We are thrilled to welcome Manchester-based producer TMK to Outer Edge Audio with a double single release that ticks all the boxes for lovers of deep, atmospheric, and soulful drum & bass.
Despite being a relative newcomer to the scene, TMK has quickly gained a reputation for well-produced, nuanced sounds, with releases on Lizplay, Heart Twice, and Flowcast Recordings, as well as regular features on the 1 More Thing blog.
We caught up with TMK to find out more about the man behind the music, his influences, his forthcoming release, and what the rest of 2025 holds!
OE: For those who don’t know, who is TMK?
TMK: Hello! I'm Todd, and I am a DJ and producer from Manchester. I mostly make liquid drum & bass and like to focus on soulful elements with a bit of grit. I also love garage and have a couple of releases out there.
By day, I'm a primary school teacher. I love educating the kids about music and introducing them to different artists and genres every Friday, hopefully expanding their horizons.
OE: Listening to this release, as well as some of your previous work, you clearly have a penchant for deep and rich soundscapes. Who or what would you say your biggest inspirations and influences are?
TMK: Yeah, I love a big, rich bassline with intricate atmospheres and some soul to it. I listen to lots of different electronic music styles, particularly 140 and garage, and I try to bring elements of these into my workflow. Anything with that soulful character is a winner for me.
I've loved Satl's tunes and style for a long time, and the obvious choice would be Calibre, but more recently, I've been loving Zar—a producer from Manchester who makes super soulful liquid with great jazzy elements. Everything I hear from him resonates with me.
Outside of drum & bass, I love jazz, hip-hop, and soul. Robert Glasper is a favourite of mine—I just love his piano work, and he collaborates with so many amazing artists to create beautiful music.
I always want to feel something from the music I listen to, so anything that makes me move in some way is a winner.
OE: Tell us a little bit about how Learning Curve and Needs came to be.
TMK: This EP is all about the influences, really. I have quite a broad taste in music outside of DnB—as long as something is melodic and smooth or makes me move, I'll listen to it.
When I wrote Learning Curve, I was listening to a lot of Break and Dawn Wall. Break has this ability to mix the heavy with the smooth and soulful so well, which was something I wanted to experiment with, and Dawn Wall’s tracks are always big and solid.
The drums in this tune are simple but powerful, and I used a few neuro drum & bass samples, like the snare layered with classic drum breaks. I also took simple fills and hits to give the drums character and processed them to match the heaviness of the rest of the track.
I spent a long time on the bass sound design, making and remaking the mid-basses until the textures all came together. I kept the rest of the track simple but more harmonic and uplifting to give it some soul, but even the lead arp has a distorted, almost neuro texture to the top end. By the end of this tune, I felt like I’d learnt a lot—hence the name.
Needs is a massive mismatch of influences. The idea started after hearing a grime instrumental with a sliding 808 bass pattern, and I wanted to make something with an interesting bass pattern to move away from liquid DnB’s straight reeces. I listen to loads of jazz, so the bass ended up more jazzy than grimey.
The drums have a tight but loose feel, with lots of foley textures throughout. I built all sorts of layers around a very simple piano, and then the vocals and sax give it more life. They seem to have this conversation over the atmospheres, and the whole thing has a sense of longing—each element is in its place, but they all seem to need each other to work.
OE: What is one track or album that you could never get bored of listening to?
TMK: Too many to choose from! LSB, Tyler Daley, DRS – The View – will never get old for me, particularly the Calibre remix. Alix Perez – 1984 – really cemented my love for D&B. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue – the whole album is amazing from start to finish. Can't tell you how many times I've listened to it.
OE: What’s in store for TMK in 2025?
TMK: I have a few more releases lined up and some mixes in the pipeline! I'd love to get back behind the decks in a club again, as it's been a while.
Outside of music, I have a six-month-old daughter, so watching her grow, nurturing her music tastes, and teaching her how to use Serum is going to be a big part of my year!
We are thrilled to welcome French producer DarKYYComet to Outer Edge Audio!
