09 TIMMY TRUMPET

09 TIMMY TRUMPET
UP 1

Style:
“Lunatic.”
Best known for:
“Playing trumpet live during my DJ sets.”
Tune of the year:
“David Guetta, Morten, John Martin ‘Impossible’.”

From: Sydney, Australia

Rising star DJ/producer of 2021: “Shouse.”

Australian musician, DJ, songwriter and record producer Timothy Jude Smith is better known by his stage name Timmy Trumpet. An accomplished musician, Timmy won ‘Young Musician of the Year’ when he was just 13 then progressed to lead trumpet in the Australian All-Star Stage Band, beginning his music career playing at some of the world’s most famous jazz festivals.

He first got into dance music by playing his trumpet along to Daft Punk on the radio, then having a series of releases on Australia’s Hussle Recordings in 2011. By 2019 he had joined the top-level EDM DJ circuit, appearing on releases by the likes of Steve Aoki and DJing at events like Tomorrowland, Ultra and Creamfields. Timmy plays and produces huge festival-EDM tunes, from hardstyle to more pop-flavoured electro-house, all topped off of course with his live trumpet playing, and it’s a combination that has won him a massive global fanbase.

Timmy recently appeared live at the Top 100 DJs virtual festival for UNICEF, playing an hour of entirely unreleased material. Prior to clubs and festivals reopening, the Australian has been “spending time with family and friends, writing, producing, and getting more involved in the blockchain technology space”. Now emerged from lockdown, he is getting right back on the DJing circuit, bringing his high-octane DJing, live trumpet soloing and unforgettable dance moves to some of the world’s biggest stages.

Timmy’s had another prolific twelve months in terms of production. He kicked off the year in inimitable TT-style by releasing the frankly bonkers ‘Tarantino’ featuring STARX with Steve Aoki, a trumpet-laden hardstyle re-make of Dick Dale’s ‘Misirlou’ from the Reservoir Dogs film. He appeared on Flo Rida’s super-catchy ‘Summer’s Not Ready’ track alongside INNA and also collaborated with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike with Edward Maya on the summer anthem ‘Feel Your Love’. DV & LM’s Smash The House label was also home to Timmy’s extremely catchy vocal track featuring Lovespeake, ‘Another Level’.

On the remix front he put his signature sound on Faul and Wad Ad with PNAU’s ‘Changes’, and the hardstyle/electro-swing hybrid of his Steve Aoki ‘Mambo’ remix was big for him this year too. Timmy also put his magic remix touch on Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike’s Pink re-work ‘Get In Trouble’, creating an epic dayglo crowd-pleaser. Talking of re-works, this year Mr Trumpet also dropped his skyscraper-sized version of the ’90s Felix classic ‘Don’t You Want Me’ on Armada Music in July too.

2021 also saw Timmy put out a searing collaboration with Armin van Buuren in the shape of their Latin-flavoured ‘Anita’, he released ‘Camelot’ featuring San Jose rockers Smash Mouth, and if that wasn’t enough he went live on TikTok for the first time this year to his two million followers. And his plans for the next 12 months? Timmy answers in his inimitable style: “Touring again now that the world is opening up. I can’t wait to be back on stage! Let’s rage!”

How was your first gig back after lockdown? 

“Unbelievable. It was the biggest global event since lockdown and the energy was electric.”

How have the last 18 months changed how you view your work/life balance? 

“It’s definitely changed my perspective on the importance of looking after yourself, both mentally and physically.”

What further steps should the industry take to combat climate change? 

“I don’t have the answers, but I know we all need to do much more.”

What’s the best bit of tech you’ve added to your studio or DJ setup this year? 

“I finally treated my studio with some Primacoustic London panels instead of my old mattress and pillows.”

What’s the best album you’ve heard this year? 

“Illenium ‘Fallen Embers’.”