Tony Plowman AKA Tones has been producing tunes and DJing in Australian clubs for longer than most, with a keen ear for cherry-picking the finest that’s out there in techno, progressive and underground house, but he stepped things up a notch a few years ago when he established his TigerStyle agency – utilising his industry contacts as a means of bringing some of the world’s underground dance names to our country’s clubs. Who exactly? We’re talking 16 Bit Lolitas, TigerStripes, Shlomi Aber, Chris Lake, Morgan Page, Nic Fanciulli, Sander Klienenberg, Guy J and coming up later this month, Henry Saiz. That’s right, Tones has toured them all.

The only drawback of brining out such an immense selection of underground icons is that to a degree, Tones was forced to put his DJing and producing on the backburner for a little while. But don’t expect that to continue, as in 2009 he’s packing a crate of new studio technology and planning on hitting back in a big way, as well as putting the focus back on his DJing. To mark this fresh renewed for the craft, he’ll be headlining that beacon of underground dance that is The Cave in the Chinese Laundry next Saturday night. ITM finds out more…

Hi Tony, this is Angus from inthemix. How’s it going?

Hey Angus, I’m good thanks. Thanks for taking the time to chat today.

You’re at the stage now were you’re known more for your work as a behind-the-scenes industry player, rather than your other love as a DJ/producer. Is this a state of affairs that you’re happy with?

Short answer – no. Long answer… I started DJing about 10 years ago. Back then DJs could get away with just being DJs. If you could produce as well, then this differentiated you from everyone else. Nowadays DJs who produce are a dime a dozen and you need to do something else as well to stand out from the pack. I always saw my agency TigerStyle as a means to furthering my artistic career, rather than taking the place of it. I have worked very hard for the past 3 years, building the agency from the ground up and I think this hard work will pay off for me in the next 12 months. The challenge for me now, is finding the time to go back to the music and focusing on that. I’ve made some great contacts in the past 3 years, so (hopefully) everything should happen fairly quickly once I start getting my music out there. I just need to do it!

You’ve certainly toured some impressive artists with your TigerStyle agency. What inspired you to get into that side of things?

When I started producing, I started speaking to a lot of DJ/producers overseas and became friends with them. Some promoters in Sydney started asking if I knew this guy, or could get in touch with that guy (which I invariably could), so I thought that I might be able to use my contacts to my advantage. The music industry is very relationship based. I figured that the more people I knew, the more opportunities I’d get, also the more DJs and producers I knew, the more music I’d get. So the agency seemed the logical next step. Soon after starting in the world of touring, I realized it’s a tough business. I’ve since made moves to get into purely artist management/bookings, as well and am representing a great Australian-based artist Helena. I think she’s the best female DJ in the country, and we’ve been going from strength to strength since launching in Australia 8 months ago.

Looking at your roster of acts you’ve brought out here before, they’re some of the finest names out there in house, progressive and techno. What do you look for in an artist you try and get out here?

I always try and pick artists that have an edge. They need to be a cut above the average act. The Australian market is so crowded, we have a ridiculous amount of internationals touring week in week out, so any act that you tour really need to be unique. I have been focusing on building relationships with artists, agencies and promoters who I think will have longevity in the market and be big names in the future. I’m not looking for one hit wonders or for guys who won’t be in demand the next time they go to tour.

The whole ‘melodic techno’ thing seems to be doing it for you at the moment, bringing names like Henry Saiz and Guy J out here. Has this been a sound you’ve really been digging?

Yes, it’s a sound I’ve been a big fan of for quite a while. Henry Saiz and Guy J are two future superstars and both incredibly nice guys. They will continue to push boundaries and get lots of exposure for years to come. I played with Guy in Melbourne and was blown away by his new music. If you closed your eyes and someone told you it was Digweed playing, you would have believed it! Henry is the act that I’m most looking forward to this year. There is a lot of buzz with all the promoters for this one, he’s still quite fresh in the scene, but I think he’s going to leave a definite impression on the crowds out here. I’m actually playing in Brisbane with Hybrid and Henry, I can’t wait!

Your bio would suggest that your industry work has kept you out of the studio as of late, but that you’re heading back in there this year. What have you got coming up?

I’ve gone and spent heaps of money on new gear and in between emails, I’ve been trying to get my head around it all. I have got some great ideas down and I’m expecting to have finished tracks by the end of the year. I have also been speaking with 16 Bit Lolitas and Glenn Morrison about some co-productions at the end of the year.

And you’re no stranger to being placed behind the turntables either. What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learnt about DJing over your time working the craft?

I think the most valuable thing I’ve learnt is to read the crowd and the energy in the room and play off that. You need to be flexible with your programming, not so much what tunes you play, but more when you play them.

And what are some of the most memorable events that you’ve played at?

The most memorable would have to be the Musica Summer Series boat cruise with Chris Lake and Sebastien Leger. The party was going off and someone accidentally dropped a whole bottle of water on one of the CDJs… Seb didn’t take this too well and decided to stop playing an hour and half before he was scheduled to. So me and Musica boss Kane Bligh got up and played a cranking set to 400 people going beserk. It’s easily the best crowd I’ve ever played to. Other highlights would have to be D-edge in Brazil and my 21st birthday!

And lastly, you’ve got a big gig coming up at the Chinese Laundry in July. It’s a venue that has hosted more than a few of your touring artists, do you feel a special connection with the place?

Most definitely. I’ve been in the DJ booth so many nights there that it certainly feels like home. It’s a great room to play and you can really push things musically. People who come to the Cave are up to party and as a DJ, that’s exactly the crowd you want to play to. It’s great.

And what can we expect from the set?

Expect to hear a lot of new music. Expect lots of energy and lots of fun.

Catch Tones headlining the Cave at the Chinese Laundry’s Club Club next Saturday 11th July.