Your new record coming out, ‘One More Tune’ – a chant that has been shouted out at dancefloors around the world since dance music began… but if you were on the other side of the decks, what would your last one more tune ideally be?
“Difficult question! Underground Resistance’s ‘High Tech Jazz’ if it’s a classic club tune, Arthur Baker’s ‘Breakers Revenge’ would probably get me moonwalking and spinning on my head, but my all time favourite One More Tune, if we’re talking Desert Island Disc’s, is Vaughn Williams – Fantasia ‘On A Theme’ By Thomas Tallis.”
Your DJ sets are infamous. No one knows what’s coming next. One minute it could be Adam F, the next the theme from TV shows Eastenders or Grange Hill. What do you think is the craziest/off the wall record you have ever played?
“The Q5 tune by Spike Milligan.”
Who were your musical influences growing up?
“My Dad, my best mates’ older Brother’s Record Collection, John Peel, Robbie Vincent, Annie Nightingale, Mike Allen, Top Of The Pops and the legendary Dancing Dave Gurney’s Mobile School Disco.
The new album, as you put it, “a celebration of new and undiscovered end of night anthems” that you have remixed/remodeled and digitally re-edited – what are your highlights from the album? ‘Last Rhythm’ and ‘Strings of Life’ is tops for me…
“The Humate mix really works for me, also Villager blended with the Promised Land a Capella worked magically and Strings was obviously a great challenge, but I’m really happy with the results.”
You have worked alongside the likes of Aphex Twin, Mark Ronson, Faithless, Ulrich Schnass, Kellis and even Duran Duran – who has been the most fun to spin with?
“Actually, my Cosmic Fury sets with Lemon Jelly’s Fred Deakin are the most fun, like a random game of genre chess. Have you ever been faced with the challenge of following Whitney Houston The Greatest Love or Back Street Boys Back Street’s Back Alright!? Fred is the Curve Ball Champion.”
Your remixing work is legendary. This year alone you have reworked Razorlight, The Verve and The Presets – what is the best remix you have ever done?
“Tricky, there are a many I’m really happy with. It’s probably a tie between Coldplay Clocks and Bur Song 2, both win on number of One More Tune plays in my sets over the years.”
Tell us about the track you are making with Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank…
“Take a Classical Piano theme that’s been all over TV for years, abstracted and mashed into a full on Dance-Rock mosh out with a surprising vocal, you might get a clue.”
Okay some quick one’s...
Best album ever made – A tie between U2’s ‘Joshua Tree’ and Prince’s ‘Sign Of The Times’
Best club you ever played at – ‘Yellow’
Best city in the world to DJ at – Tokyo
Best DJ in the world – Gilles Peterson
What is Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon really like? “Just like I imagined he would be from those Smash Hits interviews in the 80’s.”
You have a really busy Summer, festival dates at such events as Glastonbury, Roskilde, Soundwave, Big Chill, Bloom and Global Gathering. What though has been your best ever festival you’ve rocked?
“Last year’s Summer Of Love Classics set at the Big Chill. 40 thousand all singing ‘You Got The Love.’
What are your top 10 tunes you are playing at the moment?
“May spins to…
Tom Middleton – One More Tune CD2 Unmixed (Renaissance)
Jon Hopkins – Light Through The Veins/Tom Middleton Chris Martin Vocal Mix (CDR)
Tom Middleton – Return To Atlantis (Big Chill 15 x 15)
Orbital – Halcyon/Tom Middleton Re-Model (CDR)
Tom Middleton – Kalahari/Meerkats Burrow Dub (Kostbar Promo)
U2 – Unknown Caller/Tom Middleton Re-Model (CDR)
The Presets – If I Know You/Tom Middleton Dub (Modular)
Tom Middleton vs Take That – Stay Close (CDR)
Incantation – The Condor Dance/Tom Middleton Re-Model (CDR)
Tom Middleton – Shepard (CDR)”
So we come back to your house after the club, what are the ‘back to mine tunes’ that you’d play?
Selected tunes by the following, but gradually decreasing in tempo starting at around 100BPM…
Roy Ayers, Patrice Rushen, Herbie Hancok, Lonnie Liston Smith, Marvin Gaye, Pat Metheney, Astrud Gilberto, Nick Drake, Talk Talk, David Sylvian & Holger Czukay.
Then some obscure 70’s and 80’s TV Theme Tunes.
Thomas Newman – selected soundtracks
Vaughn Williams – Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis (*This is actually my all time favourite no.1 desert Island disc/One More Tune*)
Chopin – selected Pianoworks
Ennio Morricone – selected soundtracks
Vangelis – unreleased Blade Runner soundtrack outakes
Last CD I would play is Brian Eno – Eno Box 1 : Instrumentals
Which one record you have not had the opportunity to work on, would you most like to remix…?
“Can I have the master tapes for Prince’s ‘Sign Of The Times’ please?”
Thank you Tom, I have jumped around to many of your sets over the years – an inspiration for all music lovers…
TOM MIDDLESTON – ONE MORE TUNE IS OUT ON RENAISSANCE MAY 4TH
