the crowd while having a party themselves, such as Fatboy Slim, the Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta, whose early electro house productions inspired me while studying in Paris in 2002 (before he was F**k Me I’m Famous! . I’m really into the burgeoning nu disco sound right now, influenced by the phat analogue synths from the likes of Daft Punk, Fred Falke and Justice. Regardless of the genre of music, I’m a sucker for memorable melodies, big piano chords, and dare I say it, proper vocals that have the power to move you.

VMM Q: We know that you have a radio show/podcast called the ‘ThunderCast’, so the VMM would like to know what’s the vibe of the show?

TOM THUNDER: The ThunderCast is a hugely eclectic affair – aural ecstasy for the iPod generation! It stars the hottest electro, disco and tech house on the planet, with a smattering of dubstep, DnB and breakbeat. You could say the vibe is similar to Annie Mac’s Mashup show on BBC Radio 1, coupled with Jaymo & Andy George’s anarchic electro energy.

Check out the latest episode, ‘ThunderCast 05: Stormin Into 2011’ at:

soundcloud.com TomThunder ThunderCast05

Exciting news on the radio front is that I’m also going to be hosting the new official podcast for BLOW and Friday nights at The Egg, where we’ll be featuring guest mixes and interviews with our headliners, and exclusive competitions, so watch this space!

VMM Q: When you’re not producing or putting DJ sets together for live & radio shows, what other music would you have on your headphones Tom?

TOM THUNDER: Still mainly music with an electronic bent… I was delighted to see the triumphant return of Jamiroquai with their new ‘Rock Dust Light Star’ album, Chromeo’s ‘Business Casual’ album does the, well, business, and I just can’t get enough of Scottish producer Grum’s debut ‘Heartbeats’ album. Ellie Goulding continues to be a standout new talent for me, and I loved what Jakwob did with his dubstep remixes of ‘Starry Eyed’ and ‘Under The Sheets’. Ooh, and to unwind you can’t beat a cheeky lounge compilation – the Hôtel Costes, Bargrooves & Mezzanine De L’Alcazar series never fail to transport me to sunnier climes…

VMM Q: Tom Thunder have you now a studio of your dreams and can you tell the VMM what bit of studio kit do you love to use the most in your tracks?

TOM THUNDER: Pretty happy with where I’m at now kit-wise… since most of my production takes place within Ableton Live, I like to have an über-powerful computer, or at least that’s my excuse! The MacBook Pro is my road warrior, and while some might say size isn’t everything, I’m very attached to my new 27” iMac. For DJing, there is no better Ableton MIDI controller than the Vestax VCM-600, even if at a hefty 5kg it almost needs its own airline ticket. I love the dedicated filter and EQ controls across 12 channels – that’s one for every key signature!

VMM Q: Tom as a known DJ/producer so how important do you think it is these days to write and produce music as well as DJ, and what do you advise to help new DJs begin to write and produce music?

TOM THUNDER: It can certainly help you to stand out from the crowd, but I think it’s more important for new DJs first to develop a production mindset towards their DJ mixtapes and live sets. Sadly too many so-called DJs think that a DJ set is just a hodge-podge of tunes where they’ve miraculously managed to synchronise the ‘boomp, boomp, boomp’ bit at the beginning and the end of each track. My advice would be to treat every DJ mix as if you were recording an epic ‘Essential Mix’ for Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1, or failing that, a ‘Mini Mix’ for Annie Mac. Keep it interesting, don’t just play one full-length record after another, and don’t wait too long to get to the good bit! Software tools like Mixed In Key are fantastic for helping you to organise your music, to mix tracks in tune as well as in time, and to ensure that you’re always boosting those energy levels. There are also some excellent online resources out there like www.SonicAcademy.com to kickstart your journey into DJing and music production. Rather than trying to write an entire song, start off by chopping up tracks in Ableton Live to make your own bootlegs, edits and improved DJ mixes. Try isolating, looping and transposing vocal elements and acapellas, and explore the FX such as echo, delay, filters and beat repeat. This is great way to get into remixing, will help you understand how successful tracks are structured, and prepare you for creating your own track from scratch when inspiration strikes!

VMM Q: Can you tell the VMM what new releases we should look out for in the coming months from you Tom Thunder?

TOM THUNDER: I’ve been busy in the studio with fellow DJ, sound engineer and Pacha Sharm El-Sheikh veteran Piqué. The first product is a feel-good nu-disco collaboration with Matt Mosquito, called ‘San FranDisco’, which you can preview at:

soundcloud.com TomThunder san-frandisco

Being called Tom Thunder, it would be negligent of me not to try and compose some music about thunder, lightning, sparks and chain reactions, and the storm cloud brewing over ‘That Thunder Song’ is nearly ready to burst! It features a fantastic vocal from Simon Middleton of electro-duo ‘Gare D’Ici’ – back onto Jamiroquai again he really could be the next JK – and we hope we could have a summer hit on our hands!

VMM Q: Tom Thunder the VMM would like to know what gigs and tours have you coming up around the globe in the coming months?

TOM THUNDER: This year I’m going to be back in Miami, the Ibiza International Music Summit and the Amsterdam Dance Event. I’ll also be returning to the Dance Crusade Festival 2011, DJing at Perverted Audio on 26th March, and have a Socialite-London.com summer ball booked in at the top of London’s iconic Gherkin tower! A big focus for me in the coming months is going to be getting more involved on the marketing and promotions side of Friday nights at The Egg, and related warehouse parties, as well as building on my weekly residency there. We’re going to be re-launching the night with a new name and bigger line ups than ever – so if you think you’ve got what it takes to pull in a crowd at one of London’s hottest club nights, then get in touch and let me know!

VMM Q: Where can our VMM viewers find out online all the latest NEWS about Tom Thunder?

TOM THUNDER: I encourage all you lovely VMM-ers to head straight over to my homepage at www.TomThunder.com where you can find out all the latest gig info, and even join The Thunder Club! The best place to find all my music, DJ mixes and ‘ThunderCast’ radio shows is my SoundCloud page at: soundcloud TomThunder Also do ‘Like’, follow, poke me & all that jazz at the following social networks – I love new connections and collaborations, and promise to follow you back!

The VMM thanks Tom Thunder for taking time out to speak to us and we wish you further success in 2011!

Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

Posted by Editor | Features, In The Spotlight

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