Tomas Garcia [Interview]

Hailing from Argentina, Tomas Garcia is at the beginning of his production journey. Drawing inspiration from fellow countryman Antrim, Mariano Mellino, Sebastian Busto and more, the Mendoza resident fell in love with progressive music early on. In developing his craft with the help of Nico Cerban and Mario Puccio, the twenty-two year old is now armed with his first set of tracks which will hit shops in the coming months, with this week marking his first ever release. Coming courtesy of Canada's fast rising Deep Down Music and backed by a Dmitry Molosh remix, it's certainly an auspicious start for the Argentine. We had a chance to catch up with Tomas for an interview leading up to the release. Enjoy!

Hi Tomas, thanks for joining us. What is your current mood and what was the last piece of music you listened to?

Hello friends, how are you? I'm feeling great at the moment, super excited for the releases coming up. Finishing some remixes, so very anxious for what's to come!

My last track I've been listening to was Satoshie Tomiie - Love In Traffic (Mike Griego Mix)

What are your plans for the coming week?

My plans for these weeks is to finish some remixes I've been working on!

Can you name five tracks that were important in your musical development and why they are so significant for you?

tracks that were significant for me,

Cornucopia - Letter For Poly .I love This track!

Andres Moris - Into The Light

Luman ─ Moebius (Echo Daft 6AM Remix)

Juan Deminicis - Ivan The Bigger

Kasper Koman - The Blind Navigator

How did growing up in Argentina affect your music taste and direction? Or did it at all?

It influenced me a lot, since I grew up listening to electronic music. When I was 12 or 13 years old I liked EDM music a lot, then I grew up and I started to like the underground side of electronic music. From that moment I was completely in love with it.

When we ask most artists what is responsible for the popularity of progressive music in Argentina the overwhelming answer is Hernan Cattaneo, would that be your feeling also? And if so please speak on that, also to add to that, who else from Argentina inspired you when you first discovered the music?

Absolutely is my feeling, Hernan is one of the pioneers of progressive music, and it is so current thanks to him. Thanks to him this genre also became known in Argentina, and it is growing more and more!

I was inspired by Mariano Mellino, Antrim, Seba Busto, and many more! I had the chance to listen to all of them and I was delighted. They are artists of the highest quality.

What are your favourite venues to play or attend events at in Argentina and why?

My favorite places to play are in night club., I love the energy of the night. Here in Argentina there are many events and all of them are very good.  I love the day and the night when I go out to dance, it's always a good time to connect with the music!

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your production work and more, please.

My day always starts with listening to music.  Every day I wake up, I look for new songs that I have not heard. I like to do physical activity, it de-stresses me a lot and helps me to release some energy.  After I do all my activities I sit in the studio to produce, usually I produce several hours a day, sometimes I start new songs, sometimes I continue unfinished songs, but every day I'm sitting in the studio.

When you were first getting started in production did you have someone help you or are you completely self-taught? And what would you recommend new producers do to help with the learning curve of production?

I started to produce in early 2020. At the beginning, it cost me a lot because I was trying to learn alone, then I started to take classes with Nico Cerban, who helped me a lot in my learning. Some time later I took classes with Mario Puccio, a great teacher who gave me a lot of information. I am very grateful because much of my growth was to them.

I feel like a young producer since I started a few years ago, but my advice is to work hard every day, listen to a lot of music, try to imitate the music you like, if possible take some classes with a producer. It's a long way but you can do it!

You have a new single ‘The Way Of Life’, your first ever actually, out this week on Deep Down Music, tell us about the release and how it showcases your sound.

The truth is that I am very happy, because it is a track that I worked on a lot. It has a very melodic sound, with a great energy for the moments of more intensity of the dance floor. I'm sure you will love it!

You must be excited to get your first track out there, not an easy thing for a new producer sometimes. With so many labels out here now, many of which could be a good starting point for your career, how did your first track end up on Deep Down Music? Tell us about the process.

Yes, it sure is hard! And it's even harder when you're just starting out and you're not well known, but everything comes with hard work! I love many labels like Mango Alley, Sudbeat, The Soundgarden, among many others.

I really like Deep Down. I saw that it was a label that was growing, the last releases I listened to I liked a lot, and after finishing the track I thought it could be good for the label, and luckily they liked it!

A Dmitry Molosh remix on your first release is a pretty big deal, a great way to have your name stick in people’s heads moving forward no doubt. Was he someone you guys had in mind from the beginning? And how involved in the selection process were you?

When I found out that Dmitry Molosh was going to remix my first track I was impressed. it was one of the best news I've ever received as a producer. You just start producing, you never imagine those things.  It was great news for me. It was a great surprise, since Mark the CEO of Deep Down told me that he was looking for a remixer, then I entered my gmail and I found the news that Dmitry was going to be the remixer. As I said before, I was impressed!

What does your set-up look like? Do you favor physical gear over digital? And what studio tools featured heavily in the writing of ‘The Way Of Life’? If you could briefly walk us through the production process as well that would be great.

At the moment my setup is reduced, but I am thinking of expanding soon. I have an audio board, Audio Technica headphones and a Midi piano. I believe that you don't need many tools to make a good song, sometimes with less you can do much more!

Usually I always start with a groove. I look for a note that I like, and from there I start the process of creating basses and other elements. Many times the project changes. Some things that were at the beginning don’t make it to the final version.

Let’s talk about production a bit more for a moment, where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play? And was there anything that inspired ‘The Way Of Life’.

The Impulse comes from the love I have for music. Since I was a child I have listened to electronic music, it was the only musical genre I listened to as a child. I always dreamed of being able to play or make music!

For you to get started on a track do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called ‘visualizations’ of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

My tracks start completely randomly. Usually I always create a rhythmic base, then I add more textures, harmonies, melodies and others. Then if it is more about planning, when you have an idea of the armed track you start planning what is best for it!

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

In general, at night is my best time to produce, after I have done all my activities. Exercising helps you a lot to release those energies accumulated in the body, so I can  produce with a free mind.

What is the task you enjoy the most when producing and what would you prefer someone else to do?

I usually enjoy every moment. I really like being involved in every process of the song. Sometimes, when you no longer enjoy so much or feel tired when it comes to producing, it's time to turn off the computer and go do something else.

What would be a musical extravagance for your studio you would pay for, if you were very wealthy?

I would pay for good studio monitors, and also for professional quality acoustics, I know that one day it will come, haha!

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book and what set times would you ascribe to the artists?

I would start with Marcelo Vasami to warm Up, then Mariano Mellino, Guy J, John Digweed and Hernan Cattaneo.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest risk you’ve taken and what made you do it?

At the moment I don't think I've had to take big risks. I'm very young, I'm still 22 years old. I've made several important decisions like starting to make music, but not important risks yet!

What’s a book you’ve read or film you watched that has left an impact on you, and why?

I really like the Star Wars movies! I've been a big fan since I was a kid! Those distant and unreal worlds caught my attention!

What is one superpower you would like to have and how would you use it?

I would like to be able to teleport and be in various places in the world, haha!

Apart from music, what makes you happiest?

I consider myself a very happy person, in general my mood is always good. My girlfriend makes me happy. Being able to go out and have fun with my friends, eating a delicious dinner, as long as I am accompanied by the people I love, I am happy !

So now that your first track is out here, what is next? Anything you can share with us?

Now in the next few months an EP called Cygnus is coming that I'm sure you'll love! I'm looking forward to showing it off.

Thank you very much for bringing me to you! It is a great honor to be here! I hope you are well!

Greetings.

'The Way Of Life' is out now via Deep Down Music: https://bit.ly/3DrSAy7