Lady Tom.
Back. And entirely herself.
Lady Tom on returning at Sonic 35, intuitive sets and a lasting curiosity about music.
Simone Kromer · Lady Tom
Almost ten years abroad, and now back in Switzerland: for Lady Tom, Sonic 35 is a chance to reconnect with fans, fellow DJs and a promoter she has long felt close to. Our conversation is about that new beginning, but also about what carries it: making her own decisions, her early experiences with the violin and the joy of staying open to music.
She talks about playing the violin as a child, her early experiences in a male-dominated DJ scene and the desire to explore other musical worlds in the studio.
Back on stage
On 7 November, you are playing at Sonic 35. What would you like to show people with your set that night?
The Queen’s Return: I lived abroad for almost ten years, and now I am back in my home country, Switzerland. I kept being asked: “When can we finally see you live again?” Now that big moment is very close.
I am incredibly excited to see my fans and fellow DJs again. I have always had a close relationship with Sonic. Sonic has been one of the scene’s leading promoters for decades. So it was clear to me: if I was going to return to the stage, it would be at Sonic.
Sonic has always given me fantastic support, as has my management, Sector Management / Sector Beatz. I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. A special thank you also goes to the Bern crew: Philippe Rochard, Nu-Pulse and Hardstyle Rockerz.
Trusting intuition
Your Sonic 18 mix is still on your SoundCloud. What would you decide differently when putting together a Sonic set today?
Nothing fundamental, really. I make decisions very intuitively and play the music I personally like. What is popular today may already be gone tomorrow. But for that one moment, in the here and now, it is exactly right.
I make decisions very intuitively and play the music I personally like.
Staying true to yourself
Looking back at one of your own tracks such as “Darkness of Mind”, which idea from that time do you still particularly like?
“I wanna be myself” — authenticity is still my motto. I follow my own path and do not let anyone stop me. I am simply myself, just as I am. Real, not fake!
Especially in the early years, it was not easy to gain a foothold as a woman in a fiercely competitive DJ scene that was largely dominated by men at the time. But that did not hold me back. On the contrary, it motivated me even more. And I think I did quite well. I had the opportunity to do pioneering work as one of the scene’s first female DJs.
An interesting book has also been published in recognition of my musical work, alongside an exhibition running until 2027. You can find out more at Museum Burghalde, in the exhibition “Pionierinnen, Künstlerinnen, Denkerinnen”.
First violin and an open ear
How do you find new music that surprises you, even after so many years of DJing?
Music has been my great passion since my earliest childhood. I am incredibly interested in music and open to everything it can set in motion. Music is magical: it moves, inspires and connects people.
For many years, I played first violin in an orchestra. I could play around 200 folk songs from memory. We were out performing every weekend, playing at events and Stubeten, traditional folk-music gatherings, and we even appeared on Swiss television twice. Music was simply always there, a constant part of my life. That is why I still keep discovering new things that surprise and excite me.
Open to other musical worlds
What musical idea would you like to try next in the studio, regardless of what is currently in demand in hardstyle?
Because I love music so much, I also enjoy experimenting with completely different styles. I lived in Asia for almost eight years and love world music, particularly Middle Eastern and Indian music.
Those sounds, rhythms and moods fascinate me. So you can look forward to seeing what musical ideas grow out of them.
Lady Tom
Interview by email · Editorial and image art direction: SCENE:ID. © www.chris-iseli.ch · via Sector Management · Lady Tom / Sector Management · Lady Tom / Sector Management · SCENE:ID graphic treatment