Tom Middleton(born 18 August 1971)[1]is a British electronic recording artist, sound designer, composer, music producer, remixer and DJ.[2]His solo albums includeLifetracks(2007),Glasstracks(2011) andSleep Better(2018). Middleton andMark Pritchardhave collaborated under various names includingGlobal Communication.
Tom Middleton | |
|---|---|
 Tom Middleton at Glastonbury Festival 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 18 August 1971 London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Sound designer, musician, composer, music producer, sleep coach, disc jockeyremixer,graphic designer |
| Years active | Early 1990s–present |
Biography
editA classically trained pianist and cellist, Middleton worked in the early 1990s withRichard D. James[3](with whom he shares the same birthdate),[4]co-producing "En-Trance to Exit" on theAnalogue BubblebathEP forMighty Force Records.[3][5]This was followed by his first solo outing, "My Splendid Idea", under the name Schizophrenia for the same label.
Soon after, he teamed up withMark Pritchard.The pair recorded under a host of pseudonyms, including Reload (featuring experimentaltechnoandambient music),Global Communication(primarily ambient),[6]and Jedi Knights (electro funkandhouse music), and the aliases Chameleon, Secret Ingredients, and Link & E621. Global Communication's 1994 ambient album76:14is considered to be a landmark of the genre.[6][7]
The pair also founded their own record label, Evolution, which is sometimes informally referenced as Evolution (Crewekerne) to differentiate it from other record labels with the same name. A compilation of early Evolution material was released jointly by Evolution andWarp Recordsin 1995 asThe Theory of Evolution.The label name later changed to Universal Language Productions and launched a sub-label, Heard, then became E3 before ceasing operations. The labels launched early releases from artists such asMatthew Herbert,as well as Middleton and Pritchard under various guises.
Aside from Schizophrenia, Middleton's solo projects include The Modwheel (experimental house music), Cosmos (progressive house music)[8]The Rebus Project, and AMBA (ambient/classical). In 2007, Middleton abandoned the AMBA moniker, while still focusing on the ambient genre fusing classical traditions withelectronica,featuring orchestral, choral and electro acoustic arrangements. A new EP,Excursions 1was released in September 2007 while the albumLifetrackswas released on Big Chill Recordings in October 2007 under the name Tom Middleton.[9]
He collaborated with Matthew Herbert and Mark Darby of Mighty Force Records, releasing an eponymous EP as Fog City.
Middleton extends beyond the confines of house music and electronica to bring seemingly-disparate musical styles together. This approach was evidenced in his 2004 mixThe Trip,which the BBC described as "a voyage of discovery full of originality and eclecticism."[10]A follow-up,The Trip IIwas released in 2008. Both releases consisted of two separate mixes.
Discography
edit- Tom Middleton Presents Amba:Lifetracks(Big Chill, 2007)
- Glasstracks(Big Chill/Six Degrees 2011)
- Sleep Better(IMC, 2018)
References
edit- ^"Tom Middleton - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music".BBC.Retrieved29 October2020.
- ^Barton, Interview by Laura (24 November 2003)."My media: Tom Middleton, music producer".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved29 October2020.
- ^ab"Global Communication's metamorphosis".Fact (UK magazine).23 June 2012.Retrieved29 October2020.
- ^Ward, Phil (July 1993)."Cagey, Canny, Krafty".Music Technology.United Kingdom: Music Maker Publications (UK). pp.52–57.Retrieved12 August2020.
- ^Vine, Richard (14 June 2011)."Aphex Twin's first single Bubblebath released by Mighty Force records".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved29 October2020.
- ^ab"CD: Global Communication, 76:14".The Guardian.16 September 2005.Retrieved29 October2020.
- ^"Global Communication's Tom Middleton to play The Jazz Cafe".Mixmag.Retrieved29 October2020.
- ^Roberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 122.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
- ^"Tom Middleton: Lifetracks, PopMatters".PopMatters.22 January 2008.Retrieved24 January2022.
- ^Dene, Lewis."BBC - Music - Review of Tom Middleton - The Trip".BBC.Retrieved29 October2020.
External links
edit- Official website
- Tom Middletondiscography atDiscogs