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in conversation w tominthechamber (TIC)
Tominthechamber is a music producer, singer, songwriter, artist & engineer originating from Bedford.
Tom has been involved from the inception of the brand, working with us from before we even had the name. So it’s only right we thought we’d ask him some questions on his music, his creative process & some upcoming pieces.
Tom, What can you always expect from us, without a doubt, no matter what we’re releasing?
Tom : Aside from every piece catching my eyes from all angles, I already know that every single garment is going to be comfortable and high quality. I’ve never had a tee fit me quite like those OG AYMSK tees.
Throughout our releases, have you noticed any difference in the brand & if so what changes?
Tom : I’ve realised that there’s no set pattern. You can never know what to expect from AYMSK; from clean pieces that can be rocked on a daily basis to standout pieces that you’d save for that moment you wanna catch eyes. More and more attention to detail is evident in the latest prototypes I’ve been shown - it’s those little touches that are often overlooked in everyday life.. much like music.
Tom, your sound is extremely detailed, in ways that our pieces are - it’s the combination of these details which contribute to your sound & our pieces as a whole. To what extent do all these subtle details in your music contribute to your experience as a whole? How does this reflect in your creative process?
Tom : We live in a world of ease. The creative industries are so saturated because of it. It makes me think of the Dunning Kruger effect - the notion that, as a beginner, everybody thinks they understand their craft... whereas those that have mastered their craft feel as though there is an endless amount to learn.
Detail comes with experience. It’s about coming across walls that set you back and subsequently getting creative to find a way over it. Once you’ve figured how to get over that wall, it won’t trouble you the next time you come across it. It’s about being nuanced; finding what it is about yourself as a person that you want to project and unravel.
When you are experienced in your craft, it becomes your language. The more detailed you are with your expression, the more sophisticated and eloquent it comes across to the audience. However, there’s a difference between complicating things with details and being capable of subtly applying this language of technical detail onto something that the untrained eye/ear can subconsciously perceive without it being too obvious.
Tom, We are largely inspired by your ability to transpire YOU so consistently, no matter what genre you indulge in - and we wish to emulate your consistency across our brand, is this something you consciously do? If so, what does this process look like?
Tom : What I’ve realised is that we can never look too far ahead in the future. As creatives, we are possessed by a spiritual, creative urgency from time to time. It’s this lightning bolt of impulse that can’t be ignored. I’ll be out for a big walk to write to a beat and if it hits me I will be practically running home to let it out on the microphone. It’s like how we hear music differently depending on the weather, our mood, even down to the fact we’re hungry or not. Creativity is like that. You have to feel it at the time, it should never be forced. To get to that point, we have to live. If I haven’t gone through something, seen something beautiful or even bothered to step foot outside, I haven’t got anything to talk about. As long as you feel confident to communicate your inner feelings and experiences with the creative skills you have, rather than try hard to clone others and their ways of working, you won’t be truly satisfied by the result. F*ck trying to screenshot someone else’s vision.
Tom, what can we expect from you in the future, what are you working on?
At the forefront, I’m working on myself, my mindset, my perspective and my emotions. Behind it all, I’m putting a strong focus into ghost production/writing because the spotlight ain’t for me; I’d rather not have the pressure of being what people think I should be to generate income via streams etc. I also get mad stage fright so being a Studio Rat is in my nature. However, there’s so much music that I’ve produced/vocalled/written that’s coming out in the next few months so stay tuned; it’ll be good to get it out into the world.