RS: So did you start DJing or producing tracks first?
Tom Stephan: I had been making music since I was a kid and I was over here studying film. Every time I went home, I brought back another piece of keyboard gear. So I set up a small studio here and started doing music for other peoples' films, the student films. Then when I was doing that I started making some tracks obviously inspired by the house music that I fell in love with. Then, just as I was finishing film school, I made this record called "Filthy Hetero," that was signed to a new label that was started up in Manchester. That was when I realized there was no going back, that this was what I really wanted to do.
RS: That record was under the name Tracy and Sharon, where did that name come from as opposed to Superchumbo?
Tom Stephan: Both names sounded good at the time and I didn't put much more thought into it than that. I was going to a rave and we walked into this tent and my friend said "Oh God, it's full of Tracy and Sharons in here." That hit me and I loved the expression so I said that we should start a band called Tracy and Sharon. That was the plan that he and I were going to do it and he never did, so I thought it was even better that I would do it myself. I thought it was hilarious and actually it turned out to be trouble for me. I used to DJ under the name Tracy and Sharon and people would expect two girls, two drag queens or something. So I finally had to give up in the end because it was confusing.
RS: Then where did the name Superchumbo come from?
Tom Stephan: Superchumbo was another one of those moments where something just sounded good. I was just outside of Lisbon at this big tribal party where Danny Tenaglia was playing. We were there until the early hours of the afternoon, the next day. When we were driving back to Lisbon, we stopped at a gas station and the gas pump said "super" and "chumbo". So we just looked at it and said "super chumbo, what the hell's super chumbo?" The name just stuck from there.
RS: You just mentioned Danny Tenaglia and read in your bio that he had a major influence on your first big gig in London.
Tom Stephan: Yes, he definitely did. Like I was telling you, I really had to hit people over the head with my mix tapes and bother people before they'd give me a spot playing anywhere because I was doing something that wasn't what everyone else was doing. This guy, Wayne Shires, who I still play for now, really gave me my first break here in London. He was letting me do some Tuesday nights at this bar and when they did this party at The Ministry with Danny Tenaglia, they needed somebody to open up for him so I was the obvious person. That was really my first big DJ gig in a club, opening for Danny which was really jumping in at the deep end. That was a really great night because that's where I met Danny and Robert di Stefano from Twisted and Tribal Records. We've been friends even since and they've both helped me a lot with my career and the music.
RS: Very cool. As a DJ, how important do you think it is to be a producer also?
Tom Stephan: Well, it's weird because I think I came about it from a different angle than a lot of people, because a lot of people who are DJs start producing and I came from the other angle. I got into DJing and it kind of took over. But now I do see that certainly it was my production, "Revolution" and some remixes that I did following, which had a big impact on my career changed my life really. So I would say that production for me has been really important, and I think that these days it's obvious that more and more people book DJs who are flavor of the month, on the cover of a magazine or whoever has a hit record out. Much more than saying oh you're a really good DJ and that's a really good mix you sent me, you know what I mean? It's a lot more about people going to see names, I think.
