The Dreamlike Sounds of DJ Tom LG
Posted on | November 6, 2009 | No Comments
The spirit of music weaves through everything we are, transcending time and space with it’s ability to move us. From someone keeping a rhythm on a rock through our ultra-rich landscape of genres, instruments and styles, music is a constant companion of humanity.
As we are increasingly sold to, and encouraged to define ourselves with genre stereotypes and media-fed personalities, a remarkable DJ is working to elevate above the noise and connect with that which runs through all music. DJ Tom LG takes his passion for music, from the earliest, scratchiest recordings made, through contemporary electronica and brings it all together, creating something unique and beautiful, while paying homage to the people and music that have made us who we are.
How do you describe your place in the world of DJs? Everything I do as a DJ is about exploring music as a means of manipulating emotional states of mind for the better.
What led you to playing music for people? I attended a rave in Watsonville in 1993. It was a private event held in a warehouse. At one point in the evening a few angry drunk guys showed up then started a fight with the bouncer and one of the guys got hurt pretty bad. They threatened to return later with more people and guns. We made a group decision to lock the doors and continue the music thinking they wouldn’t really return, but they did. A short while later the dance floor was packed with people. A metal roll-up door was the only thing separating us from the outside. We could hear people on the roof banging on it with baseball bats yelling at us but nobody motioned towards the door.
Suddenly shots rang out from outside the building and bullets came tearing through the metal door directly into the crowd. People were screaming and hitting the floor, some of them with bullets in them. Five of my friends were shot and one 18 year old student was killed. There was no place to hide in the empty warehouse and a couple hundred people huddled together until the sheriff showed up.
Hours later, with our friends in the warmth of our house back in Santa Cruz we tried to come to terms with our experience. I decided to put on an Orb record, The Blue Room. I noticed how the chill nature of the music was changing the atmosphere of the room and slowly my friends began to relax a little. I believe that was the first conscious thought I had about music and how it would figure into my life. I made a decision that evening to pursue a life of music and DJing .
How do you bridge the elements of old and new music when you’re DJing? Do you ever combine the two or do you play different music on different days? This depends on what type of music I’m spinning on a given gig. With techno, people tend to move away from what was played yesterday. The idea that the music must always be moving forward is unrealistic in my opinion. The technology is constantly advancing and everybody wants a new sound. The problem is that in spending so much time looking forward, yesterday’s sound becomes obsolete and that’s where I come in. I believe in a philosophy where there is no boundary. I have no limitations beside the ones I put upon myself to create a sound for the set.
I have no problem playing a record from 1987 in a set of contemporary electronic music because the truth is nobody knows anyway. When I started spinning I was playing real ambient and atmospheric music but I would cut in old radio broadcasts from the 40s, clips of classic films or Billie Holiday from 1938 and the result would be a dream-like sound. It is something very foreign from electronic and it creates a contrast of sound, atmosphere and ones emotional state of mind. There’s something about the scratchy, mono recording from a time far past and it strikes a mysterious note in us.
When it comes to the older music from the 1920s to the 1960s I bridge the gap by playing the full spectrum of eras. The skill is in making the transitions between decades of music seem natural. This older music is a story or a history of our ancestors so it tells our story, our parents story and the story of our grandparents. It’s the path that led us to where we are. We have an emotional connection to this older music simply because of our history. Isn’t swing the original form of techno? Dance music is dance music when it’s stripped down to the bare bones. It is musicians seeking to move people physically using rhythm and sound.
You seem to have created a niche of your own by spinning traditional music on vinyl. In fact, you’re probably playing the same records that were played 50 or more years ago. What kind of response have you gotten to this unique angle? At first most people are blown away to find that they have been listening to records all night. Folks who grew up in the 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s relate. They remember their experience during WW2 or Korea, they remember their time in Vietnam or protesting on campus. I get all kinds of interesting comments. Mostly intrigue and genuine thanks.
I think the most interesting comments I’ve had come from non-vinyl format DJs who never touched a record. These are the folks who try so hard in vain to get me to bring a laptop or CDs because vinyl is so heavy to carry. They have no idea why I do what I do and it separates me from them in a positive way because I’m no longer hindered by what other people think, I’ve been at it too long.
What has been your most memorable gig? There are so many gigs that I have loved and I really have been so blessed to get the opportunity to play so many different kinds of music for so many different kinds of people but let’s see… I met my wife at one of my gigs 11 years ago this [past] Halloween, I played at a couple of giant raves in Oakland for thousands of people, I’ve played in the back of a WW2 amphibious vehicle repair truck at a WW2 air field full of warbirds flying all around. I don’t think I could say what the most memorable was.
What’s your ideal gig? My ideal gig is one that I create. I love working with other artists and DJs, collaborating to create a night of sound. Basically my ideal gig is one that I have put together and organized. I love playing at art shows and doing in-store appearances but hosting and organizing my own events is the best.
Can you talk about your podcasts? I call it Lost in a Fog after an old Connie Boswell tune from the late-thirties and this Podcast saved my life. While my wife was going to art school in Oakland for two years I needed an outlet for music. I wasn’t doing any weeklies there and I was very uninspired by the music scene up there. I had little interest in pursuing any connections after a few less than friendly interactions so I discovered podOmatic.com and began to brew months of thoughts and ideas into the one place where I could explore and experiment with music with no audience.
Once I started posting them I noticed the interest that the world had for the music I was putting out there. Within one year of creating my podcast I had a thousand people from all over the world downloading the mixes. It is amazing to get contacted by someone in Alaska or Australia telling me how much they love the podcast. It is very satisfying.
The point is that it gave me another outlet for musical expression and I can share my thoughts and ideas with the rest of the world.
I know you’re a big-time record collector. Where do you go to find your records? Well I have one rule… NEVER spend more that $10 on any record EVER unless its a New Order or Joy Division record that I don’t have.
I buy records by the dozens sometimes a hundred or two at a time so I need to find deals and deals can only be found at garage sales, thrift stores, dollar bins, flea markets etc. Logos, Streetlight, Meta Music and the Krate all in Santa Cruz get weekly visits from me.
I worked at Logos in Santa Cruz for 10 years as a senior record buyer, in Seattle I worked at Easy Street records as a senior record buyer and I worked at Rasputin’s in Berkeley. I collected many records working with them 8 hours a day for 12 years. Now I’m just a customer and I’m pleased with being the guy on the other side of the counter.
What music are you digging these days? I’m deep into the viper jazz swing stuff from the 1920s-30s. I’m always on the look out for 50s or 60s reissues of classic jazz from the days of 78s. I’m also deep into crazy rocknroll instrumentals from the 1950s-60s. This is crazy music like the techno of its day, wild tribal percussion, nutty vocal snippets and experimental guitar sounds…amazing stuff!!
What projects are you currently working on? As far as podcasts are concerned I just finished a 1940s-60s western swing episode all from original 45s and a four-part history of electronic synth pop and electro from the 80s all from original 12″s, 45s & LPs.
As far as gigs I am working on two weekly events. Every Sunday night [moving to Fridays starting Nov 13] at the Red Restaurant and Bar in Santa Cruz I host an event called “Red-Light” I play rockabilly, rhythm & blues, surf and other odd instrumentals all on original 45s and LPs.
Every Monday night at the 515 Kitchen & Cocktails in Santa Cruz I host an event called “Sides” where I provide a multi-media environment of music and films from the 1920s-50s. I pair a classic noir double feature with music of the era and invite folks to come out dressed up in vintage clothing from the time. It’s quite a thing to re-create a speakeasy environment complete with gentlemen and ladies wearing hats and their finest old-time threads. The music and the imagery of the films in the background really make this the most unique event happening in the county.
What’s next for you? My dreams will lead me to own my own record store and venue…that’s what I’m spending my free time creating for myself.
Are you available for gigs? What kinds? I am available for all kinds of gigs. I am open to collaborate with people on their ideas and I’m always up to the challenge of creating a possible atmosphere that they’re having trouble articulating.
I’m not available for contemporary radio R&B, hip-hop or what is passing for country music these days but I’m open to most anything else.
Anything you’d like to add? I would like to encourage aspiring or practicing DJs to explore music more. I would like to see more DJs not sticking to one thing. There’s endless amounts of music to play with out there. Nothing separates one DJ from another better than exploring their universe and disregarding what other DJs preconceived notions about music are.
Get in touch with DJ Tom LG
Email: djtomlg at att dot net
Tom’s MySpace Pages
MySpace for electronic stuff
www.myspace.com/tomlg
MySpace for early 20th century music
www.myspace.com/djtomlg
Facebook Groups
“Sides” Facebook Group
“Red-Light” Facebook Group
Check out Tom’s podcast
www.djtomlg.podomatic.com
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