Proof that music journalists are sometimes good for something, Thomas Koch, a.k.a. DJ T, made his true mark in the industry by founding Groove magazine some 20 years ago. With Koch at the helm as editor and publisher, it quickly became the bible in his native Germany for everything related to electronic music culture. But Koch was probably more happy behind the decks than behind a keyboard, having first fallen in love with hip-hop and early electro in the '80s. By the early '90s, he was spinning acid house and techno in the important taste-making underground venues of his native Berlin, and in 1999 with friends opened his own venue, Monza.
But what American audiences might know and love DJ T best for is his co-founding, in 2002, of the Berlin-based Get Physical label. With his friends in M.A.N.D.Y. and Booka Shade, he's been influential in creating the stable's electro-house sound. It manages the fancy hat trick of being dancefloor-filling while also being smart, funky, and beloved by the underground. His current tour celebrates the release of his new artist album, The Inner Jukebox, and each stop is being broadcast live on the Internet. Get excited by listening to the dates leading up to his Miami stop, on either awdio.com or beatportal.com.
DJ T. With William Renuart and Andres Amadeus. Wednesday, November 25. Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance from residentadvisor.net, $20 at the door. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-456-5613
