Stisch

The quest for the perfect tune! Thats what drives me the most. Stisch , aka Tommy Spaanheden does not hesitate one second to answer the question of that continually drives him to make high qualitative electronic music. Tommy first picked up his pseudonym Stisch in 1995 when sitting in a Berlin alley after a live gig by the group Plaid. This was, according to him, one of his biggest musical experiences ever and whilst sitting there contemplating over that perfect night the name suddenly appeared in his head. Stisch . A name he would save for a very special, the, music project. Although, in retrospect his career until present day has actually been sprinkled with those.
Tommy got seriously involved with music at the tender age of 13 back in 1983. At first a convinced heavy metal disciple who transcended into the more challenging sounds of jazz-fusion rock. During a seven-year period he cultivated a unique ability he has always possessed. To be able to move between genres, to explore and push the limits of musical sound barriers.
Somewhere during the late 80's he discovered the synthesiser and continued to explore other diverse electronic gadgets. Tommy found these electronically produced sounds most fascinating. The deeper, weirder and more twisted, the better. During this period he also attended his first rave. Tommy experienced an image of sound previously unknown to him, yet a gut feeling that this was the music he had always wanted and longed to hear. It felt like coming home. The music Tommy had heard was the Frankfurt sound of techno, a very underground genre in Sweden at that time. In contrast to the other more widely spread form of techno in the country, this was hard. Fierce. A massive, driving force of sonic impression. Tommy quickly decided to have a go at producing these kinds of songs himself!
His first electronic project 1991 was named Cataclysm and followed the Frankfurt sound he had come to enjoy so much. By forming the duo Cataclysm together with techno-head Martin Lundin, Tommy also granted Sweden its first ever techno live-act. This caused raised eyebrows on home turf but Tommy already knew that live acts were not only for rock bands.
During the passage of time Tommy continued to evolved his sound. The technological evolution gave better equipment who according to Tommy made even more interesting noises, thus enabling him to further progress in music.
After Cataclysm, Tommy started the project Inquisagon which got picked up by British label Crystal Clear. After a while he went on with the outfit Incosm, who found a home at the German label Raindrop. A few years later, in 1995, Tommy started yet another project. This was called Psychogenetic Soundforce and due to his earlier successes it was welcomed by French record label Step 2 House with open arms. Under this alias he was also riding high in club charts in Italy, France and Germany. His genre could now could be described as somewhat trancy, but Tommy does not fully agree on that. "Trance as a genre became very exploited and diluted". You couldnt use the term because people misinterpreted it and categorised it incorrectly. "I myself still think it sounded like techno".
By the end of 1997 techno failed to give Tommy the rush it had previously done. It felt like he wrote the same song over and over again. It became harder to create distinct patterns that sounded fresh.
This insight resulted 1998 in the downbeat project Sirene. Influenced by Plaid and Black Dog, Tommy struggled to create a more intelligent and thoughtful production. Sirene became a mixture of acoustic and electronic sounds, vocally heightened by singer Ioana. During this project in the quaking end of the 90s, Tommy happened to stumble across an old acquaintance, the label manager of the Gothenburg-based breakbeat label Sound of Habib Recordings, Johan Olofsson.
Whilst in the studio working on a Sirene drumloop, Tommy accidentally knocked up the tempo to 130 bpm. This turned out to be an awesome breakbeat pattern so Tommy continued to add the basic foundations of a new song. He then got on the phone to Johan to show off his work through the phone. Johan signed it immediately, over the phone. The song got eventually to be finished and turned out to be the monster called JFK.
This tune was the second release on the Sound of Habib label and it rocketed up to an 8th position on the English beats-chart. It also got huge response from people such as Guy Hatfield, Jody (Way out West), Rennie Pilgrem and Paul Hartnoll from Orbital. Tommy decided that this project was the special one. He was going to pursue this project whole-heartedly and the name was already set, thought up in an alley in Berlin back in 1995. Stisch was born.
After the JFK success Stisch 2nd release on Sound of Habib Recording emerged, Welcome to the Beatshop EP including the three strong tracks Beatshop, GBG and Reality (the last mentioned was written as early as 1994!). This EP also reached the 8th position in the English breaks chart as well as becoming release of the week on Burnitblue.com. It was also rewarded 5 out of 5 in DJ Magazine and dubbed sure player, one of that months most important releases. On a domestic note it sailed right in at number 7 on the Swedish Prime Cuts chart, Sweden's most select club chart. All his releases since that has been rewarded 5 out of 5 and sureplayer in DJ agazine.
As for radio, BBC 1 has been playing both JFK and Beatshop and Swedish national radio P3 has played several Stisch tracks numerous times. Things are certainly looking bright for Stisch !
There has also been a music video produced for the song GBG of the Welcome to the Beatshop EP.
Tommy is at the moment working on his debut album, which is scheduled for release Spring 2003. The album will according to Tommy contain 18 years of musical experience. Vocal contributions will be provided by Nina Natri (Fidget, Nightclub) and Magnus Carlsson (Weeping Willows) among others.
After the release of this album Tommy already has got a fixed agenda for the future. I want to bring my live set on the road, produce new material and release albums at least every year. Music is a way for me to express myself when words aren't capable of describing what I feel. Stisch do not lack strife. And this strife sets him on his quest to create the perfect tune.
Официальный сайт: http://www.soundofhabib.com