Trash Talk

Australian DJ Tommy Trash,on his debut India tour,talks about melodies in EDM and his fascination with the sitar.

Written by Somya Lakhani
November 8, 2013 03:11 AM IST

3 min read

In 2011,an electro-house track,The end,made heads turn. The progressive beats made it one of the most popular dance songs of the year,and clubs across the world put it on loop. As it grew to be quite the dance number,curiosity rose about the DJ. It was at this moment that Thomas Olsen,better known as Tommy Trash,gained international fame. I wrote The end when I was moving from Sydney to London for a year. I needed to do something new and this song was about the end of a phase in my life the end of a life in Sydney and the end of a certain type of music I was making. I didnt think that this song would give me an international career, says Olsen.

Now,the 33-year-old Australian DJ and music producer is touring India with an impressive set-list of old and new Tommy Trash songs. From playing for 200-300 people to mixing and scratching tracks for a 20,000-plus crowd,Olsen has come a long way in eight years. This change has also made a difference to the kind of music I make now. I have shifted to big room tracks, says Olsen,who performed in Mumbai last night,and in Delhi,tonight.

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He is known for tracks such as Future folk and Cascade,apart from a mix of DJ Steve Aokis Ladi dadi. Olsens USP is his fetish for melodies and even with the EDM halo around his head,he manages to sneak harmonies into his songs. I was barely four,when I found music. My father played the piano,

and I played bass in a band when I was in my teens, says

Olsen,who is also a trained trumpet-player.

It wasnt always dance music that fascinated him. Until his early 20s,he too was smitten by grunge rockers such as Nirvana,Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. It was a chance visit to a club called Monastery in Brisbane that introduced him to EDM,and Olsen knew this was his calling. I had a turntable,an iPod and a mixer. I taught myself everything,with some help from DJ friends, he says.

Now,Olsen is one of the EDM biggies and has worked with almost all the renowned DJs from Deadmau5 and Sebastian Ingrosso to Nicky Romero. In fact,his track,The veldt,with Deadmau5,won him a Grammy nomination this year.

Now,that he is in India,Olsen is open to the idea of a collaboration. Working with artistes from other countries is always rewarding. I am obsessed with the sitar and would love to collaborate with a sitar-player on a track, he says.

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Tommy Trash will perform at Kitty Su,The Lalit,tonight,9 pm

onwards. For passes,contact: info@thebanginbeats.com,

or call: 9810077937