Connections with Andrew Thomson

2 years on and I’m reposting this in memory of Jack. This was recorded days after his passing and the weeks that followed were pretty surreal. His funeral was easily one of the best days in recent memory, a genuine celebration of a life that was lived to the absolute fullest. It left a lasting impact on me, renewing my gratitude for the people I’ve been fortunate enough to have in my life and reminding me why I got involved in the music scene in the first place. Real human connections that fell back into place as if no time had passed and was a reminder of what has been lost through the passage of turbulent times.It felt like a risk to express some of these feelings publicly at the time. As many also felt similarly, I’ve been curious about why we felt so unable to do so when it mattered..Jack has been on my mind lately, I recently revisited his old flat to help his brother move, which was a surreal experience packing up memories. Moving in more ways than one! At the same time, I have also been thinking about the work of Darren McGarvey around masculinity and also the vulnerabilities of those in the public eye. While conversations around sobriety and mental health initiatives have increased in recent years, I haven’t seen too much of this type of conversation happening within the music world itself.Jack was elevated to a position of influence because of his ability and magnetic personality. He was well equipped for the emerging age of social media and following him was entertaining - long before content making was even a thing. He often laid bare his insecurities as much as his cocky bravado and as a result, was more accessible and engaged across a variety of scenes than the generations of DJ’s that came before him. With as many hot takes as the proverbial hot dinners, the music media loved him too and had great fun sharing his various antics, cheering on and elevating the same behaviour that they would soon go on to decry.While I don’t wish to minimise or relitigate his actions from the summer of 2018 - something Jack copped to and attempted to make his amends - it is worth looking back on that particular era and what was else was going on in the background. At the time of Trump’s first term, Weinstein, Epstein, Time’s Up!, #metoo, there was a great deal of collective anger and frustration sweeping through the world at large and the idea of being cancelled was still a relatively new concept to grapple with. The worldwide 24/7 football phone-in as we now know it, was only just beginning to hit its stride. Comment is free and incentivised.At the same time, a needed push for female representation meant that the lad culture long upheld by the male-dominated music press suddenly became toxic overnight. And so, Jack was quickly cast aside as an emblem of the straight white privileged male menace by the same press, fans and friends who once adored him and felt betrayed for his inability to be a pillar of virtue and the life and soul of any party.I’ve felt conflicted about this zero-sum framing, as despite his visible success story and his fair share of blame, there was clearly a lot of vulnerability going on, a side of Jack that also made him so endearing in the first place. For better or worse, he displayed his authenticity long before it became a requirement. He seemed to be in awe at my comfort speaking to female friends, which seemed strange as he struck me as being more than socially capable. I realise on reflection, that in many ways he was just a wee guy trying to figure out his way in the world, seeking validation and approval and no less equipped to handle fame, relationships, friendships, substances or life than anyone else. It’s unfashionable to consider complexities and nuance these days, but there is another side to his story that gets overlooked. Jack was a working-class school dropout who lost his mother early and largely grew up relying on the support of his friends. He built his career the old-fashioned way, propelled by emerging technology, raw talent, a gift for networking, boundless enthusiasm, and impeccable timing. He was elevated to the headiest of heights in a scene which glamourised partying and adored one of their own to make it.Yet the unwritten rules were impossible: Don’t f**k it up. Get on a plane and detach yourself from reality, with people you’ve never met to look out for you. Don’t f**k it up. We haven’t booked you to be the sober guy. Don’t f**k it up. You’ve got a platform now. Don’t f**k it up. Don’t f**k it up - if you do, there will be no redemption for the likes of you.Some of this can by summed up in an anecdote I have around the filming of a short documentary for a London based platform, made for the 10th anniversary of H+P. A camera guy went round to Jack’s flat to record some questions about how we knew each other, his support of the label, etc. Jack recorded about 40 minutes heaping praise in my direction - only for the finished cut to be reduced to one jokey line ‘What does Huntleys + Palmers mean to me? F**k all!’ An opener that was clearly a strain of Glaswegian humour that required a bit of grounding before being earnest. Without the ensuing sincerity included, this remark presents him as being reductive and snide. Unfortunately my efforts to address this misrepresentation fell on deaf ears. It was already awkies enough having people take part in something that was full of flattery, but I still feel Jack was done dirty, as the saying goes. I’ve often thought about this portrayal, I’m sure there were other instances like this, and what effect it has on the individual when they are reduced to one dimensional caricatures of themselves.The outpouring after Jack’s passing clearly showed that there was a great deal of good will and nuanced thinking that was withheld from him during the latter years of his life. What a difference it would have made to him, to know that - in spite of everything - lots of us still felt affection, gratitude and joy towards him. I suspect many have felt conflicted and affected about how all this played out too. There is a bitter irony in how the same social platforms that accelerated his rise ultimately fuelled his downfall. With more incentives than ever to be seen in the public eye, perhaps now is a good time to reflect on the vulnerability and the unreasonable expectations we put on those who seem to have ‘made it’ and what we can do to prevent future instances. Despite the abundance of talent in Glasgow, very few have soared as high, as fast and as accomplished. The higher you climb, there are fewer paths to follow and the more perilous they become.Do I think Jack should have lived a life without consequences? Of course not. I didn’t really connect with the laddy side of his character, but I also knew that wasn’t the full story. During this period of shifting cultural norms, his success at times felt like an inconvenience that others sought to define. He unashamedly loved TOWIE, Love Island, Rebecca Black, and Carly Rae Jepsen and various other low brow curiosities typically met with some snootiness from his detractors. He was dragged by the language police before we knew the term. Classic tall poppy syndrome, with a large slice of moralising. Yet, no one was interested in defining what should happen afterwards. Unsurprising when the discourse about dismantling, destroying and abolishing offers little in the way of building or repairing.Another element that isn’t mentioned in these scenarios, is the uncomfortable feelings of envy. Especially the compare and despair ones we all are familiar with through the social media lens. The life of Jackmaster was a desirable one to many. He was living the life and had a career that people would pay for if they could. Conversely, few others would come out of the same experience unchanged and unscathed. I also wonder if he could cut through in the same way today? With more participants competing for fewer opportunities, the arts have became increasingly populated by those who can afford it. I can’t help but feel this was also a contributing factor as those who resented and sought to emulate his success had no issue with him being removed from polite society. Equally the group-performing conditions of the past decade, meant that it was impossible to speak publicly about the messiness and contradictions we all share. While these conditions also affect those who live in fear of their own status being impacted, there’s something about proximity and access I’ve been thinking over lately. Jack wasn’t out of reach by any stretch, his success can be attributed to this. He looked and sounded like one of us, we wanted him to succeed, yet few wanted anything to do with him at his lowest. How prepared are we to put someone’s wellbeing ahead of our own preservation? When does personal responsibility become a collective one?Why does all this matter? Since our first week of running Clyde Built Radio, we’ve had to consider a range of accusations about various community members which all feel downstream from what began with Jack. On a social level, ‘There’s no such thing as cancel culture’ doesn’t hold up when it comes to the devastating impact of ostracism - both on the individual and on those doing the shunning. It has divided friend groups and families. It has created a far more fearful environment for the next generation, stifling creativity and weakening a sense of community. Are we in a better place since 2018? Judging by current conversations around 50/50 line ups, male DJ’s hosting female-only parties, it all feels very familiar. For a DJ faced with similar accusations in 2026, the management strategy would be straight out of the Trump playbook - ignore, deny, move on. Year after year, the same festivals announce the same line ups. Besides a few symbolic improvements for some, it all feels business as usual.This is in part down to a collective failure where complex issues have been outsourced to algorithms and red

Axel Boman is the best for many reasons and this chat gives you a bit more insight into why. We both could have done without speaking during a busy period, but managed to find a bit of time to catch up - with him sitting in a cafe around from the infamous Studio Barnhus - and me juggling childcare with my son watching a film in the other room. Axel is always great company and we got to some great places without any talking points or questions planned. If you don’t know already, Axel and his Talaboman counterpart, John Talabot are coming back to Glasgow - next Saturday 23rd May - for their third appearance. Musically they have remained impressively consistent and this is sure to be a special occasion as they will be joined by a few new faces to Glasgow - Cashu from Sao Paulo, Dave P from Philadelphia and Loradeniz from Istanbul via Amsterdam. It’s also the first Connections party and you should come.Tickets here ~ https://ra.co/events/2387109If you can’t make it and happen to be in Berlin this Friday 15th, you can catch another exciting event here ~https://www.berghain.berlin/en/event/81925/ Get full access to Connections with Andrew Thomson at c0nnections.substack.com/subscribe

Sally Ann Gross is an academic who - along with George Musgrave - wrote a book called “Can Music Make You Sick: Measuring the Price of Musical Ambition” which was a complete game changer for me in terms of how I see the world, and myself. The book gets into the impact of working as a musician today and explains a lot about how people are affected by operating in a hyper competitive age of abundance. These conditions affect us all as music fans and participants alike and I found it deeply personal and somewhat relieving to put a voice to various feelings and experiences I have encountered over the years.This convo was actually recorded back in late 2023 and I’ve been thinking about it again in relation to the recent Geese chat. As Young Marco hinted at, these practises are also becoming commonplace in the electronic world and the outcry reminds me of the emergence of the influencer DJ a few years ago, buying likes, etc. I’m optimistic - perhaps naively - that this type of revelation will help pop the illusion of ‘anyone can make it’ and highlight again that social media platforms flatten lots of inequality by falsely suggesting we’re all in it together. Technology bringing about the end of gatekeepers was heralded as a good thing, but in our world, it has meant even more are competing for even less opportunities. Don’t hate the player, hate the game and all that, but as a result, I’ve came across a lot of frustration from artists who are struggling mentally in pursuit of something that is out of reach for many - despite being encouraged by the opposite being true. Anyway, Sally Ann wrote a very well researched book on all this and tells it far better than me, she is a fascinating and approachable person to present ideas that might otherwise be a bit lofty or difficult to process - important as there are. Some of the other things we discussed have became even more relevant since, so thought it was worth sharing here. Sally Ann has lots of great stories about her life working in music and it’s well worth you time. Thanks to Ray Philp for introducing me to the book in the first place. You can read it here. For free ~ www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Ca…ick/exoMEAAAQBAJ Get full access to Connections with Andrew Thomson at c0nnections.substack.com/subscribe

DJ Sotofett is something of a mythical figure in certain circles. A production powerhouse who self-releases an insanely high output both in terms of quality and volume. He seems to be as competent making jungle as he is techno, dub, various strains of house, electro and the rest. Musicality shines throughout. Our paths have crossed a few times over the years. I booked him to play at Plastic People and the Sub Club, after I’d caught wind of him playing for less money if he was able to play all night - and took full advantage! After the Sub Club party - where he played tons of his own productions, without ever sounding samey - he agreed to remix a track from the Auntie Flo album and I was impressed with the professionalism in how he conducted himself. It showed a confidence in his abilities to deliver something within a timeframe, and his consideration to how the music should be presented thereafter. It could only be sold on vinyl, etc. In most cases, a remixer would be glad of the fee and would be far less interested in the format their music lands on. As the weeks got closer to his designated deadline, I was getting more and more excited and when it appeared in my inbox, I didn’t really know what to make of it. Not only did it not sound like the original, it didn’t really sound like anything I’d heard before. I still love how undefinable it is. Copies hereI’ve been intrigued to dig more into the Sotofett world - full of labels, aliases, collaborations - he’s created for himself. It seems to sustain itself within, yet slightly outside, of the regular music industry. He didn’t disappoint and we had a great chat at CBR the studio last year. Complete with DJ Sotofett post-production, naturally! Big thanks to Bash Man who helped coordinate before the Rush birthday party that night.https://djsotofett.bandcamp.com/ Get full access to Connections with Andrew Thomson at c0nnections.substack.com/subscribe

I first met Marco in 2012, when he came to London to play at a party for my flatmate James. He also played his first (of many) Boiler Room’s on the same trip. Just clocked that he is playing CD’s which is a nice detail that illustrates how much has changed since. As a result, it’s been really exciting to have felt being on the Young Marco ride from the early days and I’ve followed what he’s been up to with great excitement. He’s been reliably consistent with his productions and his DJ’ing seems to naturally evolve, avoiding being stuck within certain sounds or scenes. He had a huge moment at Dekmantel in 2022 which was a proper buzz to experience as a fan and brought his talents to a whole new audience. I’ve been hoping to arrange a chat with him for a while and the stars aligned on his most recent visit to Glasgow before a sold out Berkeley Suite, followed by a romantic DJ lunch the next day. Get full access to Connections with Andrew Thomson at c0nnections.substack.com/subscribe