Thomas Schumacher is an immortal figure in dance music. He has been part of the fabric of house and techno in an association that has spanned four decades since the late ’80s and shows no sign of fading any time soon. With the Catz ‘n Dogz reincarnation of ‘Schall’ (i.e. ‘Hush’) it highlights not only the continuous evolution of dance music but also paradoxically the cyclical nature and relationship between past, present and future.
He first put needle to wax at the tender age of 14 and consummated his marriage with electronic music during a school trip to London, blowing his allowance on white labels at Blackmarket Records in Soho. His journey has meandered like the river Weser through his native Bremen, through the underground and gathering enough force to occasionally burst the banks of mainstream music and flood the creative desert of chart music.
With all the international attention and success that the 2013 remake of Hush has received, music lovers are now scouring his back-catalogue which features a wealth of his original works and remixes including his own take on Inner City’s ‘Good Life’ and hip-hop legends The Roots’ ‘When I Rock’.
We caught up with the man himself for an exclusive interview.
TNG: Welcome to The Noise Gate Thomas Schumacher! Thank you for taking the time out to chat to us.
We’re feeling ‘I’ll Do You’ and obviously the Catz ‘n Dogz remix of ‘Hush’ is destroying dancefloors all over the world. As a producer yourself though, which do you prefer, working on original tracks or doing your own remixes of other artists’ tracks?
TS: I enjoy doing both. I only ever take on a remix if I really feel original. When working on a remix it’s kind of an instant gratification in that you have all of the elements immediately at your fingertips so you can get right into your interpretation of an already outstanding piece of work. I always want to make sure I stay true to the original vibe whilst giving it the Thomas Schumacher treatment.
TNG: How would you describe the relationship or dynamic between the original producer and the remixer?
TS: It’s all about mutual respect.
TNG: You first fell in love with the art of DJing at the dawn of acid house in ’87, since then we have seen so many developments and offshoots of dance music – a quarter of a century in fact – what has kept it all together, what forms the DNA of dance music?
TS: One of the obvious elements that has remained constant is the 4-to-the-floor. The foundation of all house and techno music is a kick, a high hat, a snare and a bassline. I don’t think this recipe will ever change.
TNG: If for one day you could forget it all, and go to a club for the very first time again, what era would you choose to have that unique experience and why?
TS: I would chose to go back to 1987 to the famous ‘Summer of Love’ when rave and acid house exploded. The party would be open air in Ibiza where the seed was planted for what we now know as Electronic Dance Music. But actually, I’m really happy to be here now with all of the history to be inspired by and new ground to break and adventures to be had ahead.
After releasing his first solo album project, ‘Electric Ballroom’ in 1998 via the Bush label, Thomas’ career really took off, seeing him tour Europe, the Americas and Asia. This included Mexico City’s Love Parade in ’98 and a gig at a club in Japan in ’99 which Thomas says had a profound effect and were experiences that have helped shape his deep love and understanding of electronic music.
In 2000, he moved to Tokyo where he went to work on his second solo album, ‘Electric Avenue’, released on his own imprint Spielzeug. The change of scene and freedom of releasing from his own label helped the album attract international acclaim.
TNG: What is the dance scene like in Japan?
TS: The Tokyo I know is such an eclectic, ever evolving, shifting and changing cosmopolitan place where every music genre has its niche. What I love about the Japanese is how open minded they are and ready to embrace all that is new.
In many ways, this description of Tokyo could easily be used for Thomas himself – eclecticism, evolving and his open-mindedness. It is clear from his relationship with remixing and sampling and his love of travelling the world even after all these years, that Thomas believes that entwined in the fabric of house music is a sense of sharing, and community and the idea that we are all free to interpret and express dance music however we feel. While there are the physical attributes of the music, the four-four beat and DNA that Thomas describes earlier, in terms of the spirit and feel of house, there isn’t necessarily a definitive right or wrong.
TNG: How do you feel about the commercialisation of dance music?
TS: Dance Music is exploding all over the world these days. There is a huge commercial scene emerging especially in the United States but there is also a very healthy underground scene to be found all over the world. I believe there is something for every one who wants to find it.
Music, like fashion is an ever-evolving revolving door. What’s underground today will be mainstream next year and the year after that it will be on its way out only to re-emerge a few years later in a revamped incarnation of itself. I feel that the cycles are getting shorter these days which keeps us constantly inspired and on our toes.
Soon after releasing ‘Home’ on Spielzeug in 2006, Thomas signed with Get Physical Music, a relationship which continues to bear fruit. The relationship between artist and label can sometimes be tricky, the two entities can’t and don’t always share the same ambitions for artists, their music and careers. However Thomas has managed to maintain his integrity throughout. He is currently running his second label, Electric Ballroom which he uses primarily to channel his own cuts with maximum independence.
TNG: You’ve worked with big labels like Get Physical and of course Warner and you had Spielzeug. What have you have learnt from Spielzeug that will help Electric Ballroom be more successful now, and why is it important for you to be releasing on your own rather than working with a label?
TS: The biggest thing I learned from the days both with Spielzeug and Get Physical is that you need a professional, dedicated team. What I also learned is that consistent, high quality output and communication via social networks and DJ promotion are essential to a labels success. There are many recipes for success. Something that is overlooked on Beatport will explode on Youtube. Careers can be made by posting mixes on Soundcloud. It is a very complex world these days.
I’m very open to releasing on other labels. Hush has just been released on Catz ‘N Dogz’ label Pets Recordings and I will return to Noir Music in 2014 again. I never like to put all my eggs in one basket.
Thomas Schumacher may be a name that is new to some. The 2013 version of Hush has undoubtedly brought his name into tech house at a time when it is arguably seeing its biggest crossover appeal and so it may surprise some to see hear about the journey of this veteran who really has seen it all. With his heart firmly in the sounds of house and techno, from Detroit to London, Brussels to Berlin, this is a man who doesn’t need the fame and celebrity status that mainstream music promises, he knows he has something much more real. He has the respect and a connection with the music and culture, a true lord of the underground. Now he’s a father and has family of his own, he still finds time to fly out to all corners of the globe and share his talent with his extended family in dance clubs and festivals.
The mix below features some of Thomas’ favourite tracks from 2013…
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