Interview Credit - Bentley Foy
We recently had a chance to sit down for a Skype interview with internationally famous DJ/Producer Thomas Gold from Germany. Thomas tells us about his latest projects, potential stage diving, and more!
US: Hey Thomas!
TG: Hi mate how are you!
US: Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to talk to us.
TG: Yeah no worries, no worries.
US: I want everyone to get an idea of everything you're about, so let's start at the beginning. How did you start your career in music and when did you become a DJ?
TG: That was when I was very little, I was always into music and I really dove into it when I experienced House music for the first time and I just fell in love with that. From that point on I was like "Oh my God, I want to be a DJ and play in clubs". It grew over time but it all started with my love for House music.
US: Right on. You've worked with a lot of great artists like Swedish House Mafia, Dirty South. How do you choose which artists you want to collaborate with?
TG: First of all it's just important that I like their stuff and that we have a kind of chemistry. Most of the time it happens that I meet another DJ/Producer while I'm traveling or when we are playing together at a festival or club. You talk a little bit to each other, then you find out "Hey, we could do something together" and you know it's not really thinking to much about it, it just happens and then you get into an idea, like I did with Dirty South for example. If there's time you start doing something, it just happens I would say.
US: Interesting. So what's a normal day like for Thomas Gold?
TG: Normally {laughter} um... I try to get up at an early time and I'm in the studio all day long. I do some email stuff, some office work, talk to my management but most of the time I try to just be in the studio and make music because that's what I love. Sometimes I have interviews and other stuff to do but yeah I spend all day in the studio or on my laptop which is actually my studio. At night if it's possible I try to meet up with friends or go out but sometimes I just spend half the night in the studio but yeah, it's all about the music. I try to at least not lose contact to the outer world {laughing}.
US: What's your current studio equipment set up like?
TG: At the moment it's all centered around my laptop. I have a studio at home in Berlin. It's a room with all the stuff in there, I have some out board hardware gear, some compressors, some synthesizers but actually the main thing is my laptop. I'm running Logic, tons of plug-ins. I love to collect plug-ins actually and try out everything I can get. The software thing, the plug in thing... It's just better because when I'm traveling I can take everything with me you know? I have everything with me all the time wherever I go so even when I'm sitting at the airport or on the plane I can just switch it on and work on stuff. So the laptop or when I'm at home or I'm in a studio, for example like last week in New York City... I just book a studio for a day or two so I can hook up with the big speakers and get more of the real bass sound, but most everything happens with the laptop.
US: Right. Besides your own tracks, which I've been listening to all morning, what tracks are you playing in your live sets?
TG: I'm a big fan of the tracks from Deniz Koyu, Arty. I like the stuff Sander Van Doorn does, Alesso... Then, of course, Axwell, Sebastian and Steve Angello's stuff, what they do, but I also try to play stuff which isn't as well known. Sometimes I'll get a demo or promo from friends and other producers. They ask me what I think about this or that track and sometimes I just play it and see how the reaction of the people goes. I just try to refresh my set every week and develop it over time. Actually, I play all this kind of progressive and techy house kind of stuff.
US: Cool, so you tour constantly. Where is your favorite place to perform live?
TG: I would say Pacha New York, last week I played at the Guvernment in Canada which is awesome but Pacha is one of the highlights for me because it's all about the energy there, people are freaking out and of course I love to play these big festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival, Escape from Wonderland... I think that those are my favorites.
US: Speaking of festivals, what would you say is the biggest crowd you've every performed for?
TG: I think it was Electric Daisy Carnival or Escape from Wonderland. As far as I remember we had 20,000 people at Escape and I think EDC when I played was like 25 to 30,000 people and that was amazing! Wow, so impressive.
US: Awesome. What would you say is the biggest difference between spinning in Europe and the US for Thomas Gold?
TG: I would say it's about the energy and how much people are into the music. I would say that in the US people are even more energetic, they freak out and show that they enjoy. They have big fun on the dance floor and you can see it. In Europe people have like... they are a little bit shy. At the moment I play more often in the States but I'm always happy to be back to Europe and to play like Germany or Italy because you really can see that there is a scene going on, it's developing at the moment but I would say the big difference is that in the States now there's a big big wave of Progressive and House music which is amazing and it's just huge fun to play here.
US: How do you feel about electronic music as a genre getting more popular contemporary radio play?
TG: I'm happy about that. I'm really happy this music is finally getting the attention it always deserved. I think this music is so versatile and there's so many different genres. It fits to all occasions and it's very energetic, it's uplifting, it's positive and I'm so happy that now people are aware of that. The commercial tracks in this kind of music, they've opened up a lot of doors ya know? All the artists like Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta and Tiesto. All us DJ's, we're really happy about it because now we have big audiences and you can see that people are interested in the music, the Producers, the DJ's. They know the tracks and ya know... I think it's really good.
US: What was the craziest moment you've ever experienced on the road?
TG: I had a very funny moment happen last weekend when I played in Toronto at the Guvernment. I was on stage and there was a guy popping up, giving me high five's and then he wanted to crowd surf but the people just went away so he fell down to the floor. That was a really weird moment.
US: Is there any crowd surfing in Thomas Gold's future?
TG: Maybe this will happen one day but i think I'm not planning that {laughing} You never know. The crowds are getting crazier and crazier and all the people I see doing it are having big fun so who knows, who knows.
US: What does 2012 hold for Thomas Gold? Upcoming projects/shows?
TG: I'm actually having out my track with Dirty South come out the past couple of days "Eyes Wide Open". I'm really excited about that because we're getting so much love and so much nice feedback from people which is amazing. Which just hit the top 10 on beatport. The next thing is my single "Sing to Me" out on X tone in the middle of March so that what's coming up. I'm working on a couple of things. I'm doing a remix and I'm really excited about it, I'm really in the middle of it but I can't really talk about that, it will be huge I think, this will be out around March I think. I'm working on a bunch of new ideas for later release in the year. Touring wise I'm still in the middle of my US tour and I'm going on the Groove Cruise ship tomorrow where I go from Miami to the Bahamas, I play in the Bahamas which I never did so I'm really looking forward to that. Then after the States I go to Australia, I have a 2 week tour there, then I go to Asia, then I have a couple gigs in Europe. In March I come back to America and then Miami music week so that the plan for the first quarter 2012.
US: What advice do you have for upcoming producer/DJs?
TG: I would say try to find your own style and build your own kind of signature sound because at the moment there is so much stuff out there and so many Producers. If you want to stick out a little bit from the masses try to find your own way of producing music. Then just be patient, take your time and try to be yourself, not just copying other, and do the stuff you really love. I have to be into the stuff I'm doing so I would never do music I would not love to play myself. Be patient and take you time because sometimes things take longer than you'd expect or want.
US: That's all the questions I have Thomas. Thanks so much for the interview, enjoy the rest of your tour and fly safe!
TG: Ok, thanks for the interview. Cheers mate!
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