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Organic electronica spun on drumsticks

Hermit instrumentalizes dance beats with band and vocals

Who: The Hermit

When: Saturday, April 15

Where: Whistler Concert Series Mainstage

Where: Skier’s Plaza

Admission: Free

Feeling unsatisfied as a session drummer with more than five projects going on at once, none of them his, Hamish Thomson decided to go out on his own and live out his passions for break-beat, drum ’n’ bass and electronica.

Instead of computers, the musician turned to his weapons of choice: an old jazz kit with modern pats and a toaster oven!

"I went into the Baker Street studio to see what would happen. It was basically an experiment which came together in layers and layers of sound. I used toaster ovens, (an organ) with distortion pedals, anything I could think of. Just layer upon layers of sound… As a drummer, I am not into full on electronic beats, I want to be in there and hit the skins."

Thomson’s first album, Flying Out of Solitude, was born along with the five-piece The Hermit band, opening for Blackstring at the Whistler Concert Series Saturday, April 15 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the outdoor mainstage located in Skier’s Plaza.

Five years later, The Hermit is now signed with Nettwerk Production’s boutique label Nutone, has produced a total of three albums and received multiple West Coast Music Award nominations, including Best Independent Release, Male Artist of the Year and Best Electronica Release.

If you close your eyes, listeners might expect a turntable computer team rather than a full band of vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. However, Thomson isn’t afraid to throw some spinning vinyl into the mix at his live shows.

"We are really big on the remix thing and being a live band," he said. "Twelve inch (records) are another way to connect with the crowd whose life and blood is through vinyl."

The team of Thomson, keyboardist Robert Mitchell, bassist John Frederiksen, guitarist Mike Rogerson and a rotating cast of guest vocals weaves a musical journey, moving through both charted and uncharted territory, to produce a truly organic electronic experience.