This is episode 57 with Korey, Funky Phil. Our guest this week is Thomas Lang. Thomas Lang, a native of Vienna/Austria took up drumming at the age of 5. In addition to lessons at local music schools and years of private tuition, he attended the Vienna Conservatory of Music.

Thomas started working with popular Austrian and European artists in the mid-80's, touring and recording extensively with artists such as Etta Scollo, Stefanie Werger, Boris Bukowski, Erste

Allgemeine Verunsicherung, Falco and many more. After leaving Vienna for London/England in 1990, Thomas started working his way through the global music scene.

SIDEMAN

Thomas Lang has worked with Paul Gilbert (Racer X/Mr. Big), John Wetton (Asia/King Crimson), Robert Fripp, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), UK, Eddie Jobson, Robbie Williams, Kelly Clarkson, Sugababes, Geri Halliwell, Emma Burton (“Baby Spice”),Victoria Beckham (“Posh Spice”), Ronan Keating, Steve Hackett (Genesis), Boyzone, 911, Falco, Nina Hagen, Steve Jones, Mick Jones (The Clash), The Commodores, George Michael, Doogie White (Rainbow), Bill Liesegang, The Blockheads, Gianna Nannini, Sertab Erener, Jens Lindemann, Vienna Art Orchestra, Bonnie Tyler, Save The Robots, StOrk, Terabite, Schwarzenator, Vinnie Valentino, Gregg Howe, Page Hamilton (Helmet), Mark Bonilla (Montrose) and many more.

ARTIST

Lang’s 1995 solo release “Mediator” topped the charts in Europe and garnered rave reviews for its innovative Jazz/Dance/Prog Rock sound. He has since released multiple solo albums and collaborations including “Something Along The Lines (2002), Yumaflex (2008), StOrk (2009), StOrk “Broken Pieces” (2013), Terabite (2010), Robo Sapiens (2018), Progpop (2019).

SUPER DRUMMER

Lang is considered to be one of the world's greatest drummers. His playing is highly technical, powerful and dynamic. He is known for his ability to play anything he plays with his hands, also with his feet on a multi-pedal setup. His playing often incorporates layers of complex rhythms that require a level of independence that is rarely seen. Lang has been voted "The World's Greatest Drummer" in 2007 by Rhythm Magazine and has been named one of the "Best 25 Drummers Of All Time", winning awards and accolades from critics and peers for more than three decades.

SOLO PERFORMER AND CLINICIAN

Thomas has headlined every major international drum festival and has toured the world many times over as a solo performer. In 2004, Lang completed the largest drum clinic tour the world had ever seen (220 clinics in 48 countries). Lang appeared multiple times at the most prestigious drum festivals on the planet over the past 20 years, including the Modern Drummer Festival, Australia’s Ultimate Drummer’s Weekend, PASIC, DRUM Night, Laguna Beach Drum Fest, La Roja Drum Festival, The Meinl Drum Festival, The Ultimate Drum Experience, Seoul Drum Fest, Sacheon Drum Fest, Opole Drum Festival and dozens more.

COMPOSER, WRITER, PRODUCER

Thomas Lang has written and produced a string of solo albums but is also very active as a writer and producer on other artist’s albums. Lang shows his stylistic bandwidth as a writer and producer of all

genres including multi-platinum selling Pop artist “Falco”.

AUTHOR, EDUCATOR

Lang’s original practice-regime eventually became the basis for his 2-part series of instructional videos “Ultimatives Schlagzeug Part I and II” which were originally released in 1995.

Due to overwhelming demand, these videos were re-released in 2004 by Hudson Music (www.hudsonmusic.com) In 2003 Lang released the multi-award winning instructional DVD and book “Creative Control” which was an instant hit with drummers and drum teachers around the world. In November 2006 Lang released another multi-award winning DVD and book “Creative Coordination

And Advanced Foot Techniques” (www.halleonard.com) which has set a new standard in contemporary

drumming techniques. This work is considered to be milestone achievement in the worldwide drumming community.

Thomas’ musty-pedal orchestrations, incredible independence, sheer power and his ground-breaking advanced foot technique have inspired legions of drummers around the globe. Lang’s instructional DVD’s topped the instructional DVD charts for years between 2003 and 2009 and his method books and DVD’s remain Best-sellers to this day. In 2007 Lang officially launched his “Drumming Bootcamps” which were an instant success with

educational events all over the world. Lang has since taken this award-winning educational concept to 35 countries and has hosted more than 120 of these camps worldwide. In 2011, Lang launched the annual Los Angeles-based camp “The Big Drum Bonanza” and started the “Big Drum Bonanza Theme Song Play-Along Contest” which became the largest international online drumming contest within just 2 years. Thomas is a frequent guest tutor at universities, drum seminars and drum camps all over the world.

Lang also owns an online drum school (www.thomaslangsdrumuniverse.com)

NINE BEATS USA

Lang and is the co-owner of "Nine Beats USA", a Los Angeles based franchise of drum-and music schools that originates in Tianjin/China. Nine Beats is the world's largest franchise of music schools with over 250,000 students, 7000 drum teachers and schools in over 1000 locations in China. In early 2019, together with Nine Beats founder Mr. Li Hongyu, Nine Beats USA started operations expanding the franchise in North and South America. Lang's wife Elizabeth Lang, a 30-year veteran of global music publicity and marketing services, is CEO of Nine Beats USA. Headquartered in Oak Park, California, Nine Beats is a physical drum school, head office and audio/video production facility where Thomas Lang creates instructional content for Nine Beats Apps and websites.

SPONSORS AND SIGNATURE PRODUCTS

In his quest to “play the unplayed”, Thomas has worked collaboratively with the research and development team at Meinl Cymbals to create his own line of signature cymbals. His “Tom’s Becken”- range is a pitch-matched series of contemporary crash cymbals that provide acoustic and electronic/ hybrid drummers with modern sounds that resemble artificially engineered cymbal samples. Launched in 2002, “Tom’s Becken” were so well received that in 2004 Thomas Lang worked with Meinl once again to

design his signature “Fast Hats” and a series of “Filter Chinas” (www.meinlcymbals.com). In 2017, Meinl released Lang's latest signature product, the "Thomas Lang Super Stack". Other Thomas Lang signature products are Vic Firth’s “Thomas Lang Signature” drum stick (www.vicfirth.com) and the "Thomas Lang Signature practice pads" by Meinl. Lang also holds a stake in “Drumtacs”, a unique drum-muffling system and is heavily involved in research and development of new products with all his sponsors.

Thomas Lang endorses DW drums, Meinl Cymbals, Vic Firth drum sticks, Remo drum heads, Audix microphones, Roland V-drums and electronics, QSC speakers and amps, Klotz cables and accessories,

Ahead Armor cases, Queens Guard accessories, Puresound snare wires, Drumtacs mufflers and Tuner Fish lug locks.

AWARDS

1999, 2001: Best Studio Drummer (Rhythm magazine)

2002: Best Pop Drummer, Best All-Around Drummer (Rhythm Magazine)

2002: Best Drummer (Drums And Percussion Magazine)

2003: Best Clinician (Modern Drummer Magazine)

2004: best DVD, Best Clinician runner Up, best Drummer runner up (Modern Drummer Magazine)

2004: Best DVD, Best signature product, Best Drummer (Drummer Magazine) Best Studio Drummer (Rhythm Magazine), Best Recorded Drum Performance (Sticks Magazine),

2005: Best Pop Drummer, Best Clinician, Best Solo SDrum performance (Rhythm magician), Best DVD, best All-Around Drummer, Best Drum Event (Drummer magazine), Best Drum Clinician (DRUM Magazine), Best Drumming Video/DVD (DRUM Magazine)

2006: Best DVD, Best Drummer (Rhythm Magazine)

2007: best DVD, Best Drummer (Rhythm Magazine, Modern Drummer Magazine) Aurora Gold Award

2007 (Best Video Production), Best Clinician 2007 (Modern Drummer Magazine).

2008: Best Educator/Clinician (Modern Drummer Magazine), Best Clinician (DRUM Magazine)

2015: Best Educator/Clinician (Modern Drummer Magazine)

2016: Best Educator/Clinician (Modern Drummer Magazine)

2017: Best Educator/Clinician (Modern Drummer Magazine, Rhythm magazine)

2018: Best Educator/Clinician (Modern Drummer Magazine)

We had a ton of fun on this episode. Lots of laughs, different view points, Korey's Soapbox and more!

For more info on Thomas please visit:

http://www.thomaslangdrummer.com

http://www.thomaslangsdrumuniverse.com