Tom Middleton’s love for music is readily apparent to anyone who has had the chance to hear and see him perform. He simply exudes an infectious enthusiasm for his craft from behind the decks by bringing a healthy supply of positive energy, a warm smile, and impeccable music selection. That’s made Tom a beloved fixture at pre-eminent nightclubs and discerning music festivals around the world.

Many DJs pay lip service to being “eclectic”, but Tom is a proud example of that philosophy put into practice; sporting an encyclopedic knowledge of electronic music stretching from chillout and ambient to house and techno, with drum & bass, hip-hop, and plenty else in between. For proof, just look at his two separate sets – both chillout and peaktime – that he played at September’s inaugural Electric Zoo Festival. He can connect the dots and make the unexpected sound familiar like no other.

Tom is back in New York this Saturday, October 24th. He’s headlining Sullivan Room, and after playing a glorious deep house journey for Basic NYC’s 5-year anniversary bash in April, we’re excited to hear where the Jedi steers the dancefloor this time around.

When you came to Sullivan Room in April, you had just released “One More Tune.” You’ve always been well-known for your inventive compilations. How do you come up with the ideas for these? What’s the next one you’ve got coming up?

They start life on my laptop as iTunes playlists. I have initial ideas about compilations and start going deep into research, which I love.

The whole exploration of a concept, discovering the roots, the chronology and evolution of a style of music, learning about the masters of a genre. It’s an educational and inspirational journey for me. There are all kinds of starting points for my next compilations.

I’m piecing together a couple of new ones right now. Looking into sensual pleasures. I’m really keen to do a dinner party/degustation/restaurant soundtrack.

Relaxing, chilled music to aid digestion! I find the music in a lot of restaurants to be utterly inappropriate. The tempo is invariably too fast, which inadvertently makes you chew and swallow faster, and not savour the food….indigestion time!

Also, having recently compiled a tempo specific workout mix for Men’s Health, it gave me an idea; the ultimate blend of erotic, sensual and seductive sex-tracks. Tempo tested for bedroom athletics…one energetic CD for hot, passionate quickies that builds in tempo and a really beautiful laidback CD for post orgasmic chilling…yes seriously!

Diversity is a big part of what you do as a DJ, from straight up house and dance music to chillout, and more leftfield music. You can really do it all. Is there one style you love playing more than others? Do you find it a challenge to stay on top of so much music?

I love being an “eclectrician”, immersing myself in the whole world of sound and the history of music. It’s a vast and ever-expanding realm of aural delights for me. It is challenging staying on top of every genre, but with bloggers, broadcasters, podcasters and tastemakers helping to select and spot the nuggets, it helps refine down the choices and gives you clues to exploring further.

I love intimate venues, with receptive audiences such as Basic NYC. It’s a joy and a privilege to play those rooms, rocking it out at peak time with dirty beats, then digging out the most exquisite pieces of deep, sexy and sensual house music to play in the last 2 hours of a 4 hour set. Perfect!

Speaking of diversity, you played two separate sets at New York’s inaugural Electric Zoo festival in September. You play at tons of European festivals every year, so what did you think of the first-ever Electric Zoo?

Congratulations to Mike Bindra and Laura de Palma for an awesome debut festival with a stellar line up in a fantastic location. The hospitality was exceptional, the sound amazing, and most importantly a warm, friendly and receptive audience. I loved scooting around the site on the back of a golf buggy, diving in to the different tents for a quick taste of whoever was on, absorbing the whole experience in the few hours I was there. I’m sure everyone who attended will agree it was an electric vibe. I really hope Electric Zoo continues for years to come.

Was it your idea to play the two sets at Electric Zoo? How did you prepare for each one? Tell us about finding that Bobby Darin record you played at the chillout set!

I was invited to play the additional opening Sunday set by the organizers Mike and Laura, who know and trust my varied styles. It was a privilege to play two sets, so I spent a lot of time preparing for both. The chillout set was really fun and an amazing opportunity to really dig deep and find some appropriate Sunny Sunday afternoon in New York songs, such as the Bobby Darin tune, which I heard years ago but never thought I’d ever have the chance to play it in a set! Equally with the club set on Sunday after Frankie Knuckles, I wanted to tune into the vibe of the tent but also add my own cheeky festival flavours. I debuted my remix of Paloma Faith’s “New York” track, which I wrote with the festival and Basic NYC in mind. A future anthem to play whenever I’m in NY. There aren’t many DJ’s who dare to play House, Techno, Electro, Breaks, Dubstep, Drum and Bass and Rock in one set, but it’s kind of my trademark for festivals! I love building the energy and drama of a set up to tearing Drum & Bass tempo, then ending on a classic TM One More Tune: my remix Blur’s “Song 2.”

For those who haven’t had been able to visit any others, what’s your absolute favorite festival you play at and why?

I play at The Big Chill festival in the grounds of Eastnor Castle every year which is always something I look forward to. It’s a beautiful blend of great live acts, quality DJs, delicious food, art installations and mad sideshows. Every year I do a different set. Last year was a celebration of 20 years of House music, which was legendary…imagine dropping Candi Staton’s ‘You Got The Love’ and having 40,000 people all putting their hands up in the air and singing along! Classic! And this year I played a One More Tune’s set, but unusually following celebrity stand up comedians…so when I climbed on stage everyone was sitting down! But if you have a look on Be@TV (http://www.be-at.tv /) you’ll see it didn’t take long to get everyone dancing!

With Sullivan Room twice, and Electric Zoo, this is the third time you’ve been playing in New York this year. What’s your favorite thing about coming to New York, and what do you think of the crowds here?

I could gush about my love of New York for hours. It’s one of my favourite places on Earth. The mix of cultures, the relentless energy, the nightlife, the stunning global cuisine (that’s a whole page in itself), the Museums and Art Galleries. But you don’t need me to tell you how mega NYC is! I think the varied music heritage, the innovation that’s been going on, the appreciation, consumption and hunger for newness and progress has bred a really switched on generation of party people. Just think about all the incredible music scenes and genres born in the various suburbs of NY.

I’ve explored and followed Jazz, Salsa,Funk, Disco, Boogie, Punk, Garage, Hip Hop, House music and all the new strains of Alternative, Indie and Electronic music forms..and I’m still learning and discovering!

Anyone who has seen you play can tell you’re all about interacting with the crowd, chatting on the mic, really getting them involved with what you’re doing. Have you always been like that as a DJ, or is it something you kind of had to work on a bit?

It seems to come naturally. I’m not fazed by playing to 100 people or 100,000. Equally I’m happy to say what I feel. And to catalyze the energy, warm the soul and get things moving. I feel it’s so important to communicate with your audience, to find a simple connection through the unity of dancing and celebrating together. That weekly nocturnal urban tribal ritual we all love. I believe DJs have a social responsibility to entertain, educate and to spiritually nourish the audience with music that resonates on a deeper level than just loud and impressive productions. I select music like a Sommelier would choose wine, personally picking out those choice nuggets. And I try to seamlessly mix the familiar with the unknown, and give new context to classic tunes.

One of the big remixes you did recently was Orbital’s “Halcyon On + On.” Such a seminal, classic track for so many years now. How did you approach that particular mix? Was it a challenge for you to remix such a well-known record?

I was asked which track from the Orbital catalogue I’d love to remix. and Halcyon was my first choice. I’m a friend of Kirsty Hawkshaw, who provided the vocals, and have had the original 12” in my record box for years without removing it. It’s a beauty to start with, so embellishing the emotional content was just an instinctive process.

My approach to music making really is all about communication of pure emotions in sound. It’s important that you’re feeling the music with heart and soul or you can’t really take an original anywhere new.

I simply followed my heart, took those goosebumps moments from the original that touched me and gave them a fresh dancefloor perspective. the original bassline evolved into a fat stacked synth pad and that sweet guitar loop carried the groove along. I was able to warp, twist, smudge and abstract Kirsty’s vocal but pull it out of the mix to the fore in the drops as I felt they where the most prominent and memorable part of the original. It all came together very quickly which I love about certain pieces. Just an organic flowing process with a logical conclusion. I’m VERY happy with the result!

Now, let’s hear about how you, Layo & Bushwacka! and a few others remixed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for a Sony Ericcson product launch. What was this all about, and what was your contribution to it?

What a fascinating and insightful day that was! In collaboration with my manager; Ben Turner, we brainstormed some of the ingredients that would make for an interesting but challenging musical experiment. To celebrate the launch of the Sony Ericsson Satio and Aino phones, in one day, remix a classic to give it new context, marrying four producers with four vocalists and have the staggeringly talented Heritage Orchestra and The Bays accompany. It would have to be rehearsed during the day with only 90 minutes per team and then performed in one take in front of an audience of both press and public. Vivaldi’s Four Season was a great place to start as it was already in four movements and the themes are some of the most well known and loved in classical music. Pressure was on and the clock ticking. I teamed up with UK Urban artist Kano, and we worked on Spring. I took the key three phrases to become looped sections for Kano to freestyle over. The brief for the vocalists was a modern day love story evolving over the seasons. So Kano’s lyrics had to reflect this narrative in some way. We also had actors delivering a story in between the Season remixes, DJ Yoda cutting up footage that was shot on the new phones. A veriable AV spectacular! Check out the launch site online to get an insight into what it was all about and watch the final performances.

Your last time at Sullivan Room for the Basic NYC 5-year anniversary was really something special. What can we expect for the second go-around?

For me too! One of the most rewarding sets I’ve played in years. Just flowed really naturally and I couldn’t stop! Sleepy & Boo play awesome music and are such wonderful hosts. I had too much fun! Had to go super deep in the last two hours and share those really incredible, utterly spellbinding tracks of beauty that rarely get club plays these days. And the best crowd in NYC, smiles all around!

This time it’s called Return of the Jedi so I’m going to pull out some appropriate Space themed tunes to throw into the blend, plus there’s still hours and hours of beautiful music in the ‘record box’ to dig through and share. With a such a wonderful and appreciative audience and the nicest DJ duo on Earth hosting the event it will be a fun night!

In honor of the “One More Tune” mix, what’s your favorite “one more tune” end of the nighter these days?

I’ll go one better or ten in this case..Here’s a selection of festival one more tune anthems!

The Prodigy ‘Out Of Space’ (Drum & Bass version)
Calvin Harris ‘Ready For The Weekend’ (High Contrast Version)
Dizzy Rascal ‘Bonkers’ (Doorly dubstep version)
Blur ‘Song 2’ (Tom Middleton Whoomp mash up)
Orbital ‘Halcyon’ (Tom Middleton remodel)
Groove Armada ‘Superstylin’ (Krafty Kuts Breakbeat-Dubstep mash up)
Talking Heads ‘Once In A Lifetime’
The Police ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’
The Stone Roses ‘Fools Gold’
Franz Ferdinand/The Scissor Sisters ‘Take Me Out’ (Daft Punk/Tom Middleton mash up