THE butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker have been replaced with the mixer, the shaker and the beat-maker in the modern world. Leading the march forward into this alternative future is a man that takes us on a journey through time with his mastery of turntables. Tom Lowndes, better known as DJ Tom Loud, has enjoyed success near and far for his sound mixing. His most successful work to date is a set titled Hot Dub Time Machine, which is currently selling out the McEwan Hall at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is soon to hit London.
Originally from Sydney, Lowndes, is enjoying somewhat of a cult following around the world. His Hot Dub Time Machine show has been a runaway success in Australia with sold out shows at festivals in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, and its Edinburgh stint is proving the universal popularity of both the show and its creator.
The Hot Dub Time Machine throws convention out the window. According to Lowndes, “people want to hear dub step and Stevie Wonder all in the same evening.” He gives them just that and more with a journey through sixty years of music, mixing all genres from each time period.
As well as being the captain of the Hot Dub Time Machine, Lowndes engineers sound for radio programs, YouTube videos and both “good and bad television programs.” In the good pile lies a catalogue of work including Underbelly, the Ronnie John’s Half Hour and Sea Patrol. Lowndes describes one particular job mixing sound for an infomercial that aired at 3am as being a lowlight of his career. “It was for something called Optionetics which I’m pretty sure was a scam,” he laughs.
His work on the sometimes-controversial comedy sketch show, The Ronnie John’s Half Hour, opened doors for him into the comedy world. Many of the cast, which included the likes of Felicity Ward and Heath Franklin, would ask Lowndes to DJ at their gigs. This led to a plethora of opportunities within the comedy community and nowadays Lowndes can be found at some of the world’s biggest comedy festivals, performing in front of sell-out crowds.
According to Lowndes, the Hot Dub Time Machine is powered by five elements — booty shaking, stepping, singing along, shouting ‘wooooo!’ and chatting up the person next to you. You can enjoy all of these elements and more at what Lowndes describes as “the best party you’ll ever go to,” at the London Wonderground.
Hot Dub Time Machine is on at the London Wonderground from 29 to the 31 of August. For tickets visit www.londonwonderground.co.uk.
The Hot Dub Time Machine Experience: