Tom Trago

Amsterdam-based DJ/producer Tom Trago trades in upbeat house and disco with a penchant for big hooks and understated grooves. His 2009 debut full-length, Voyage Direct, was a hit with the neo-disco crowd, and he continued refining his style with the more vocal-heavy efforts Iris (2011) and The Light Fantastic (2013), which featured guests like <a href="spotify:artist:0iQ58hVu6gA9nuuCgbnvOn">Tyree Cooper</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1xKryNto8SDKl2E6lBs23J">Romanthony</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:644PvPeYIyoq0n0eBP5fxG">Steffi</a>. He's since released more atmospheric and sometimes experimental albums like Bergen (2018) and Deco (2023).

Brought up in a musical household, it wasn't long before Trago realized he wanted a career in music, taking up DJ'ing early on. Initially he worked as a coffee shop DJ, using his paycheck to buy records and in his spare time, produce his own tracks. He was lucky enough to have a lot of support from the DJs in Amsterdam, with people such as <a href="spotify:artist:3JR7NAWvzkrZR3pKwrixS3">Aardvarck</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7KNjGFK2IZ3cOrHvDCAtMc">Awanto 3</a> acting as unofficial mentors for his early work. His debut single, 2006's "Live with the BBQ," was picked up by local label/record shop <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rush+Hour%22">Rush Hour</a>, which he developed a close association with. His first album, Voyage Direct, arrived in 2009 through <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rush+Hour%22">Rush Hour</a>, and he decided to create his own label, also called <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Voyage+Direct%22">Voyage Direct</a>, to help promote local talent. Trago enjoyed collaborating with other artists, even if there are significant stylistic differences between them, for example, his EPs with U.K. club producer and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Night+Slugs%22">Night Slugs</a> label owner <a href="spotify:artist:2qUNVIgjpwhQ3gGpM1Nrok">Bok Bok</a>.

His next two full-length records, 2011's Iris and 2013's The Light Fantastic, also saw release on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rush+Hour%22">Rush Hour</a>. Both albums evoked various eras of house, funk, and disco, with the former featuring guest vocalists including <a href="spotify:artist:1xKryNto8SDKl2E6lBs23J">Romanthony</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:62KN8ZhFGA46IwHFAb0VU2">Olivier Daysoul</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4PIunhRuJvEMVDuk3pK2Rm">Om'mas Keith</a>, and the latter included appearances by <a href="spotify:artist:3hciB8bkQeECakkTWmrPEH">San Proper</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0qP3Irw4a8UFvXv6KQf3XM">Ben Westbeech</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:644PvPeYIyoq0n0eBP5fxG">Steffi</a>. His fourth album, 2018's Bergen, was his debut release on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dekmantel%22">Dekmantel</a>, and showcased just how far he had come as a producer, with some of his most textural productions to date. Shoebox, his long-running collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:72fmdlyIpoCx18VNqZO9Gn">Maxi Mill</a>, released their debut full-length Falling in the Right Place in 2020. The EP You Deserve Better appeared in 2021, followed by Tide Will Turn in 2022. 18, a hip-hop-oriented archival collection released in collaboration with the clothing store Patta, and the more techno-influenced Trembala EP, were also issued in 2022. Trago returned to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rush+Hour%22">Rush Hour</a> in 2023 with the serene and reflective full-length Deco. ~ Liam Martin & Paul Simpson, Rovi