Thomas Kilmurray aka Offtrack is part of the next generation of producers who are carving out a path promoting longevity and outlasting trends. With a rich background that combines classical piano and electronic music spanning 15 years, Thomas is one of Ireland’s most alluring talents to breakthrough in recent times, and joins the ranks of Real Sound as Music Production Tutor & Course Coordinator.
The Mullingar native has been surrounded by music in all its forms since childhood. Lessons in classical piano ignited Thomas’ curiosity to produce music before becoming engrossed in multiple genres. Thomas’ immediate circle then steered him towards electronic music and gradually expanded his taste. Given a bass guitar and amp at age 12, Thomas’ fascination with sonic distortion took a firm hold.
In his mid-teens, Thomas’ ears turned to dance music, inevitability leading him to try his hand at DJing. Hooked to the textures of warm and groovy techno, in particular the sounds of Jeff Mills and Robert Hood, Thomas immersed himself into the Irish techno community as soon as legally possible. Here he met like-minded producers and DJs, each of whom inspired him to create music and build a home studio.
Finding his feet in the Mullingar scene, Thomas founded the collective and event series Lab Works in 2016. Learning the ropes of event management and curation, Thomas and the crew collaborated with Irish collectives Mutate, Basement Project and Research to add their own twist to the Irish techno, house and electro soundscapes. Today, Thomas continues to DJ and run Lab Works events around the country.
Keen to expand his teaching ability and proficiency, Thomas studied Music Production, Advanced Production Techniques and completed a Music Mixing & Mastering Masterclass at Pulse College in Dublin in 2020/21, fuelling his desire to share knowledge with aspiring musicians.
As a producer himself, Offtrack material can be heard on Ceili Collective, RLSD Records, Undivided Label, Yin Yang Label and Research Label, with more projects in the pipeline. In addition to releasing on independent imprints, Thomas has DJ’d throughout Ireland, counting Dublin venues Tengu, Index and The Sound House, Dali in Cork, most major festivals on the Irish circuit and not to mention Suicide Club in Berlin.
Having spent the guts of a decade finessing his craft, Thomas’ affable manner and unwavering enthusiasm to experiment have proved an invaluable contribution to Real Sound. With 3 years of teaching Music Production Techniques at Real Sound behind him, Thomas offers constructive criticism and listens intently to students at all levels. Thomas’ inclusive and encouraging nature reflects the ethos of Real Sound and will no doubt remain the backbone of his approach — both as an artist and a teacher.