ShockOne: Drumming Up a Storm

During Imagine Festival, we had the wonderful opportunity of sitting down with ShockOne (real name Karl Thomas) for an interview after his set at the Monstercat Stage (which by the way, was Drum and Bass heaven). This Drum and Bass extraordinaire hails from Perth, Australia where Drum and Bass abounds due to the UK music culture influence. He grew up going to warehouse raves during his teenage years, and it was at one of these raves at 17 years old that he stumbled upon and fell in love with Drum and Bass. “I expected them to play trance,” he said, but by the end of the night, he was sold. Although Drum and Bass is very popular in Australia, he explains that the genre can be a hit or miss in the US and he hopes to help make it more popular.

His music journey began as a metal drummer, including a stint in Xygen with future Pendulum members Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen. Launching his ShockOne project in 2005, he introduced a unique Drum and Bass sound that has a blend between Electro House, Drum and Bass, and Dubstep. He has cited that being based in Perth has allowed him to develop his sound without being swayed by trends. In addition to creating a unique sound, he has collaborated and performed alongside legendary acts like Koven and Pendulum, which has further solidified his reputation as a trailblazer in Drum and Bass.

During the interview, we covered mental health and how he prefers to unwind and balance life. He champions self-kindness as the antidote to the toxic tie between creativity and self-worth, and stresses how crucial it is be kind to oneself.

It’s very important to have a kind and constructive conversation with [himself]…it’s very easy to…fall into the trappings of your entire identity tied up in your creative output. If ShockOne is making shitty songs, then Karl is a shitty person…and I had to make that distinction early on, that ShockOne is something I do and not something that I am. I show up and I put in the work, and I’m not going to judge me for that, and learning to be kinder to myself.

As a Creative, he stresses that professionalism and curiosity are the important dynamic duo that drives success. And with a music career that’s taken him on a whirlwind journey across time zones, he’s learned to prioritize self-care and healthy habits to keep his creative spark shining bright

“The important thing is to keep showing up. Okay you’re having a shit day, call it. Do something else. Sitting in a room with no windows for 8-10 hours is not a healthy environment”

Watch the full interview below, and stay tuned for his 3rd, full-length LP called ‘A Dark Machine‘, which will be releasing early 2024 on his label Time Machine Recordings. The LP is about exploring the conversation between the part of you that you can’t have a conversation with: the subconscious.

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