Timo Garcia

Under the alias Timo Garcia, he joins the dots of our planet’s clubbing hotspots. Rocking crowds across Brazil, at London’s Ministry of Sound, around Russia, at all of Ibiza’s sharpest clubs and more: he is a global DJ. Whether spinning his own razor edged house productions, or mixing the tech and electro of others, he weaves sets stuffed with sonics from all over.
But seeing and hearing the world in this way has uniquely improved the arsenal of sounds at his disposal as a DJ, and poignantly inform his productions. Be they glitched-out, guitar led or Hang Drum peppered, a Timo Garcia track is always on point.
As Tim Belcher, he heads his London born Berwick Street Records imprint, championing up-coming (D-Dub, Hauswerks, Le Crunch) and established artists (Lutzenkirtchen, Yousef & Smokin Jo) alike. Nurturing originality and hosting the work of musicians from all over the world, Berwick Street Records’ only aims are to output quality music, no matter the name of the genre, and host the best parties in town, whatever town that may be.
With one ear on the underground, and one experiencing dance music in the here and now, it’s no wonder Timo offers his debut album, Wonderlust Bug, as a window into his world: a of his thoughts and travels laid out in sound.
Each note of the album is influenced by a different nook of the world‘s most exciting DJ booths, and programmed by an experienced artist, all in the interests of electronica.
Says Timo, ‘I get to see a lot of places I wouldn’t otherwise get to being a DJ, and I am thankful for that. The album’s inspired by so many things, from buskers on the South Bank to acoustic bands playing on the beaches of Brazil. I felt the need to help spread the vibes of things like the Hang Drum into the dance music fraternity. I wanted to use and promote the sounds I hear around the world, as well as use some older ideas I’ve had for a while and been desperate to use somehow!
‘The title is a play on Wanderlust meaning to enjoy travel. I added the Bug as I’ve got it bad, and changed it to Wonder, as I like my mind to do the traveling sometimes. The album goes from deep house, to tougher tech, through a touch of swing and ends up on an ambient high – It’s kind of structured like a DJ set in terms of momentum until right at the end that is!’
Wonderlust Bug builds steadily from the off, with the shuffling 4/4 beats of ‘Boom’ gliding along, locking a solid groove and kicking in all the right places. ‘The Hang Drum Track’ introduces the unique talents of Manu Delago who’s sonorous drum/bell percussion instrument rings out in waves and creates an enchanting, trance like track. It’s almost as if house music were escaping from the heavens…
The tempo steps up on ‘Deadly Grooves’ which is dream material for a darkened disco goer: stuffed with stabs of electro and skewed synth to get the hands in the air, and a driving, pulsey bassline to keep the feet tapping. Elsewhere, ‘The Bug’ is all twisted tech and sine waves from the future, weaving dark and intricate sonic tapestries with a black funk undercurrent.
Wherever you look, Wonderlust Bug is filled with accomplished electronic outpourings from a solid British talent of which to be proud. And what’s more, it’s fair to say these tracks, and the others from Timo’s debut LP, will be pricking up learned ears, and twitching funky feet, for many months to come.