Techno was created and developed far away from the mainstream. The underground sound got its deserved popularity in the past few years but there is a lot of movement in sound with sub-genres and a lot of talent you may not hear about.
We believe underground producers and labels deserve special recognition, so we will be dedicating our new feature series to this cause.
This week we will have a look into the work of a pioneer of uncompromising techno, Tommy 47.
Tommy Four Seven is considered a pioneer of uncompromising techno and is renowned for pushing the limits with powerful DJ sets, fierce broken rhythms and razor sharp sound design.
For over 17 years, London born, Berlin-based Tommy Four Seven has been on a sonic pursuit of forward-thinking electronic music and rose to international prominence after forging an innovative sound as a DJ, music producer and record label owner.
As a DJ, Tommy has cultivated a style that traverses a rich variety of genres, drifting seamlessly between powerful techno and his signature broken form. His reputation for carefully crafted sets has garnered him regular international tours and he has been invited to record and perform mixes for many respected platforms including Resident Advisor and Boiler Room.
Tommy’s extensive and diverse discography has grown in parallel with his DJ career. His critically acclaimed debut LP, Primate (CLR, 2011) imaginatively fused industrial broken rhythms with four-to-the-floor minimalism and resulted in a ‘Machine Love’ article by Resident Advisor revealing his unique studio recording techniques and trademark sound design practices. Tommy has also pushed his musical experiments beyond techno with his group These Hidden Hands. Together with Alain Paul, the two have integrated contributions from vocalists such as Lucrecia Dalt and Zanias and appeared live at cutting edge festivals like Rewire and Berlin Atonal.
47, Tommy’s own imprint, has been responsible for some of the most genre-blurring techno works in the scene. The label has released music by Ancient Methods, Headless Horseman and SNTS among others and has toured international label nights at venues including Concrete in Paris, Shelter in Amsterdam and Village Underground in London. 47 also became home to Tommy’s second album, Veer (2019), which was described as “one this year’s most singular and distinctive techno releases” by Future Music magazine and was highly praised in reviews by Mixmag, Tiny Mix Tapes and Secret Thirteen.
As the industry enters a new phase, it’s certain Tommy will continue to be at its forefront, powered by his relentless passion for DJing and his discerning ear for production.
