Summer may be winding down, but we’re still in the midst of festival season — and one of the absolute rulers of the main stage circuit is the horn-tooting Timmy Trumpet, who’s risen through the ranks via a collab-heavy stream of bigger-than-big tunes and an onstage personality to match. But Mr. Trumpet (Tim Smith to his mom and pop) has more going on behind the image than you might expect, with an extensive background in classical and jazz musicianship that has served him well. He’s as fun to talk to as you might expect, but in conversation he proves himself to be thoughtful, humble and grateful for the success that’s come his way over the past decade, as he takes time out of his packed schedule to fill us in on how he got to where he is today.
Omni Rutledge comes at production from a polar-opposite direction — the world of chiptune compositions. Yet though video games and animation soundtracks are an undeniable influence on the music he produces under the omniboi banner, there are underlying hints of jazz in his output, too. With an EP on Nettwerk on the way, one that hints at a more dancefloor-oriented side of the omniboi sound, we thought it might be a good idea to check in with the LA-based artist to discover just what he’s all about. And as always, we’ve packed as much as we possibly can into our pages, including music reviews, tech news, festival visits, a wide range of interviews and a whole lot more.
One more thing: Just over 50 years ago, on August 11, 1973, for a back-to-school celebration for his sister Cindy, Clive Campbell booked the rec room1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, set up two turntables, two amps and two speaker columns — and on that day, the man otherwise known as DJ Kool Herc muscled what soon came to be known as hip- hop into existence. Happy belated semicentennial birthday to all!
Bruce Tantum
Editor