Riding high of the back of Stiv Hey’s epic Flash EP just a few weeks ago, France’s most revered techno imprint, FORM Music, now readies its next project, with the announcement of Anton Tomak’s impressive Teleport EP. Warmly welcoming the talented Russian producer for his long-awaited label debut, the three-part EP is yet another masterful showcase in diverse, creative soundscapes from the long-standing Parisian label, which looks set to celebrate its landmark 100th release later this year. DMCWORLD caught up with Anton Tomak to find out more about his exciting label debut…
Hey, Anton! How are you today?
Great! Summer has finally come to Moscow. Plus, I’m really excited that you guys decided to interview me.
First things first, how did you happen to find yourself in the world of techno music?
I’ve been a music lover since my early childhood. My mom used to play the piano, and I did it too, but not for long. I first came across electronic music when I was a kid at school – I didn’t even know the name of that track, but I absolutely loved it. So many years have passed and I can tell you now that the name of that track was Röyskopp – What Else Is There (Trentemøller Remix). Then I started to DJ. Once, a friend of mine took me to a Moscow based nightclub called Propaganda where Swayzak was playing live and I was immediately hooked by the magic of composing electronic music and the fact that it all was produced just using some tools and a sequencer. I want to thank Propaganda and the Sanchez Thursdays party for that. I think that’s when the whole thing started for me.
Why did you choose techno over all the other genres of electronic music?
I would say it’s because of the rhythm, the four-on-the-floor, fat bass lines, persuasions and synths and that you could do whatever you wanted with them. And a special thank you goes out to Hawtin for my birthday at Arma 17 in 2012 with 60 kW of sound – that was when I fell in love with techno once and for all.
How would you best describe your sound?
Well, it’s a tough question because only the listener can really define your sound. To me, it’s always something creative with a bunch of different experiments with sound design and arrangement.You don’t always know what you’re end up with.
Who influenced you or still influences you the most in terms of your choice of sound?
I can list many artists, but I’ll name those who really did influence me over the years: Swayzak, Hawtin, Osuna, Popof, Julian Jeweil, Egbert, Secret Cinema, Drunken Kong, Robert Babicz. Of the new breed of artists, I would name Maksim Dark, Elay Lazutkin, Lex Digital and Rosper, who, by the way, remixed my track.
What did you do before deciding to submerge yourself into the world of music?
I would say I’ve been submerged into this world since childhood, growing stronger and stronger over time. Anything I would do was music-related – playing the piano, collecting music, sound directing, sound design and so on. I still work as a sound director and composing music has always been my favorite occupation.
We want to congratulate you on the release of your new “Teleport” EP. What should your fans expect from it?
I tried to make this EP for Form sound in many different ways. Each of its tracks will find its own listener and conveys its proper atmosphere. This is techno for a big sound system – sometimes more melodic, sometimes a bit raw because of its energy and drive.
What do you think of Form Recordings? How did you first get in touch with POPOF?
I’ve been a fan of Form since 2009 when POPOF released his track called “Shades” and I’ve always loved this record label. There’s a whole roster of great artists there whose music I listen to. How I contacted Alexander is quite interesting, actually. I was riding a train when he liked a video on Instagram with my music playing at a festival. I was so thrilled – it’s always exciting when your music finds support. We exchanged a few messages and I sent him my previously unreleased tracks, plus I composed the track “Teleport” specially for FORM.
Do you have any other releases you’d like to share with us?
Yes, I would like to share these tracks and releases with you…
Anton Tomak – Trip (Original Mix) Sync Fx
Anton Tomak – Let’s Go (Original Mix) DENSE AUDIO
Anton Tomak – Freedom (Original Mix) ONOFF Recording
Besides the releases of your music, what else do you have in the pipeline for 2021?
What interesting projects or gigs can you talk to us about at this point? Anton: It’s hard to make any plans now because of the pandemic, but I’m determined to keep composing music and have an EP released on my friend Maxim’s DENSE AUDIO. Other than that, I’m open for proposals from record labels. And for touring, please contact Form Recordings management.
Anton Tomak – Teleport EP is out now via FORM Music
