Hounds of Hell Interview with Tommy Trash

Hailing from down under, Australian DJ/producer Tommy Trash has made quite a name for himself since his break onto the scene back in 2007. He has since released music on a variety of labels including mau5trap and Fool's Gold, and has even managed to earn the number one spot on Beatport twice in a row. With an impressive resume of music under his belt as well as an unmistakable air of energy around him, he's managed to captivate fans and fellow DJs alike with his technical skills and ear for music. This Aussie continues to prove himself again and again not only in the studio, but also behind his decks. Read on to find out what tribute band he'd be in, what would give his manager a heart attack, and why he's living in LA. TOMMYTRASHHOUNDSOFHELL Congratulations on recently hitting 300,000 fans on Facebook. At what point in your career did you realize you could pursue being a DJ/producer full time?
Thanks, still can’t believe it!! I think back when Tiësto & the Swedes started playing my tracks ‘The End’ & ‘Future Folk’ sometime in early 2011 and I was playing in Ibiza with Tiësto for the first time was when I really felt like this was a full-time gig. Feels like ages ago!

You were studying classical music at university when you discovered club life and house music. What profession would you currently be in if you hadn't gone forth with Tommy Trash? Do you find that your classical studies have an impact on how you approach music in the studio?
Oh man haha.. I’d probably still be packing bags of potatoes in Australia for all I know! Studying classical definitely helped with the melodies but I really think experiencing the whole club scene back then had a much bigger impact on my approach to my music.  

You're a fan of rock music and grew up playing in bands yourself. If you were going to be in a tribute band, which group would it be for?
I think I’d wanna do Smashing Pumpkins although I’m def not shaving my head like Billy! ‘Siamese Dream’ and ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’ are two of my favs of all time!
 

Your hair has received a lot of attention over the past few years - it even has its own Twitter. Did you ever think it would be such a trademark for your music?
That twitter profile is awesome, they really know their shampoo. Yeah it kind of just happened! I think my manager would have a heart attack if I ever cut it.

You're from Australia, lived in London, and are now based out of LA. How has each place shaped you, personally and/or musically?
Each place definitely had a different effect on my music. I think I was really able to find my ‘sound’ once I moved to London; it was like a new beginning for me. I wasn’t playing many gigs there, mostly just writing tons of new stuff. I moved to LA back in early 2012 and that was a really big deal for me. Being that much closer to the places I was touring in made everything so much easier and plus there is just so much going on in LA, so many talented people to work with and tons of inspiration.  
Your collaboration track with Wolfgang Gartner, "Hounds of Hell," just dropped, with the North American tour beginning in a few days. How did you two link up for this project? What's in store for you when the tour is completed?
We really just linked up and got a project going! It was super easy. We’re both in LA and figured it would be the perfect time to finally do a track together. I sent him an idea I started and he loved it. I’m really happy we did it!
When the tour is wrapped up, I'm going to sleep for like 4 days then I'm off to India for a 3-day run, got some shows at the end of November which aren't announced just yet, and then off to Australia for Stereosonic! Going to be a crazy couple of months!! rsz_houndsofhelltourwolfganggartnertommytrash Ready for a little Tommy Trash action? Grab your tickets for his Hounds of Hell pitstop in San Diego with Wolfgang Gartner on Saturday, November 2nd and party with the Aussie yourself!