As
I emerge from an underground studio in Surry Hills, I find myself feeling slightly
strange about returning to midday Wednesday in complete sobriety. I should be
staggering out of a nightclub with significantly fewer motor skills in a frantic
rush to beat the break of day. My head has been infused with a fuzzy electronic
ambience that has left me buzzing and oblivious to the busy sounds of the real
world. Hmm… seems I've been dealt a mid week electro hit from none other
than Mr Tommy Trash.
Tommy Trash is the self-fulfilling prophecy
that emerged just two years ago to take the Sydney electro- house scene by storm.
Now regarded as one of the leading names in Australian dance music, it's time
to take a retrospective glance back at the last two years, Tommy's rapid rise
to fame, what the future has in store for the super talent, and the well documented
failure of the Tommy Trash detox.
After deciding to shun an
ordinary life, Thomas Olsen left his average job, sold everything he owned and
went underground - literally. It is his remarkable talent, determination and intoxicating
desire for success that have bought him to where he is today. Finally, he is starting
to reap the rewards of all those long hours spent locked in his studio (the proof
of this is in the mid summer pallor of his skin). Already labelled a musical prodigy,
Tommy is just starting to spread his wings. Not satisfied with nationwide club
supremacy, he is on a mission to dominate charts and dance floors the world over.
Full flight.
The self-fulfilling prophecy has also brought
with it a dark side - the fulfilment of Trash... umm… getting trashed that
is… His nightclub escapades are renowned and idolised by club goers. Tommy
has developed an unquestionable talent for getting amongst it and as a result
has endured many a comedown, hangover and various trash injuries including to
date, falling off two stages, near dislocating a thumb, gashing his stomach as
well as countless bruises. He asks me whether I think the drunken injuries he
acquires are some kind of punishment dealt to himself by his subconscious for
his trashy ways. I have to laugh. Tommy Trash you're a bad, bad man. I've seen
Tommy in his finest of forms and I have to say that those nasty little accidents
happen simply because he is so fucking wasted… It's unlikely that he (subconsciously
or otherwise) had very much to do with it. For some strange reason, he doesn't
seem convinced…
Now, he did try to detox just the once.
Unfortunately, it didn't go so well. The Tommy Trash detox was cut two weeks short
with a bolt to the bar and a sculling of the nearest drink in sight, in what was
quite possibly world record time. His opinion on the matter? Well he managed to
compress the proposed four weeks detox into about 10 days. Tommy tells me the
only benefit of going on a detox is that it makes the booze all that much better
upon retox. Good advice from Tommy Trash. As for him, well he's done with detox-
it's retox from here on in.
All antics aside, the Trash label
is in high demand. Tommy is so sought after as a DJ he barely sees much of home
these days and spends more time in hotels and airports than in his own bed. He
has become somewhat of an institution at his Onelove club residencies, Ministry
of Sound Tours around the nation, and a hugely anticipated act at any venue or
festival that manages to get a hold of him.
Tommy's unique
DJ style brings a performance quality to the decks combining cutting edge music
with his signature TT stylised dancing, drink sculling and head banging. These
exquisite theatrics embrace the club culture, cause bedlam on dance floors and
leave Tommy with some nasty post gig neck aches. It's all part and parcel of the
Tommy Trash charm. But what really keeps them queuing for hours outside the clubs
to get a piece of him is his music. He spends hours preparing for sets fashioned
entirely of his own originals, remixes, and edits - a shot of heroin for the electro
junkie.
Now one of Australia's most revered producers, he
is constantly under the pump for remix work. Recruited by an extensive honour
role including Kaskade, Chili Hifly, (both remixes are like… so hot right
now), Grafton Primary, Soul Central, Mason, Green Velvet, Armand Van Helden, Tom
Novy, Dabruck and Kline, Betty Vale and even Delta Goodrem. And lets face it,
anyone that can turn a Delta ballad into a thumping dance track deserves special
recognition for musical ingenuity. Tommy Trash you are genius.
However,
it's the originals that really matter to this man. His recent hit 'Let Me Love
You' soared in Aria club charts - an accomplishment he passes off with almost
ridiculous modesty. This has followed the success of 'Lover, Lover' (check out
the Dabruck and Kline remix - its smokin'), The 'Amsterdam' tracks, collaborations
with Goodwill and Tom Piper and of course the track that started it all - 'Slide'.
Tommy's recently released track 'Need Me To Stay' brings a
new dimension to his creative agenda and is set to become one of summer's biggest
hits. Tommy has masterfully combined his distinctive electro style with killer
vocals to create an absolutely pumping track you can shake your ass and feel your
heart beat in time to those synthesised base lines. Awww… for Tommy, this
song could be the one he's been waiting for.
Tommy has already
managed to double pop his top of the Aria dance chart cherry. His remix of Green
Velvet's 'Shake and Pop' claimed the number one position only to be replaced by
his sensational version of Armand Van Helden's 'I Want Your Soul'. But this double
penetration simply isn't a big enough bang for Tommy. What he needs to get him
off is a Trash original in pole position. Now, if we analyse this rationally -
and if his successes so far are any indication of what the future holds - then
it is only a matter of time until he completely rapes our Aria Dance Charts. A
violation us electro junkies all eagerly await. 'Need Me to Stay' is without a
doubt the track will begin the Tommy Trash chart slaughter and after getting a
sneak peak of the next single, I can tell you a massacre is assured. Each Tommy
Trash fix that is dealt to the electro junkies gives a bigger hit than the last
… making him an increasingly addictive commodity.
For
more electro fixes from Tommy trash, you can check out his new killer single 'Need
Me To Stay' e - myspace.com/tommytrashspace
or on the latest MOS clubbers guide compilation. You can also check out some of
his compilation work on Ministry of Sound's 'Electro House Sessions', the recent
addition to the Onelove compilations and if you can handle some below ground beats,
the first episode of the Tommy Trash podcast is available on iTunes. Tommy has
recently returned from a whirlwind Canadian tour and is back on our shores for
the last of summer so be sure to stock up on your Tommy Trash gig fixes while
you can as Tommy is off to share his trashy charms, retox philosophies, and smashing
tunes on the Euro scene.
Jordan Faires
