Tom Trago

Two decades into his winding journey through music culture, Tom Trago can be considered an integral part of the fabric of the Dutch electronic scene – a producer, DJ, label owner, collaborator, remixer, and radio host renowned not only for his impressive productivity but also the impressive depth and variety of his work. While it was once Trago’s distinctive DJ sets that grabbed headlines – he famously held residencies at renowned Amsterdam spots Trouw and De School, and for a decennia spent much of his time jetting between some of the biggest and most renowned clubs in Europe – in recent years he’s cut down on appearances. Today, he’s far more selective about when and where he DJs, developing relationships with a handful of cherished venues & festivals.

Instead of the grind of touring and hedonistic night-time activity, Trago has chosen to focus on music-making & making his travels sustainable and inspiring, while also making semi-regular forays into radio broadcasting (NTS, Radio Radio, BBC Radio, and EchoBox). He now spends most of his days producing and remixing at his new SR-3 studio in Alkmaar and his seaside home-come-studio in Jong Nederland, Bergen aan Zee. Some of the fruits of these improvised daily sessions appear sporadically on the label he founded of the same name. Tom Trago took time to look deeper, not only inside himself, but also for musical inspiration. He’s always enjoyed digging into a wide variety of musical styles and translating these influences into a distinctive, personal production style – a quick dive into his discography will confirm this – but in recent years he’s taken it even further, fired in part by a desire to challenge himself, try different things in the studio and channel all he’s learned during a career that at one point was moving forwards at breakneck speed.

Since making his debut in 2006, Trago has released six critically acclaimed albums (two of which, the eclectic, beat-focused, career-spanning, Patta-released archive dive, 18, and the dancefloor excursion, Trembala, appeared in 2022), extensively worked with Dutch electronic music institutions Rush Hour and Dekmantel, collaborated with countless friends and contemporaries (Charlie Soul Clap, Awanto 3, Maxi Mill, San Proper, Seth Troxler and BokBok included), and championed a swathe of fellow Dutch producers via the Voyage Direct label he founded in 2009. Returning to Rush Hour in 2023 after a decade away with a stunningly emotive listening album, Deco, and reigniting Voyage Direct with the label’s new music. Future projects include the new ‘west coast holland’ inspired album of electro and IDM-informed experiments, the release of a full-length album for his band Mega Wega, and music from his Shoebox side project. Throughout, he’ll continue to challenge himself personally and musically, striving as ever to confound expectations.