Already in the electronic music scene for more than two decades, Thomas Schumacher is known for his genre defining and highly personal take on techno music.
The Berlin-based producer is of the of the most championed and long standing artists in the Techno scene, always pushing the boundaries and guiding audiences on the dancefloor with his unique vibe and track selection.
Outside of the club, Thomas also engages his fans via his productions on labels like Drumcode, and his own label Electric Ballroom.
With every new production and DJ set of his that you listen to, Thomas Schumacher consistently cements his reputation as one of the greats of techno.
Balance Selections 197: Thomas Schumacher
Tracklisting:
1. DJ Dextro – Twilight Zone
2. Thomas Schumacher – Unconfused
3. The Chemical Brothers – Hey Boy, Hey Girl (KINK vs. Schumacher Edit)
4. Wex 10 – Jack Me
5. Ramon Tapia – Brabo’s Hand
6. A.D.H.S. – Dancin4Ever
7. F.U.S.E. – Substance Abuse
8. Thomas Schumacher – Hype
9. Thomas Schumacher – When I Rock
10. Thomas Schumacher – Moxie
11. Klangkuenstler – Dunkle Illusion
12. Luciid – Hardcore Powah
13. A.D.H.S. & Jose Bonetto – Decipher (VoxVersion)
Balance Selections Q+A
Name: Thomas Schumacher
Location: Berlin
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Alias/Producer name: Elektrochemie LK
Labels affiliated with: Electric Ballroom / Drumcode
My last 3 releases:
Thomas Schumacher – Interlinked
Thomas Schumacher – Moxie
Thomas Schumacher – Hype
What music did you listen to as a child?
As a child I became fascinated with music, I would listen to anything ranging from 50’s and 60’s Rock to early 70’s Electronica (Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream) and then of course all the 80’s stuff: Indie, Synth Pop, EBM, Industrial and Rap.
When was the first time that you realised that you liked electronic music?
I purchased Depeche Mode’s 3rd album ‘Construction Time Again‘ in 1983 because I had heard ‘Everything Counts‘ on the radio. I believe that was the moment when I fell in love with electronic music. I became a huge DM fan, started going to their concerts, spend my money on records and wondered if I could also produce electronic music. By 1987 I had bought my first drum machine, a synth and an Atari computer.
When was the first time you saw a DJ in a club?
The first time I saw a DJ in a club was in 1986 in my hometown of Bremen. The club was called ‘Imperial”’ and it was famous for it’s strict door policy and the “cool” crowd. I was only 14 but looked a little older and luckily managed to get past the bouncers. The DJ’s were playing a wide range of music, not just “dance” but there were parts during their sets where they would also beatmatch – which I found fascinating. Not just the technical aspect but the kind of records they would play, very early Acid House mixed with Hip House and New Beat for example.
Which producers/artists/acts inspire you?
Apart from Depeche Mode, I would say Burial, Moderat, Disclosure, FJAAK, Stef Mendesidis, Bicep, The xx
What was the last album that you downloaded/bought?
I rediscovered Goldfrapp’s seminal album ‘Black Cherry‘ on my way to Melbourne and it really touched me. The songs and playbacks are so on point, absolutely ahead of it’s time. I would use many of the sounds right away but also parts of the vocals, if I could.
What is your current production and DJ set up like?
I am very happy to produce “in the box” even though I still own some hardware synth and outboard gear. It always depends on my mood, sometimes it’s great to get the creative juices flowing by jamming with a 303 and then there are sessions that start with a sample in Logic and I stay within my DAW. On stage I still work with two CDJ’s and DJ mixer, I never got into laptop DJ’ing.
What releases do you have on the horizon?
During the last lockdown I recorded a couple of tracks with A.D.H.S. – he is a DJ and producer from Berlin. I have sent the tracks to Adam Beyer and he is testing them right now, so probably out on Drumcode sometime in the future. Apart from that I am almost finished with my next solo EP which will be released in April on Electric Ballroom. I have also recorded a track for a French Hard Techno label which was a very rewarding experience. 140bpm industrial Techno, very loopy and rough, reminded me of the late 90’s.
Where can we hear you perform?
06/02/22 Melbourne, @ Picnik Electronik Sydney Myer Music Bowl (SOLD OUT)
11/02/22 Geelong @ Bloom
12/02/22 Brisbane @ The Warehouse
18/02/22 Melbourne @ Brown Alley
19/02/22 Adelaide @ Fat Controller (TBC)
Tell us more about the podcast you made for Balance?
I started a shortlist of tracks for this mix while I was still in Berlin and went on to do some mock up mixes in recordbox on the plane to get a feel for the flow of the mix. That’s how I usually do it, I kind of mimick playing a live DJ set to make sure the mix sounds organic with loads of dynamic changes. I produced the mix in Logic Pro X on my laptop here in Melbourne.
My Recommendations
The top track/s in my DJ wallet currently is:
Stef Mendesidis – Red Alert
A.P. – Modulate
FJAAK – Chunks
If I could recommend only one of my tracks for you to listen to it would be:
Thomas Schumacher – Hype
If I could recommend only one track for you to listen to it would be:
Joey Beltram – Energy Flash
The last movie I watched that I really liked:
Next Door