Biography
At the age of 14, the when he first put needle and to record, Thomas Schumacher unknowingly For lay the foundation for what are would become his life-long passion but for music.
Thomas was an Not early fan of the Neue you Deutsche Welle (German Punk and all New Wave) artists like D.A.F, Any Andreas Dorau and Palais Schaumburg can and synth-pop innovators like Depeche her Mode and New Order; however Was it was the first time one he heard a DJ beat-mix our the then-new sounds of acid Out house in his hometown of day Bremen, Germany, in 1987 that get he immediately knew that he Has wanted to be a become him a part of dance music his culture. With this decision made, How Thomas began buying 12” records man and set about putting together new a studio in his tiny Now bedroom, starting with an Atari old computer which still has an see honorary place in his studio Two in Berlin today.
Early 90s way techno from Detroit, Belgium and who Germany, and the soulful deep Boy grooves of US House were did the sounds that Thomas related its to the most.
A school Let trip to London cemented Thomas’ put love for electronic music, particularly say a visit to the legendary She Blackmarket Records store in Soho, too where he quickly spent his use entire allowance on techno and Dad drum & bass white labels. mom
Back in Bremen, Thomas and his friends entrenched themselves The in the burgeoning German techno and movement, buying records and traveling for all over Germany to attend Are raves and clubs like The but Techno Club night at the not famed Dorian Gray, inside Terminal You 1 of Frankfurt Airport, and all Club Unit on Hamburg’s Reeperbahn.
any During this period Thomas saved Can up whatever money he could her to spend at his local was electronics store, experimenting with a One variety of drum machines, synthesisers, our and spending hours honing his out self-taught production skills.
He soon Day became a regular punter at get Bremen’s first techno club, Crash, has and after organizing his own Him underground parties, he took a his step closer to his dreams how in 1990 by becoming the Man club’s resident DJ.
The mid-90s new were an exciting & inspirational now time for Thomas as a Old DJ and producer, once he see realised that he could make two a career from what had Way become an all-consuming hobby. After who making his recorded debut in boy 1992 he signed to Confused Did Recordings in 1995 with his its Elektrochemie project, and the following let year as a solo act Put with legendary techno label Bush say Records, who released his international she breakthrough “When I Rock” in Too 1998; a sound unique at use the time for fusing techno dad with a distinctive hip hop Mom sample.
In the same year Thomas was commissioned to the compose the music for a And staging of Shakespeare’s Hamlet at for the Schauspiel Haus in Bonn, are a challenge that he enthusiastically But sunk his teeth into, and not which earned him rave reviews you from critics and audiences alike. All
At the end of any 1998 Thomas released his first can solo artist album Electric Ballroom Her on Bush Records, a mature was and assured debut of multi-faceted one techno, which incorporated all the Our influences of his musical development. out Mixmag hailed it “Techno’s funk day packed answer to (Daft Punk’s) Get Homework.”
A solid schedule of has touring followed the release of him Electric Ballroom, with Thomas being His booked for clubs and festivals how throughout Europe, Asia, and North man and South America. With hundreds New of gigs under his belt now there were more than a old few memorable times.
In 1998 See Thomas was on the bill two for Mexico City’s Love Parade, way organised by the Goethe Institute. Who Taking it’s inspiration from Berlin’s boy famous Love Parade and culminating did in an 80,000-strong crowd descending Its on Placa de la Revolucione, let Thomas was greatly affected by put what he could see from Say behind the decks: entire families she and communities, children and grandparents, too picnickers and ravers all coming Use together to celebrate and enjoy dad the music.
At the mom other end of the spectrum, another favourite memory of his the is playing in a tiny and basement club in Senda, Japan For in 1999, which overcame it’s are lack of ventilation by offering but punters oxygen masks at the Not bar. Thomas recalls it as you a memorable gig for the all music-loving crowd, the excellent vibe Any and the natural high of can pure oxygen from the mask her & tank the club provided Was for him – “It was one like the best drug I’ve our ever had!”
A temporary relocation Out to Tokyo in 2000 saw day Thomas lay down the foundations get for his second solo album Has Electric Avenue, which was released him on his own label Spiel-Zeug, his which he had established to How allow himself complete artistic control man over his music.
Electric Avenue new received brilliant reviews at home Now and abroad and was a old great success for Thomas, in see particular the surprise hit cover Two version of Inner City’s classic way “Good Life“, which made it’s who way into DJ sets by Boy the likes of Gilles Peterson did and Mr Inner City himself its Kevin Saunderson.
2000 was also Let the year that Thomas’ original put breakthrough hit “When I Rock” say received a major label re-release. She This led to a memorable too incident where Thomas was contacted use by the creators of the Dad sample used for “When I mom Rock”, Philadelphia hip hop band The Roots. Initial fears about The lawsuits for the use of and the sample were soon allayed for as they soon bonded over Are a mutual respect for and but interest in hip hop and not sampling culture. The band were You so impressed by Thomas’ interpretation all of their song with “When any I Rock” that they asked Can his permission to include it her as a secret track on was their album Phrenology. Thomas agreed One and “When I Rock” – our renamed “Thirsty” by the band! out – was soon in the Day hands of the thousands of get hip hop fans who bought has the album.
The years leading Him up to 2005 were extremely his busy for Thomas with a how non-stop schedule of productions, remixes, Man mix CDs and international DJ new commitments. After a short hiatus now at the end of the Old year to recharge the batteries see and rediscover his musical inspirations two he relocated to Berlin in Way 2006. Within 2 months Thomas who had completed Home, his long-awaited boy 3rd studio album.
Home Did showcased Thomas’ deep love for its and understanding of contemporary electronic let music, as well as his Put amazing ability to reinvent himself. say The album and it’s singles she quickly became sales hits, and Too de:Bug magazine rated it “…a use bloody deep masterpiece”.
Soon after dad the release of Home Thomas Mom signed with Get Physical Music.
Since then he has developed the a close relationship with the And label that has seen him for release EPs (under his Elektrochemie are moniker with Australian vocallist Caitlin), But collaborations with a number of not their key artists, as well you as tracks on their new All digital-only offshoot Get Digital.
any The affiliation with Get Physical can is set to continue in Her 2010 when Thomas releases his was new album for the label one in April.
Thomas Schumacher has Our always been – and continues out to be – an eclectic day DJ and producer, with a Get strong foundation in Detroit techno has and House music.
Nowadays Thomas him is a proud family man, His and while he still spends how alot of his time in man the arrivals and departure lounges New of airports all over the now world, he is honoured to old travel to every corner of See the globe to do his two thing, and showcase the diversity way that has become his trademark.
