TOM SKINNER – artist in residence

Drummer Tom Skinner will do a special residency at MOMO Festival 2024. He will perform three days at different locations, with various performances. More about the residency will be announced later.

Over the past two decades, Tom Skinner, a drummer, composer, and producer based in London, has played a pivotal role in the thriving underground music scene in the city. As a prominent member of The Smile alongside Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, they received critical acclaim for their debut album, “A Light For Attracting Attention,” released in June 2022. Touring the record extensively across the UK, Europe, and the US has been a significant part of their activities throughout the year.

In 2022, Skinner also unveiled his inaugural solo album, ‘Voices of Bishara.’ Comprising six pieces for saxophone, percussion, bass, cello, and flute, he recorded them live in the same room. Tom then manipulated the recordings, employing techniques like chopping and looping to infuse the music with a fresh and captivating vibe. The outcome is a tightly woven, hypnotic, and distinctive sound, with ‘Voices of Bishara’ showcasing timeless and profoundly emotional music characterized by extensive movement and exceptional harmonic depth and texture.

In 2012, Skinner gained critical acclaim for his self-titled solo record released under the pseudonym Hello Skinny. MOJO Magazine described it as existing in the fertile zone where jazz, dub, techno, and avant-pop converge into an exhilarating free-for-all. The second Hello Skinny album, ‘Watermelon Sun,’ released in 2017 on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label, featured a collaboration with the renowned New York composer and trombonist Peter Zummo.

Skinner is also an original member of the award-winning band Sons Of Kemet, collaborating closely with band leader Shabaka Hutchings. Their third album, ‘Your Queen Is A Reptile’ [Impulse! 2018], received widespread critical acclaim, including a Mercury Prize 2018 nomination. Their latest album, ‘Black To The Future’ [Impulse! 2021], earned rave reviews, with NME awarding it 5 stars and describing it as the band’s “most dynamic and urgent” work.

Throughout his career, Skinner has shared the stage and studio with notable musicians such as Jonny Greenwood, Grace Jones, Jarvis Cocker, Kano, Matthew Herbert, Mulatu Astatke, Floating Points, The Invisible, Zero 7, and many others.