DJ Wrongtom

DJ Wrongtom

DJ Wrongtom is a DJ, producer and recording artist from south London. His work draws on hip hop, reggae, garage, punk, indie soul, psychedelic rock, prog rock, dancehall, synth-pop and jazz, and he avoids fitting his output into a single genre. He also describes himself as a music lover as much as a musician.

Background

Tom grows up on the outskirts of London in a family with strong musical influences. He is brought up by three generations, including a ragtime pianist grandfather, and comes from a large family with a south London mother and a father from Calcutta. He starts out wanting to make films, then moves into music by joining a band as a vocalist in his teens. That band is later banned from college band night. He then turns to Latin percussion before moving into production.

Production style and projects

Wrongtom builds a makeshift studio he calls the correctional facility, assembling equipment in poor condition and gradually turning it into a working space. His productions combine DIY influences and a wide range of styles. He works with indie soul group Hard-Fi, and his output includes more experimental beat pieces and spontaneous songwriting.

Alongside his main work, he runs the Studio One-influenced side project Stoneleigh Mountain Rockers and the free jazz collective the Devotional Ensemble. He also makes beats for Sarah Wayne, with whom he has a long-running working relationship.

DJ work and mixes

He DJs regularly and builds a large record collection. His mixography includes The Cockney Mix, Wreckless Deck Retardo, The Intermission recorded live at Brixton Academy, Xfm Rinse Mix, Pop Your Synth, Vietnang, Correct Techniques part 1: Stalag and Cassetiquette.

Remixes

Wrongtom remixes a wide range of artists, including Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, She Wants Revenge, Harry J Allstars, The Ripps, Dr Rubberfunk, Legs On Sale, Robots In Disguise, Viva Voce, Jay Bharadia, Kone-R, Errorplains, Distophia, Resus Kid, Contempo and Abstrakt Knights. His remix work also includes versions issued through labels such as Atlantic, Trojan, Universal, Catskills, Hard Soul, Full Time Hobby, Smalltown America, Uncharted Audio and Halflife.

Hard-Fi collaborations

His work with Hard-Fi is a major part of his output, including remixes and dub versions of tracks such as Cash Machine, Hard To Beatmix, Dub Machine, Living For The Weekend, Middle Eastern Holiday, Tied Up Too Tight, Theme From Necessary, Dubbed Up Too Tight, Move On Dub, Cash Converter and Better Do Better. He also contributes to Hard-Fi vs Wrongtom and Hometown HiFi.

Associated sound

His music is described as combining elements of old-school rock, samplers, 2 Tone, dub, dancehall and other dance-oriented forms, alongside offbeat and experimental approaches. His background in DJ culture and remixing sits alongside his production work, making his catalogue range from club-focused edits to looser beat experiments.