“Fashion and music are an expression of a person, it`s your identity, the moment you try to fit into a trend is the moment you lose your identity.”
Thom Hodkinson aka “The Silent H!”
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//SLANG MAG exclusive.
Special preview of “The Silent H!” ‘Grim EP’ coming soon on Shake Your Ass Records.
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Q&A
*Hey Man, how is everything?
Please tell our readers who is “The Silent H”?
Hey slang. who is “the silent H!”? well Silent H! is my production and stage name.
The reason I choose to call myself Silent H! is purely because I spell Thom with a silent H! I wish it was more interesting and imaginative than that.
when I made the name I didn’t know it was going to be that forever.
*”The Silent H!” is everything but silent. You have been releasing dance floor bombs for some time now, Can you tell us how your music career started?
My music career began I suppose when I was 15. There was a local band called the “Mainheads” I really wanted to be in, they where the only band in our school at the time. Anyway they kicked their guitarist out of the band and they wanted me to join them. But I couldn’t play any instruments I just liked the same bands they were into and that was enough for them to give me a go. The bassist at the time chris connell (who I have a new electronic project with called “Duke Kaper“) switched from bass to guitar and then I stared playing the bass. A long story short, the band lasted till I was about 19 but for some reason (I still don’t know why) we all just lost interested. But it was around that time electronic music really grabbed my ear. I was listening to loads of drum and bass and dubstep old school rap and techno. But then I heard “Mr Oizo” and “Justice” and it blow me away. It was mainly Justice because it had a rock feel to it but was pumping electro. And it made me start to think it doesn’t all have to sound to electronic, you can blend both.
*What is electro music for you? would it be correct to say that you play electro? We think that what you`re doing is much more.
Thank you very much. well i`m not a massive fan of genres I don’t understand why everything has to be categorized. I suppose it makes it easy. but for me i`m just making the music I want to hear and hopefully others will enjoy it as well. I always try to add a real element to my music as much as I can. For example in the drums, I try to make them sound like a drummer`s playing. But in my album which will be out next year I use alot more real instruments, violins, guitars, vocalists etc.
*You have a new Ep coming soon, what is like?
Yeah I do have a couple coming out over the next few months but the next to come out is the ‘Grim EP‘ on Shake Your Ass Records. I`m very happy with it. I don’t know how to describe the tracks. Grim is very groove based. It’s heavy but has a real dance vibe to it and the second track “Get Up and Dance” is the same as Grim but has a mega heavy drop people won’t expect.
*what have been the best strategy so far to promote your music?
Promotion is hard. I give a lot of my tracks away for free. I have done countless bootlegs and I give a lot of my originals away free too. I`ve found that has helped me.
*what happens when The Silent H! performs? any crazy/wild story you can share with us?
At gigs i`m quite well behaved to a certian extend. I drink so much whilst i`m on when the adrenalin runs out its only then I feel the amount i`ve had. But the best gig i`ve had to date would be playing on the main stage after “Nero“. It was a month before the album came out. Me and my mate fono played the final set after them which was insane, so many people and they where so hyped up.
One of the best moments in my life.
*Are you into fashion? what`s your fashion style?
Fashion, well I have the same look on fashion as I do on music. I wear what I want to wear because I like it. It`s the same as making tunes I don’t make tunes to fit in and I don’t wear clothes to fit it.
Fashion and music are an expression of a person, it`s your identity, the moment you try and fit into a trend is the moment you lose your identity.
*Who do you admire or look up to, right now in music?
I`m very lucky my dad exposed me to so much music when I was young and I have a group of friends who have a diverse taste in music. I`ll listen to anything as long as the person who has created that track, has put it`s heart, it`s passion and it`s soul into it, then i`m all ears. But what I hate is this consent churning out of throw away pop music with no soul and no passion, just catchy radio friendly unit shifters.
The electronic artists who have inspired me the most are: Sebastian, Justice, Clark, f.o.o.l, Far Too Loud, VNNR. To name a few.
*What do you think the new generations like to hear and see in a music artist?
I`m not to sure, thats the exciting thing about music, the new thing is just only around the corner thats why I feel it`s important to make music for yourself, not to make music to fit the trend, because by the time you notice a trend it`s already started to end and the new thing is just around the corner.
Thank you for your time, we truly enjoy your music and we think the //SLANG viewers will enjoy it to.
Feel free to say anything you want to our viewers.
Best.
Just wanna say cheers for hearing me, woffle on about music and I hope you enjoy the 17 tracks from the future teaser :)
