By Hugh Stapleton
Tom Misch dropped his new EP on July 15, named “The Reverie”. Who is Tom Misch and why should I be paying any of my incredibly important and valuable attention to this character? Short and sweet; he’s a cool music generating machine. Tom Misch is a raw, blended talent emerging from the outskirts of London who makes creative beats, smooth riffs and has an aptitude for vocal flow. He is a veritable Swiss army musician; guitarist, producer, DJ, vocalist, violinist and composer. His sister Laura Misch is a saxophonist who is featured on the new EP. A life-time of playing instruments coupled with heavy influence from a beat scene championed by Dilla and an international connectivity made possible by platforms like Soundcloud have created his incredibly refreshing and unique sound. Like every underground rapper needs to spit a freestyle over an MF Doom beat, so every hip-hop instrumentalist needs to give his J-Dilla tribute and Tom has done his duty with a classic summer rain vibe on the track “Dilla Love”.
Tom Misch physically plays instruments. I find it an important to note this considering how many producers in the beat-making Soundcloud scene sound like cookie cutter Mr. Carmack’s. Fear not, this lad cuts no cookies. The first song you encounter on his Soundcloud “The Journey” sits you down on a comfortable couch and leads you on a meandering path into sonic relaxation.
Perfectly balancing strings against an unobtrusive beat provides the perfect backdrop for an exhibition of how softly someone can shred a soulful guitar solo. The song was release
d as a Soulection White Label. Tom had been tapped by Soulection co-founder Joe Kay, the maestro of Soulections weekly radio show. The labels motto, “The Sound of Tomorrow”, holds true for their curative tendencies, and the new artists selections are juxtaposed by Joe Kay’s hearty mixture of old soul, R&B and rap instrumentals. Tom’s ability to work with others fits the line-up like a glove next to distinctive producers like Lakim and Sango who soulfully mesh with lyricists and vocalists alike. Joe Kay isn’t the only one who’s got Tom on his radar either; boy philosopher (unsure of what exactly to call him) Jaden Smith has rapped over a beat produced by Tom.
While Jaden might have debatable world views, he irrefutably has a creative outlook on music, and is a prime example of Tom’s ability to weave his own musical talents with others well. The non-expository words have an indescribable flow and much like a Shins song, the words don’t have to make sense when the music sound so right underneath it. My very favorite collaboration of his is with a vocalist by the name of Carmody, with whom he continues to write songs. The EP “Out to Sea” is startling gorgeous blend of Tom’s guitar, vocal and production abilities stunningly accompanied by Carmody’s voice.
I played the clarinet for 9 years while I was in grammar and high school and while yes I had my fair share of phallic jokes thrown at me, I’ve always had a distinct memory of something a band director said once. He said that the ability to play quiet music with roaring intensity was the mark of a true musician. This EP is so striking because of its motif of raw minimal power. Both Tom and Carmondy never seem to be singing louder than a whisper, yet they evoke emotion that harkens Regina Spektor’s vocal prowess. In “Release You” the soft tessellating synths that slide in halfway through the song are a completely unexpected curveball, a subdued sub-texture that adds a wildness to the song. “Paper Planes” was one of the first songs I ever heard by Tom and it is still one of my favorites, simply a genuinely wonderful piece of songwriting and performance. The point is that this artist welcomes influences from all angles and appropriates his style to form around and with those he works with. His most recent drop, "The Reverie", is a perfect example of his beautiful style-blending ability. Be sure to check it out.