Thomas Schumacher – 8 Years Get Physical Music review

Like the crew that owns and runs Get Physical, Thomas Schumacher is a veteran of German’s electronic music community. It’s no surprise then that his compilation and mix to help celebrate Get Physical’s eighth birthday alternates between old and new material as well as taking some unexpected steps along the way.

Schumacher captures the penchant among former minimal producers for house grooves with the inclusion of the dubbed out drums of Lee Curtiss’ “The Disco Dub” and the rolling rhythm of Delete’s “Lunchbox” and he shows own production prowess in this area with the glorious, disco-tinged “You Got Me”. However, Schumacher is also clearly proud of his past achievements, and midway through the mix, his electro house anthem, “Pleasure Seeker” as Elektrochemie appears. On the subject of electro, fans of the ‘real’ sound of Detroit will be enthused by his inclusion of Kris Wadsworth’s “It’s Time”, which breaks into old school 808 drums and shuffling claps.

Schumacher is also to be commended for another unexpected turn; after dropping the resonating, building chords of Booka Shade’s “Superman”, he then switches to the reflective piano-led pop of Noze’s “Kitchen”, followed by introspective moments from Lazarus, Raz Ohara and DJ T. It’s only in the closing section that Schumacher reverts to the dance floor with the 80s synths and gurgling acid of Lopazz’s “Wasted Days”. It’s an unusual journey, but we should expect nothing less from one of Europe’s most unpredictable DJs.

Richard Brophy