Tom Trago is a DJ and producer from Amsterdam who has just put out his second LP (yes, vinyl and the first 100 copies are clear, very collectible) called Iris. I think you can find Tom DJing in Amsterdam a few nights a week, meaning he is a WORKING musician, which is rare these days. Was lucky enough to hear this album at Minibar last week for the pre-pre release, lol.
Anyone in town this Friday, the official release party is in the basement of Trouw with Chicago house music legend (and one of the originators of the ACID sound) Tyree Cooper! Anyone interested in coming, shoot me a PM. Its at Trouw which can be bit of bitch to get to alone.
tom trago - iris
12" - 2xlp - cd - digital
http://soundcloud.com/rushhourrecords/t ... teaser-mix
http://www.rushhour.nl/tomtrago/
After releasing his double EP 'Voyage Direct', early 2009, Tom has spent the last two years finding his signature sound. The outcome of this search has resulted in 'Iris'. Where 'Voyage Direct' was his homage to disco, 'Iris' deals with all of Tom's musical inspirations. Shaping these inspirations into a new sound and creating an exciting mix is where Tom really succeeds. 'Iris' can be best described as a futuristic soul album. It's an album that takes the listener on a voyage into the future of dance music. A future where all genres and directions are fused together, from soul to techno, from hip hop to electro and from classical to disco. Over the past two years Tom has spent countless hours recording for 'Iris' in his studio, on the road and in Los Angeles, where he recorded 'So Cold', together with Om'mas Keith of Sa-Ra. Other vocalists featured are Tyree Cooper, Oliver Daysoul, Romanthony and San Proper. The selection of vocalists underlines the diversity of 'Iris'. You are cordially invited aboard Tom's musical spaceship, which will no doubt bring you towards the borders of your imagination.
Tom Trago (b. 1983, Amsterdam) has been operating at the forefront of electronic music for the past ten years. Started playing records as a local Amsterdam DJ - and soon abroad - holding down residencies and making underground radio to promote new music, he quickly moved to producing his own sound. Now one of Rushhour's prominent producers, Trago debuted in 2006 with his first single Live with the BBQ, which rapidly gained cult status, got picked up by many key players in the scene and ended up on a Playboy Mansion compilation.
Early 2009 Trago released Voyage Direct, an 8-track EP which highlighted his love for disco and house music. This release gained him worldwide acclaim and launched his international career. He spent the last two years traveling the world over both dj'ing and performing his Voyage Direct in a live setting. Besides touring he has worked on remixes for artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Laidback Luke and Philippe Zdar. He was also invited to conduct with the Kindred Spirits Ensemble during ADE 2009, performing orchestral renditions of techno classics, like 'Strings Of Life'.
Late 2009 early ideas were formed for a follow up to Voyage Direct, which have resulted in his debut album 'Iris', to be released April 2011. This album is a personal journey in which Trago fuses electronic music with his earlier inspirations. From starting out as a hip hop dj to learning classical composition at music school, studying old jazz records, playing in various bands and entering the Amsterdam nightlife. All of these ingredients are worked into the album. It reads as his personal lifeline. The album also saw Tom traveling to the USA to work with some of his musical heros, like Tyree Cooper, Romanthony and Om'mas Keith of Sa-Ra Creative Partners.
With the release of 'Iris' Trago validates himself as an all-round, forward thinking artist, and is a front runner in a generation of artists who no longer limit themselves to genres.
Next time you roll through, let me know, there is bound to be something on.
