Introducing: Tom Shorterz

If you’ve spent the past year or so reaching each and every corner of Birmingham’s clubbing circuit then there’s no doubt that you would have come across a young DJ by the name of Tom Shorterz. A rising talent in the west-midland’s bass-orientated persuasions, Shortez is firmly cementing his mark in the scene. Having garnered props from his musical peers for his eclectic sets of house, garage and everything in between, not to mention his desirable deck-sharing with titans Claude Von Stroke, Annie Mac and DJ Zinc to name but a few, the up and coming DJ is definitely on top of an audio-fuelled wave, about to plunge down into London’s infamous and uncompromising underground movement. Playing for us as part of the 02:31 collective, we caught up with Tom to see where he’s at, who he's rating and how he’s feeling about his FABRICLIVE appearance. Who are your top three artists that you are playing out during your sets and why? This can tend to change quite a bit but I would say Low Steppa, Lorenzo and Martin Ikin. These 3 make some really cool stuff which work in my sets. They cross over into a few different genre pools so I can fit them in various places. With so many DJs and producers out there, it must be hard to stay ahead of the game. How do you remain in consistent rotation with club names and bookings such as Ibiza and Global Gathering? I think with me I don’t just play one specific genre but at the same time it all sits together well. We have a world of music out there and I combine elements from various sub genres but it’s mainly house and garage music. I also like to play things with a bit of energy and I try my best to keep it fun. I think music can get too serious sometimes; a set of monotonous music just does not do it for me. Get the crowd smiling and dancing or at least try your best… You’ve played ahead of some huge artists including Jamie Jones and SBTRKT. What would you say is key to being the perfect warm up DJ? It’s about setting the mood. I first started DJing as a warm up DJ in a bar in Birmingham called the Moonlounge and I cut my teeth doing the 8:30 - 10pm set every week; never going too hard or too loud, the tempo is a vital key to this. At same time I don’t just think “hey, let’s play loads of really boring slow music.” I like digging out those early NY garage tracks and playing them along with some new house music. I love HNNY and Scott Diaz for early doors at the moment. Also music speaks louder than words so something I will play pretty much every warm up set is Victor Simonelli’s remix of ‘Do You Want Me.’ As a DJ, I think that’s the perfect example of ‘warm up’ music. You’re an integral part of the 02:31 collective based in Birmingham. How do you think Birmingham compares to other musical hubs such as London, Leeds and Bristol? I think 02:31 has its own sound. I honestly don’t think you will find it in any other city and the venue helps that enormously. The Rainbow Venues are totally unique and combined with our sound we create something you simply cannot get in other cities… I’m sure it’s fair to say that music of the electronic persuasion is constantly evolving. Where do you see it evolving to over the next couple of years? It sometimes evolves for the worst like that EDM rubbish, which is seen as modern dance music. It’s just not for me one bit, but at the same time I’ve found that music is essentially one big cycle where people use inspiration from old house/disco and put a modern twist on it. Some would argue that it’s not really an evolution and that we’re set in our ways, but I disagree. Disclosure are a great example of using old school garage techniques in a new modern way. I guess you could say that artists usually tend to listen to the music they are pushing through their productions/mixes. Do you listen to any, slightly more alternative genres and if so, who/what would you recommend to us and why? I’m a huge vinyl collector of funk, disco, boogie, early hip hop and R&B. The 80s/early 90s is such an amazing place to find music. Tracks like Escape from New York’s ‘Fire In My Heart,’ Carmen’s ‘Time to Move,’ Love Club’s ‘Hot Summer Night,’ Alyson Williams’ ‘I Need Your Lovin’ - they all sound so raw. I also love a band from my city called Troumaca. Check out their album, Grace and the latest alternative artist I came across is probably FKA Twigs. It’s totally out there but it sounds so good! Playing at fabric is a huge stepping stone for many DJs. How does it feel to be playing at fabric once again? fabric is just an amazing place to play and party. It’s underground and that sound system just blows you away in all of the rooms. I’m so excited to be coming back to play again. The crowd is always so diverse which is alos one of many things I love about the place. I just love seeing people from all over, all different backgrounds just partying together. The way it should be.