Checking in with Tom Swoon [Mini-Interview]

New artists come and go every day in the electronic scene, so much so that keeping up with emerging acts requires a laundry list of sources and the diligence of a Night's Watchman. On the flip side, this has made the electronic music industry one of the most competitive places for up-and-coming producers, and standing out in the crowd takes prodigious skill, clever cunning, and a dash of good ol' fashion luck. From this seemingly unconquerable landscape, Tom Swoon has risen as a prominent name in the up-and-coming electronic generation. In the last year, the young Polish artist has made a new name for himself, changing his name from Pixel Cheese and releasing major progressive house tracks, like "Asura", "Synchronize", and "Ahead Of Us" on Ultra Records. The last of these songs included some of our favorite new producers from Italy, the mega-talented duo of Alessandro Miselli & Simone Pioltelli, better known as Lush & Simon. Take a listen to the acoustic version of this recent hit and read on for a quick interview we did with the rising electronic star, Tom Swoon.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOd9WxQyvwY[/youtube]

EARMILK: This was the second time you have been to MMW. Any good stories from your time there?

Tom Swoon: Definitely a random dude jumping in the booth and raining money on the dancefloor at E11even for an hour straight was a highlight. People create stories, and if we look at it that way, every show I played there was an unique experience and I’m really glad I’ve spent some quality time playing and hanging out with fellow clubbers, DJ’s and producers.

EM: How did you link up with Lush & Simon and what was the creative process for "Ahead Of Us"?

TS: We were quite aware of each others stuff before and I used to support Lush & Simon a lot before on my radioshow. I reached out to guys with a rough draft of “Ahead Of Us” and together, by sending stems back and forth online, we took it to the next level. I’m really happy with that collaboration, and it’s definitely not the last time we are doing something together.

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EM: What inspired you to release an acoustic version of the track?

TS: I used to play guitar before I got into electronic music and I felt it quite natural to have an acoustic version released. Unfortunately at that time, I was not able to come to Holland (where the singer is based), so we asked Leon (the songwriter) to jump on the guitar. We’re all totally amazed with the response we got on it so far !

EM: You've talked about starting tracks from scratch and not being restricted by genres. Are there any works coming up that may surprise listeners?

TS: As far as I’m producing very melodic music, the biggest surprise so far for my listeners is my remix of Chris Lake’s “Helium”. The track is not released, but who knows… maybe I’ll share it with you guys soon :) Apart from that, I’m working on many collaborations, remixes and solo singles, which definitely gonna stir things up a bit in 2014.

EM: What goals do you have for the rest of 2014?

TS: My main goal was, is and will be continuing doing music with passion! Sometimes the music industry can really make you a different person and it’s hard to sustain being ‘real’ and true to your roots, family and friends.  Speaking of musical goals – I’m definitely aiming to nail a first Beatport #1 and play couple of major festivals like Tomorrowland!

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