Biography

Tom Mundell, aka Metrik, has already come a long way as one of the new names to look out for in drum n bass and for someone still relatively young at 21 years of age his mostly self-taught knowledge, enthusiasm and drive know no bounds. Indeed his story already reads like a new artists' self help guide on how pro-active measures and continued determination can get you heard. Of course you have to have the talent to back it up and with a string of releases and remixes under his belt including the anthemic soulful refrain of 'My World' which was picked up by everybody from Bad Company to Pendulum and Jenna G to Futurebound and remixes such as his re-work of Grace's 'Not Over' (later covered by Klaxons) and Jesper Dahlback's techno monster 'Murder Was the Bass' he has an already proven production punch. Furthermore, Metrik's ability to interact and finely hone his production skills within other genres (from techno to house and even pop) is perhaps not surprising when you discover that John Carpenter and Paul Epworth are as much his production heroes as Andy C and Moving Shadow. For someone still so young the possibilities for Metrik are endless.

Born in Guildford, Surrey 1986 the young Tom Mundell taught himself to play the guitar at the age of 7 and started his first band in his pre-teens. Over the years he also taught himself to be a competent keyboard player, drummer and he gained a solid knowledge in music theory. Always someone who wanted to make things happen, his proper introduction into electronic music came when he formed his own internet radio station aged just 13 - through which he met a DJ from London who mailed him a CD full of drum & bass music. Naturally, ever since he has been completely absorbed by the futuristic nature of the sound.

Tom had already started DJing at the tender age of 12 when he saved up all his pocket money, bought a pair of cheap belt drive turntables and frequenting the local record store in Guildford would sneak out of school to check out and buy the latest vinyl releases. By the age of 14 Tom started a nu-metal / funk cross-over band with a group of mates whilst at the same time he began to take his DJing outside to local parties and procured his own weekly slot on a local FM youth radio station. Going out to free parties and illegal raves in warehouses and fields maintained his interest and momentum in wanting to work in music and by the tender age of 16 he stepped into the world of music production and instantly became fanatical about technology, writing and engineering. Never one to sit and watch things happen Tom taught himself to use Fruity Loops on the PC in order to produce a demo for an audition for the Academy of Contemporary Music (Guildford) to study Music Production (age 16), whereby he went on to procure a Diploma in Contemporary Music Production. Almost prophetically at the same time he was expelled from school.

A year later he was putting on his first drum & bass nights in Guildford, Surrey showcasing the talents of local DJs and producers. However, the night was shut down after 3 openings due to the strict and blinkered views of the local council (in their eyes drum & bass encouraged violent behaviour and drug abuse.) Tom has since been determined to overthrow such stereotypes and strive to push a more sophisticated and wholesome approach in his conduct within the scene. The council's actions pushed his drum & bass crew out of the town centre whereby they started a wave of extravagant parties with the infamous Hydrophonic and Skycast sound systems tearing up every local neighbourhood on a weekly basis. A new chapter in Tom's musical path was about to begin.

In the same year Tom ran successful nights as far afield as Edinburgh and at the age of 18 moved to Brighton to study a digital music degree. It was here that he focused heavily on honing his production and engineering skills whilst simultaneously etching his way into the Brighton scene, using it as a hub for his musical and creative outlets. It was also here that the precociously talented Tom Mundell began to realise his dream of releasing music and Metrik was born.

Understanding that the market was at saturation point, with new music continually flooding through, Tom also developed new skills to promote his music to a wider audience. Using the empowerment of the internet he created and designed his own MySpace page and further became an active presence on the most popular internet forums, making sure his records were in the showcases. It was through such an internet music portal that A&R from Splinter Productions came across his records and invited him in for a meeting in their London office. Seeing Tom's raw potential they developed a working relationship, which continues to this day and helped him to achieve his dream by releasing his first record. In 2006, Metrik was signed to genre-boundary pushing techno / drum & bass label, Collective and his remix of Jesper Dahlback's globally acclaimed techno smasher, 'Murder Was The Bass', was received with massive success. This led to remixing for French electronica band Undergang later that year and by 2007 he had released on other leading labels including Intrinsic Recordings, with the epic liquid funk anthem, 'Your World' which went straight to number one on the Beatport's download charts and sold out on vinyl worldwide. Not to be outdone, Metrik has further found admirers across the whole drum n bass spectrum and once contacted by Futurebound has now become a member of the highly rated Viper Recordings collective to channel his new ideas and releases.

Simultaneously, Metrik's rise behind the decks has seen him travel further afield, headlining parties across the UK, holding down a residency in Brighton, DJing at Renegade Hardware and Hospital Records events and playing out in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, Austria and Poland whilst a US tour is planned for later in the year. Indeed with a string of new releases such as 'Stranger', 'Zero Gravity' and 'Moving On' for Viper's VIP label as well as Collective releases lined up such as 'Push' and 'Immortality', a set of techno collaborations with Jel Ford simmering away including a remix of Adam Beyer and longterm future plans to develop a live act and work with more vocalists and collaborators, Metrik's name will soon become indelibly etched across the face of contemporary electronic music.

DJ Support:
DJ Fresh, The Brookes Brothers, Jenna G, Krissy Kriss, Sub Focus, Bad Company UK, Matrix & Futurebound, Dieselboy, Danny Byrd, Blu Mar Ten, Unknown Error, Nookie, Drumsound & Simon Bassline Smith, Logistics, Sparfunk, Shock One & LAOS.

Radio Support:
BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Asian Network, Ministry Of Sound & Kool FM.

Quotes:"
Your World has been the highlight of my sets since I got it... if I didn't know too much about Metrik before, then I certainly do now. Massive!" - Futurebound

"Send it to DJ Fresh!" - London Elektricity

"Big up Intrinsic for signing 'Your World', we've been playing it loads... that tune is rockin!" - Brookes Brothers

Discography:
ELPC008A: DK8 - Murder Was The Bass (Metrik Remix)
ELPC008AA: Metrik ft. Scotja - Thru The Night
NOY001A: Metrik Vs. Grace - Not Over Yet (Light Bootleg)
NOY001AA: Metrik Vs. Grace - Not Over Yet (Dark Bootleg)
INTRINSIC008A: Metrik - Your World
INTRINSIC008AA: Metrik - Into The Future
COLLECTIVELTD001A: Metrik - Tenia
COLLECTIVELTD001AA: Metrik - Bad Future

Forthcoming:
Metrik - Push [Collective]
Metrik - Immortality [Collective]
Metrik - Push (Jade Remix) [Collective]
Metrik - Immortality (Inside Info Remix) [Collective]
Metrik - Stranger [Viper Recordings]
Metrik - Moving On [Viper Recordings]
Metrik - Zero Gravity [Viper Recordings]
Metrik - Technicolour [Viper Recordings]
Metrik - Maximum Security [TBC]
Metrik - Hyper Reality [TBC]
Metrik & Soulmatic - Reflections [TBC]

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