Welcome to DJ T.’s tour blog

Welcome to DJ T.’s tour blog

14 July, 2009 | 8.30AM

• Written by: Beatportal
• Filed under: Music News: dj t, dj t blog, get physical

A big hello to all Beatport(al) users -

I hope that right now – reading these very lines – you are happy, healthy and hot for new music. Let’s start with an old-fashioned introduction: although most of you know me as DJ T., the name on my passport is Thomas Koch. Based in Berlin since 2005, I co-own and scout talents for Get Physical Music, Get Digital Music and Kindisch Records – and, as my pseudonym suggests, I also spin records around the world.

At this moment, typing these words, I am on a flight from Berlin to Budapest for a gig at tonight’s Balaton Festival, Hungary’s biggest electronic music event. Tonight marks a double premiere for me: It is my first ever gig in this vibrant country and the first to stream live over the Net, thanks to the amazing Awdio.com crew who have made it their mission to treat users around the world to real-time DJ sets.

I love the idea … but as a self-confessed technophobe who takes his own sweet time to make friends with new technologies and means of communication, I have to admit that I am a bit apprehensive about it all. In order to spread the word – and sound – we need dedicated software, a working Internet connection and just the right link between laptop and mixer. Will it work?

Despite these tiny pangs of technological stage-fright, I am really happy about the cooperation; Awdio.com will cover the entire tour and treat you to select live sets, straight from the DJ booth to your computer. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for these special dates; we will try to make it happen at most venues that supply the necessary set-up.

The upcoming tour is what it’s all about – out in the world and here on Beatportal. The following six months will see me jetting around the globe to promote and play my brand new album, ‘The Inner Jukebox’, released on Beatport in two separate versions.

Kicking off with a bang two weeks ago, the tour will take me all across Europe, before heading out to the rest of the world from early October. First on the list of exotic locales is South America, then I will travel all the way up through Mexico, the U.S. and Canada before crossing the Pacific for an extended stint in Asia, Australia and finally New Zealand. By the time I play my final set, it will already be 2010 and I am bound to feel a bit homesick, not having set foot in Berlin for more than three months.

I guess, despite my six years of international DJing and continent-hopping, I am quite excited about this extended tour de force. I have never done more than three weeks of nonstop touring or more than six weeks away from home.

As exciting as this might sound, I am even more wired about the new Beatportal project, which makes you lot part of my six-month journey.

I can’t really imagine anything better or more interesting than writing a DJ and travel diary. Some of you might know that I used to publish Groove magazine, the longest-running German-language magazine on electronic music, between 1989 and 2004.

During these 15 years, I wrote countless features for my own magazine and other music publications. Ever since selling the mag in 2004 – to focus on DJing, production and the label work – I have missed the right outlet for my journalistic streak, for writing that is fun and challenging at the same time. So, thanks to Beatport for all their support and trust!

As far as I know, this is the first time they have asked a DJ to write such an extensive tour diary.

My favourite aspect of this experience? My interaction with you, the readers! It is you I am writing for and I really value your feedback. Be constructive, critical and creative – let’s hear your questions and suggestions, I will try to answer as many as possible.

To be honest, I started this project with a bucketful of guilt – this very first text is already late; it should have been online a week ago, including an entry on the opening gig. Well, that first party was stellar, it took me ages to recuperate (you know the score …) and then I slipped straight back into work mode to prepare for the upcoming extravaganza.

So, this week, you will get a double dose of weekend gossip and then it’s – hopefully – back to business and timely reporting. If not, erm, feel free to vent in the comments!

Although, knowing the wonderful unpredictability of international DJing, I won’t make any promises… who knows, I might get arrested in Dubai, miss my return flight from Siberia or go missing in action at Bar25 for a few days … but no – I’ll do my best to make sure that there is something for you to read at least once a week.

Okay, that’s all from me for now. Look out for the promised report on last week’s seminal kick-off party.

I’m off to the festival with my booker Patci, Noura from Beatport and DJ Heidi – looking forward to one and a half hours of roadtrip fun with these three lovely ladies!

DJ T’s tour dates

July
18.07.09 - DIY, Hamburg (DE)
19.07.09 - Terrassa Boat, Paris (FR)
21.07.09 - 10 days off, Ghent (BE)
25.07.09 - Heile Welt Open Air, Moers (DE)
26.07.09 - Pollerwiesen, Köln (DE)
31.07.09 - not available

August
01.08.09 - not available
12.08.09 - Cabaret Voltaire, Edingburgh (GB)
15.08.09 - Registratur, München (DE)
28.08.09 -Summerspirit Festival (DE)
29.08.09 - Fabric, London (GB)

September
04.09.09 - not available
05.09.09 - not available
18.09.09 - Electrosanne Festival, Lausanne (CH)
26.09.09 - Inox, Tolouse (FR)

October
01.  - 14.10 - Latin America
15. - 18.10 Brazil
22. - 25.10 - Mexico

November
30.10 - 27.11 - North America
28.11 Hong Kong tbc

December
04.12 Zouk, Singapore (SG)
05.12 Asia
11.12 Asia
12.12 Asia
18.12 Japan
19.12 Japan
24.12 - Oz tbc
25.12 - Oz tbc
26.12 - Oz tbc
31.12 NZ tbc
01.01 - NZ tbc
02.01 - NZ tbc

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• Get DJ T's 'The Inner Jukebox' (vinyl mixes)