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Ahead of his release on Second Circle as ISOR29, our amigo Tomas (@tomasstation) from Colombia handed over this month's mix and was kind enough to join a chat with us too. Interview (excerpt) down below.
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MFM: Hola Tomas, can you tell a bit about growing up in Colombia?
TS: Growing up in Colombia was a real blessing. It has given me not only a special bond with nature and mother earth which I cherish but also an interesting perspective on human life. I was born in Bogotá to a Colombian father and American mother, so I actually grew up in between Colombia and the States (Bogotá and Chicago to be precise). To have this perspective on 2 very different societies and cultures made me aware and open to navigate in between these coexisting worlds and bring them together.. even though I feel like an outsider to both sometimes. There's a beautiful song by Facundo Cabral called ‘’No Soy De Aqui ni Soy de Allá’’ which I feel can explain this feeling.
MFM: What was your first connection with music? At what point and how did you get in touch with (electronic) dance music?
TS: Music has always been a trusted companion. Both my parents are artists and musicians in their own sense but I would say it was mainly my mothers influence that got me hooked on making music, although I must admit it was my father that exorcized the Death Metal phase out of me when I was 13 by forcing me to go with him to an afro colombian pacific music festival in Cali called the Petroneo Alvarez. This was a special moment for me that profoundly affected and changed the way I would listen and feel about music.
MFM: Your music -in a way- sounds very like European dance music from the '90s. Can you explain where this comes from?
TS: Haha.. thanks I guess. For sure there are elements of inspiration from the UK and Europe. Richard H. Kirk changed my life, so did Tako, Ricardo Villalobos, Jonny Rock and many other masters of their craft! I'm grateful that their influence and that of a few others are present in my music and life, although I hope that my sound also comes across as personal and sincere. One of the things I love about music in general is the diversity and humanity in it, innit. Jon Hassell’s concept of the Fourth World for example fascinates me. He uses this philosophy to describe the possibility of music in global terms beyond First World, beyond Third World, beyond High-Tech Art classical, beyond pop.”as an ideal blend of traditional music from around the world with Western forms and modern electronics, forming a kind of contemporary folk music from “unknown and imaginary regions.”Being able to combine and use different styles of music almost as the elements in chemistry to create something new is a fun way to look at it.
MFM: 'Moon Phase Gardening' was very much a “pandemic-project” so to speak. Do you think your next musical output will sound different now that lockdowns seem behind us?
TS: Change is one of the constants of life. The experience of making and now listening to this music has helped me to be mindful of this. I hope to grow and evolve as a human being from every lesson and moment that life gives me.
MFM: What can you tell about the mix?
TS: For the mix I went for what I was feeling today. 1 hour stream of consciousness, from the heart into the electro latino flavor, that is a mix of latin american sounds with occasional electronics, poems, satire and a splash of humor. Music from Simon Diaz, Dennys Del Rio, Alzheimer, Paul Desenne, Meridian Brothers, Señor Coconut, Abelardo Carbono, Frente Cumbiero, Manteca, Orchestra Moderna Soledad, Atom ™, Conjunto Miramar and one of the bonus tracks from the Isor29 project which contains vocals from Underground Resistance’s transition, one of my favorite mantras.