Artist Name: Tim Koch
Email: tim@tundra-music.com
Website: Thug

Artist Profile:

Combining a distinct, digital aesthetic, a fascination with 8-bit machines and the reminiscent textures and melodies of pioneering UK labels like Warp and Rephlex, Tim Koch confirms the growing number of homegrown artists successfully bringing their electronic experiments to the world's ears. The abundance of truly independent labels globally, offers an opportunity for bedroom producers here to increase their notoriety without compromising their independence or integrity.

Due to Australia's relative isolation physically, the Internet is now a vital cog in this process, in terms of promotion and exposure. As Tim explains:

"It's absolutely vital for me personally – every single hookup and all the networking with artists and other labels for my own music, as well as Surgery Records, have been via email and web hunting. Without the Internet, such a genre (electronica / more leftfield music) would be much more obscure than it currently is. A large percentage of the people buying this type of music have technology related jobs and use the web as a means of seeing what is out and about. Previewing releases as either MP3s or other file formats has become very popular."

Tim's new album on Defocus, entitled Shorts In Alaska is a perfect illustration of the web processes at work.

"The hook up with Defocus was purely from them downloading an MP3 of mine from a website…they emailed and said that they were really keen to hear more and I sent a demo off."

Intrigued by 8-bit computer game music from an early age, it was only a matter of time before Tim's fascination manifested itself into his own music.

"I learnt saxophone for four years, then gave up and forgot how to read music. I started playing bass to try and emulate Jah Wobble from PiL and just recorded guitar / bass experiments to reel to reel 4-track, then ended up doing 3 years of music technology at Adelaide University. Now I use an Amiga to sequence all my outboard synths and gear."

Tim has a particular love for the SidStation synthesizer (www.sidstation.com), which contains the original sound chip from the Commodore 64 computer and has resulted in the pseudonym '8-Bit Orchestra', which is "just a title for the tracks I do that end up sounding video gamey. I have an EP of C-64 tracks waiting to come out and I've done a few remixes, using this approach (only Commodore 64 sounds)."

8-Bit Orchestra was one of the aliases Tim used when recording his two remixes on the recent Fourplay remix project, Digital Manipulations. Approaching the recordings of a string quartet provided an enthralling outcome, the results of which are some of the best remixes Tim has done.

How did this project come about?

"Peter Hollo from Fourplay was keen for me to do something that processed and mangled the source sounds - but the first mix I did ended up being a little more subtle than expected. I sent off this remix and Peter liked it, but said I was welcome to try another - so I did two more remixes - one that was a little more otherworldly, and another that was a Commodore 64 interpretation of the same track. Two of the remixes were done with the original structure and components in mind, but the other was basically a whole new track just using selected string parts."

Tim's involvement in Surgery Records in his hometown of Adelaide is "mainly doing A&R, promotion, distribution and events – but that is the beauty of it – all of us can adapt to different roles from week to week." While he is yet to release any of his own music on the label, Tim was responsible for the compiling of tracks on the 'Initial Release' compilation, which features artists and friends from Russia (Fizzarum), UK (CiM), Canada (Mitchell Akiyama), the US (MD), Scandinavia (Plod), New Zealand (Jet Jaguar) as well as many Australian artists, especially from Adelaide.

With labels such as Dirty House and Juice achieving worldwide recognition amongst DJs in the house community, how strong is the Adelaide electronic scene?

"I have been involved with a few local artists and there is a healthy scene here in all genres - but still there seems to be something preventing any sense of unity. However, events such as the Sound Summit (www.soundsummit.org) in Newcastle really do wonders in that respect for labels and artists, in that they present an opportunity for the electronic music community country-wide to combine, regardless of individual genres or scenes."

Tim has appeared on a number of overseas and local compilations usually under his 'Thug' alter ego, on labels such as Merck Records [Miami], Negativland's label Seeland, U-Cover [Belgium], Systorm Technologies [New York], Component Records [USA], Intr_Version [Canada], mini-disc label n5MD [USA], Global Recordings [Aust.], Lucky Kitchen [USA]. Tim has also composed the in-game music and CD audio soundtrack to the PC games "Ultra Violent Worlds" and "Nort". Tim also manages local electronica labels -- Surgery Records [www.surgeryrecords.com.au], and Tundra Music [www.tundra-music.com].

Tim has had two full-length albums on Australian label Aural Industries: Isolated Rhythm Chock, and Please Don't Tell Me That's Your Volvo - both receiving critical acclaim both overseas and in Australia.

Tim has just recently had a 12" released [ Volume EP ] and full length album [ Shorts In Alaska ] on London label DeFocus Records, run by Clair Poulton [who previously ran Clear Records, Reel Records, Rephlex Records]. Both releases have received glowing reviews and have been played on John Peel's legendary UK radio show.
He has done various remixes for Australian and overseas acts including: Fourplay, Suvome, Brunatex, Proem, MD, Codec, Super Science, Lackluster, Dial, amongst others.

Tim has composed for film, theatre, and web projects and has recently had pieces featured in gallery exhibitions in Melbourne [ Trigger - computer game-art
exhibition at Gamma Space ] and Sydney [ Hold On - at the Performance Space ].

Tim plays drums for Adelaide band Brunatex who he has recently remixed. Imminent for release also are two remix projects including reworkings of his material by local and internationally renowned artists such as Pimmon, Sense, Aspen, Lackluster, Peter Hollo from Fourplay, Boulderdash, as well as others.

Qualifications:
Three year course 'Electronic Music' at Performing Arts Technology Unit at Adelaide University. (PATU)

Released Material:

Albums:
CD: Ultra Violent Worlds (Vorlon) - includes full PC computer game 1998
CD: Isolated Rhythm Chock (Aural Industries) AU, 1999
CD: Please Don't Tell Me That's Your Volvo (Aural Industries) AU, 2000
CD & vinyl: Shorts In Alaska (DeFocus) UK, 2002
CD: Thug:Remixed (Aural Indsutries) AU,2002
CD: Please Don't Tell Me That's Your Remix (Aural Industries) AU, 2002

EP:
Vinyl: Volume EP (DeFocus) UK, 2001
Vinyl: Two You See (DeFocus) UK, 2001

Compilation:
CD: Soundtracks To Imaginary Video Games Lucky Kitchen, USA
CD: Extracted Celluloid Illegal Art, USA
CD: Beat and Squelch 1 Dump Huck, AU
CD: Fluid Fusion Zygosin Productions, AU
CD: With Naive Assurance That Their Injuries Were Wrongs Inflicted Intr_Version, CANADA
CD: Contemporary Passive Trashcan Vol.1 Dead Culture, USA
CD: Sound Quality Vol1 - Approved for Export ABC Records, AU
CD: TRM Session One Global Recordings, AU
CD: Sound Options Systorm Technologies, USA
CD: Other Animals Couchblip, AU
CD: Perspective Fragments U-Cover, Belgium
CD: 2002AD compilation Surgery Records, AU
CD & Vinyl: SID Musique Erkrankung durch Musique, Germany
Vinyl: MD2 Merck Records, USA
Minidisc: MD2 n5MD Records, USA

Remixes:
CD: Fourplay Digital Manipulation Smart Pussy, AU
CD: Dial What Can You Offer Latent Entertainment, AU
CD: Codec Amalgamation Component, USA
Vinyl: Proem 2=1 Merck Records, USA
CD & Vinyl: MD Appelsap Merck Records, USA
CD & Vinyl: Marumari Remixes Car Park, USA
CD Machine Drum Half The Battle Merck, USA

Computer Games:
Ultra Violent Worlds (Vorlon Software) - Complete score for PC and Amiga game 1998
Nort - contributed in-game music for PC game written by James Reid 2001

Forthcoming Material:
Album on Belgian based label Zeal Records [ www.zealrecords.com ]
Full length MiniDisc release on US MiniDisc label n5MD. [ www.n5md.com ]
Album on Belgian based label U-Cover Records. [ www.u-cover.com ]
3" CD out on Japanese based label Duotone Records [ www.duotonerecords.com ]
Sound Quality Vol.2 Compilation - compiled by Tim ritchie - ABC Records

Workshops:
Speaker: Sound Summit @ Electrofringe 2000 / 2001 - Newcastle

Performance:
2000 / 2001- Sound Summit @ Electrofringe, Newcastle
2002 - Analogue to Digital closing party @ Adelaide Fringe
2000 - SALA 'moving image' piece Binary with Esther Lamb
2001 - Open Space 2000 piece Magnifeye with Esther Lamb
2001 - Womadelaide WoZone DJ set
2001 - Codec Cinema @ Crown and Sceptre
2002 - Off The Couch @ Red Room Gallery

Film / Theatre:
Score: Millenium Bug, Daniel Ruttley 1998 miniDV
Score + Musical Director: Resolution, David Evans 1998 Adelaide Festival
Score: Shelved, Esther Lamb 1999 miniDV

Exhibitions:
'Trigger Art' curated by Rebecca Cannon - Gamma Space, Melbourne 2002
'Hold On' curated by Gail Priest - Performance Space, Sydney 2002

Collaborations:
Esther Lamb - Open Space 2000 Magnifeye , Space Theatre - SALA week 2000 Binary as part of 'Moving Image' festival, Mercury Cinema
The Zephyr Quartet - 2002 - Menage concert via Musica Viva

Graphic Design / Photography:
Art work: Thug Isolated Rhythm Chock CD (Aural Industries)
Photography: Thug:Remixed CD (Aural Industries)
Web design: Arts Projects Australia site
Womadelaide 2001 site
Regional Arts Conference site 2001

Writing:
Reviewer for dB magazine Adelaide
Writer / reviewer for Igloo Magazine - www.igloomag.com

Other Projects:
Co-Manager of Surgery Records (AU)
Co-Manager of Tundra Music (AU / USA)
Drummer for Adelaide band Brunatex