Interview: Tom Demac

It’s only been 12 months, but Tom Demac has certainly pulled his sonic weight, gaining more than enough momentum to prick the ears of his contemporaries.

With a degree in Music Technology, the self-confessing UK producer admits he could have learnt something if ‘he’d listened more’. All apathy aside, it seems the man formerly known as Tom MacDonald understands the essence of a great tune; something that doesn’t necessarily have to get you jumping up and down on the dance-floor panting breath. Behind the turntables he creates a sound that oscillates between Detroit techno, house, electronica and hip-hop.

Tom Demac talks about a world where strict budgets can put a limit on perfection; where the act of sifting through a record shop has been replaced by 3 minute Youtube clip - where you never know what to expect.

Your artist name is the name you were born with. Did you ever toy with having a stage name?

Ha, you've done your homework, but I hate to piss on the proverbial chips/bonfire/snow..but my real name is actually similar to that of a rather famous burger chain… that coupled with a widows peak on my head - if I wore my hair in floppy curtains I'd be a walking advertisement! So, I thought I'd better change it. Settled on 'Demac' when I was a nipper, sure it all makes sense now. I went through all sorts of stage names in my teenage hardcore days, the best had to be microphone in hand yelling at people in Helter Skelter to: "Blow those horns birkenhead crew", I was 'Tom the Don' back then so needed to change that pretty pronto!

You studied Music Technology at school. Has this been advantageous to your music career? Was it necessary?

Umm, to be honest I didn't listen much. At the time I thought I'd be better off popping into the lectures, grabbing the hand-outs and scooting back home to make some beats on the first cigarette break. Not advised as what they were teaching certainly would have helped. Without trying to sound too 'Dad' about it, I really would recommend doing something like this but listening and learning, unlike myself!

What was your first job and what path have you taken since then?

I’ve had lots of jobs over the years, from live sound engineering to pulling pints, but I'd say the first proper job was 'web production manager' for a design agency... bit of a random one, but enjoyed that for a few years. Basically taking flack off clients, missing deadlines, drinking tea, blagging the public sector into spending their ridiculous budget and pretty much acting on a daily basis... I'd say I should have had an Oscar for the 'alter-ego' I was pulling off in that there day job! Think Alan Partridge meets Corrigan from Peep Show, hooked up in a travel tavern over a pint of Theakstons - then when the phone was down - back to Demac… Here I am a year on and I’ve been at the music as a 'career' for 12 months... I think it's paid off as it's been a really cool year!

You launched label Electronique Audio back in ‘05. Is that something you still devote a lot of time to?

No, unfortunately not. The label is sitting dormant for the time being. I could say for artistic reasons and all that, but in truth, got in a hole with council tax and bills a few years ago and blew the profits on avoiding going to court, not good!! Recently, I've been concentrating on building relationships with other labels. I miss having the outlet to put out whatever I want, we did some pretty experimental and original stuff on the label back then.

During its hey day what was your criteria for selecting artists to release?

I'd say it's as simple as believing in the music or the demos that you get sent. You can usually tell within the first bar of music whether it's right or not, or whether the artist's trying to do something a little different. I'd certainly be looking for 'substance' and 'essence'… but then everyone's A+R skills are different…

You remix tracks and create your own. Which do you prefer?

Definitely working on my own stuff. There's always a battle with remixing as some of the sounds I'm given aren't that great a lot of the time, so you kind of have to prise something in from the original or it just ends up as one of your own original tracks. It’s something I'm being a lot stricter with now and I really have to 'feel' the original in order to remix it.

Does Beatport play an important part in your musical process. If so, what from 10-15 years ago would you liken it to?

No it doesn't influence the process, if it did I'd probably be storming the charts making cookie cutter house from bongo loop sample CD's. Hopefully I'm not... With regard to similarities to 10-15 years ago, I suppose there is similarities with something 'forcing' music onto you via related releases, however, back then you were relying on a person in a shop to recommend a record, or a bunch of new records that were in that week. Something that I really miss now, there aren't many shops left. Going to a record shop is such a cool experience, back when you could smoke indoors too and settle in for the afternoon going through piles of tunes! Now you're relying on a two minute clip, and more often than not, you download it and listen to it properly and half way in you’ve got some bolivian flute players going off.

Is online presence an important part of Tom Demac?

Yeah for sure. It could be better though, considering I used to work in web I could definitely improve my presence with the social hook ups but I kinda just seem to have random splurges of shit-talk on Facebook, not so good at promoting myself. I'm working on it though.

You’ve had a plethora of releases: Do you have a favourite and why?

It has to be the track called 'Domestic Dimming' from my label years ago... back then I wasn't really sure of what I was doing, just experimenting and seeing what came out. So for those reasons, that track's timeless and still stands up now.

Does each song you release conjure up memories of the time when you were creating it?

I'd say so, 'Domestic Dimming' for example was made in a sort of post-grad house in Manchester, you know, when you upgrade from shitty grey carpets and mish-mash sunken sofa's that someone died on, with bear arms and nails sticking out, to wooden floors and a few cows worth of leather in the front room! My studio was in the attic, it was summer time and I just remember sitting in my boxer shorts sliding around on a wooden chair it was soo hot. Back in the days of trying to make cappuccinos with Nescafe and one of those milk whisker things!

What it’s like listening to your own stuff once it’s released? Is it an enjoyable experience or something you avoid doing unless you’re on the job?

When you get the test pressings through and everything's finished you're supposed to listen and check for any problems. When really if you did say: "Yeah on 3mins 40, theres a weird distorted bit" the label would just laugh and tell you to "Jog on mate, it's cost us a good few fat ones to get this far”. But after all these years of doing it, turning the deck on, putting the white label on, sitting back and smoking a fag listening to the finished article's always a cool experience. I think every artist has a sneaky peak at the previews on sites when they're released too, and checks the progress on the charts and things but there is usually a few weeks where you put it to bed after that so you don't get sick of it when you come to playing it at clubs.

What’s something that’s missing in the music industry that was there 10-15 years ago?

The vibe maybe, the mystery, oh and those faces on the dance-floor… you don't seem to get those Swedes in white t-shirts with eyes all over the shop too much anymore… that old synchronised dancing almost, proper rave dancing... when you thought you looked wicked, when in fact you looked like an absolute weapon!

Something that the music industry has now that it didn’t use to?

Well the obvious one is money. The fact that it used to have money, now it doesn't, but everyone knows that. I'd say there's a lot more crossover now, certainly with our brand of music, the genres are starting to meet in the middle. Hopefully if you find the right party it isn't so 'chin scratcher' and a little more variation to enjoy.

Interview by: Jasmine Phull

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