Its been almost a month now but its still hard to come to terms with it or to find the right words. On January 15th we suddenly and unexpectedly lost our close friend Tom Longmate from a heart attack at way too young an age. Such a smart, mischievous and adventurous spirit, and so many travels and experiences shared in the almost 30 years I knew him.
1. How Tom looked when I first met him circa ‘97 at Bradford University, we were both on the Electronic Imaging and Media Communications degree, him the year below me - I met him through
@rjbultitude_point_b and we went on to run DJ nights together at the student union during the rest of our time there. I was playing a lot of throwaway breakbeat 12”s at the time and he introduced me / us to so much good music (BOC included hence the soundtrack to this post). He played the best sets and also had a great trick of mixing Pass The Dutchie into jungle.
2. Raving at Dedbeat festival around 2001. I think this was the same year he disappointedly threw a banana at Aphex during a wasted pub DJ set which RDJ caught, unpeeled and ate.
3. Train, chalet and Electrolux jacket, All Tomorrow’s Parties.
4. Tom outside Sonar in Barcelona probably around 2004 - he lived here for most of the noughties, bought a flat in El Raval and got fluent in Spanish. I visited him at least once a year - the best of times
5. Another couple from Barcelona including dancing to Max Tundra in the rain at Sonar by Day.
6. The last time I saw Tom in London September 2023.
7. Line of mourners exiting his funeral in Kristiansands, Norway where he lived from 2018 with Elisabeth and Elfi.
8. Toasting a bowl of his favourite kreik lambic to the River Otra at his home in Kristiansand.
9. Beautiful speech at the wake by
@rjbultitude_point_b
10. A walk the next day on Odderøya island with friends and his incredible family including Dave, Sue, Kate, Polly, Rosie, Elisabeth and Elfi.
