Thomas Lang
Encyclopedia
Thomas Lang is an Austrian
drummer
, multi-instrumentalist
, composer
, and record producer
. He is the founding member of the Los Angeles-based progressive
/avant garde metal
trio, stOrk
.
Lang took up drumming at the age of 5. In addition to lessons at local music schools and years of private tuition, he was classically trained at the Vienna Conservatory of Music
. After leaving the conservatory in 1985, Lang began working professionally, working his way through the European pop, rock and jazz scenes. Throughout his career as a session musician he has played for various artists such as John Wetton
, Robert Fripp
, Glenn Hughes, Peter Gabriel
, Asia
, Nik Kershaw
, Tina Turner
, Robbie Williams
, Kelly Clarkson
, Sugababes
, Geri Halliwell
, Emma Bunton
, Victoria Beckham
, Ronan Keating
, Steve Hackett
, 911
, Boyzone
, Falco
, Nina Hagen
, Steve Jones
, Mick Jones
, The Commodores, George Michael
, Doogie White
, B*Witched, Gianna Nannini
, Lighthouse Family
, Westlife
, Kylie Minogue
, The Blockheads
, Sertab Erener
, Vienna Art Orchestra
, Bonnie Tyler
, and Nadine Beiler
, among others. In 1995 Lang released his debut solo release, Mediator, which topped the charts in Europe and garnered positive reviews.
alongside Kenny Aronoff
and Jimmy Chamberlin
.
Lang’s original practice regime eventually became the basis for his 2-part series of instructional videos, “Ultimatives Schlagzeug I & II” which were originally released in 1995. The videos were re-released on DVD in 2004 by Hudson Music.
In 2003 Lang released the instructional DVD and book “Creative Control”.
His follow-up DVD and book, "Creative Coordination & Advanced Foot Technique" was released in November 2006. Lang maintains a website to offer his books and DVDs.
In 2010, he auditioned for Dream Theater
, as revealed by a recent documentary trailer released by the band, but did not win the audition; the eventual winner revealed to be Mike Mangini
.
In 2010 Lang began hosting the Thomas Lang Drumming Boot Camp, a touring educational drum camp that has been hosted around the world in various locations including Los Angeles, London, New York, Berlin and Austria among other locations.
In December of 2011, Lang began offering online lessons at the Artistworks Drum Academy.
cymbals. He has designed a number of cymbals with Meinl: the 16" Synthetik Crash, 17" Kompressor Crash, 18" Kinetik Crash, 18" Signal Crash/Klub Ride, and Filter Chinas. Lang stated on Creative Control that when he designed his cymbals, he wanted to recreate electronic cymbal sounds in acoustic cymbals. One of Lang's goals was to create a pitch-matched range of contemporary crash cymbals that provide acoustic and electronic drummers with modern sounds that resemble artificially engineered cymbal samples - “Tom’s Becken” launched in 2002. In 2004 Thomas Lang worked with Meinl again to design the “Fast Hats” , and a series of “Filter Chinas”.
In 2002, the Remo Corporation approached Thomas to produce the “Thomas Lang Practice Kit".
Other Thomas Lang products are Vic Firth’s “Thomas Lang signature model” stick and the “Thomas Lang signature Bigfoot bassdrum beaters” .
After endorsing Sonor Drums
for 20 years, in 2010 he signed with Drum Workshop
(DW) drums.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He is the founding member of the Los Angeles-based progressive
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
/avant garde metal
Avant garde metal
Avant-garde metal, also known as experimental metal, is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterised by the use of innovative, avant-garde elements, large-scale experimentation, and the use of non-standard and unconventional sounds, instruments, song structures, playing styles, and vocal techniques...
trio, stOrk
StOrk
stOrk is an American avant-garde metal supergroup, formed by ex-Korn guitarist Shane Gibson and session drummer Thomas Lang in 2010. The band's debut album, stOrk, was released on January 11, 2011 via MUSO Entertainment.-Band members:...
.
Lang took up drumming at the age of 5. In addition to lessons at local music schools and years of private tuition, he was classically trained at the Vienna Conservatory of Music
Konservatorium Wien
The Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität is a private music conservatory in Vienna, Austria established in 1938 as Musikschule der Stadt Wien.The school attained university status on June 15, 2005 as a private institution....
. After leaving the conservatory in 1985, Lang began working professionally, working his way through the European pop, rock and jazz scenes. Throughout his career as a session musician he has played for various artists such as John Wetton
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
, Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
, Glenn Hughes, Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
, Nik Kershaw
Nik Kershaw
Nik Kershaw is an English singer-songwriter. The one time jazz-funk guitarist was a mid-1980s teen idol. His 50 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1984 beat all other soloists...
, Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
, Emma Bunton
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice...
, Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
, Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
, Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
, 911
911 (band)
911 is a British boyband that consists of Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable Spike Dawbarn and for a short period Lee Womack who left the band to study at Huddersfield University. The band were formed in 1995 and released their debut single in May 1996...
, Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
, Falco
Falco (musician)
Johann Hölzel , better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian pop and rock musician and rapper. He had several international hits: "Der Kommissar", "Rock Me Amadeus", "Vienna Calling", "Jeanny", "The Sound of Musik", "Coming Home " and posthumously, "Out Of The Dark"...
, Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
, Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
, Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
, The Commodores, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, Doogie White
Doogie White
Doogie White , is a Scottish rock vocalist, who has sung for Midnight Blue, Rainbow, Cornerstone, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Praying Mantis and Rata Blanca...
, B*Witched, Gianna Nannini
Gianna Nannini
Gianna Nannini is an Italian female singer-songwriter and pop musician. She may be best known for her 1986 song "Bello e Impossibile".-Personal life:...
, Lighthouse Family
Lighthouse Family
Lighthouse Family are a British musical duo that rose to prominence in the mid-1990s and remained active until the early 2000s. Vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and keyboardist Paul Tucker formed the act in 1993 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK after meeting while studying at university...
, Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, The Blockheads
The Blockheads
The Blockheads are an English rock and roll band. Originally fronted by vocalist Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. Current members include Chaz Jankel , Norman Watt-Roy , Mick Gallagher , John Turnbull and Davey Payne...
, Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener is a Turkish pop music singer and also a cross-over soprano with a vocal range that extends to high F. She is one of the most successful female Turkish pop singers in her homeland, and is considered one of the divas of Turkish pop music...
, Vienna Art Orchestra
Vienna Art Orchestra
The Vienna Art Orchestra was a European jazz group based in Vienna, Austria. Organized at different times as either a big band or as a smaller combo, it was regarded as one of the leading European jazz ensembles and was an official cultural ambassador of the Republic of Austria.-History:Founded in...
, Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
, and Nadine Beiler
Nadine Beiler
Nadine Beiler is an Austrian R&B and Pop singer, who won the 3rd season of the Austrian casting show Starmania in 2007. On February 16, 2007, she released her first single Alles was du willst. Currently Beiler is attending high school in Tyrol, where she lives with her mother and her sister in...
, among others. In 1995 Lang released his debut solo release, Mediator, which topped the charts in Europe and garnered positive reviews.
Instructional material
Lang has released the DVD Creative Control, teaching advanced drumming techniques. In 2005 he headlined the UK Drumfest held in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
alongside Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
and Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin is an American drummer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. After a drug-related incident with touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin in 1996, Chamberlin was fired from the band and joined The Last...
.
Lang’s original practice regime eventually became the basis for his 2-part series of instructional videos, “Ultimatives Schlagzeug I & II” which were originally released in 1995. The videos were re-released on DVD in 2004 by Hudson Music.
In 2003 Lang released the instructional DVD and book “Creative Control”.
His follow-up DVD and book, "Creative Coordination & Advanced Foot Technique" was released in November 2006. Lang maintains a website to offer his books and DVDs.
In 2010, he auditioned for Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
, as revealed by a recent documentary trailer released by the band, but did not win the audition; the eventual winner revealed to be Mike Mangini
Mike Mangini
Mike Mangini is an American drummer, and the current drummer for the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has played for Annihilator, Extreme, James LaBrie, and Steve Vai, among others. He lectured at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and is also known for his work as a session musician...
.
In 2010 Lang began hosting the Thomas Lang Drumming Boot Camp, a touring educational drum camp that has been hosted around the world in various locations including Los Angeles, London, New York, Berlin and Austria among other locations.
In December of 2011, Lang began offering online lessons at the Artistworks Drum Academy.
Equipment
Lang is a 10-year endorser of MeinlMeinl Percussion
Roland Meinl Percussion is a leading manufacturer of cymbals and other percussion instruments, based in Gutenstetten, Germany. Their main brand is Meinl.Founded in 1951 by Roland Meinl...
cymbals. He has designed a number of cymbals with Meinl: the 16" Synthetik Crash, 17" Kompressor Crash, 18" Kinetik Crash, 18" Signal Crash/Klub Ride, and Filter Chinas. Lang stated on Creative Control that when he designed his cymbals, he wanted to recreate electronic cymbal sounds in acoustic cymbals. One of Lang's goals was to create a pitch-matched range of contemporary crash cymbals that provide acoustic and electronic drummers with modern sounds that resemble artificially engineered cymbal samples - “Tom’s Becken” launched in 2002. In 2004 Thomas Lang worked with Meinl again to design the “Fast Hats” , and a series of “Filter Chinas”.
In 2002, the Remo Corporation approached Thomas to produce the “Thomas Lang Practice Kit".
Other Thomas Lang products are Vic Firth’s “Thomas Lang signature model” stick and the “Thomas Lang signature Bigfoot bassdrum beaters” .
After endorsing Sonor Drums
SONOR
Sonor is a German percussion manufacturer. Founded in 1875 as a percussion manufacturer, Sonor drum sets and hardware are historically known for being constructed in a very durable, and therefore, unusually heavy manner...
for 20 years, in 2010 he signed with Drum Workshop
Drum Workshop
Drum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
(DW) drums.
Awards
- 1999, 2001: Best studio drummer (Rhythm magazine)
- 2002: Best pop drummer, Best all-around drummer (Rhythm magazine)
- 2002: Best drummer (Drums and Percussion magazine)
- 2003: Best clinician (Modern DrummerModern DrummerModern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
magazine) - 2004: Best DVD, Best clinician runner up, Best drummer runner-up (Modern Drummer magazine); Best DVD, Best new signature product, Best drummer (Drummer magazine); Best studio drummer (Rhythm magazine); Best recorded drum performance (Sticks magazine)
- 2005: Best pop drummer, Best Clinician, Best Solo Drum performance (Rhythm magazine); Best DVD, Best all around drummer, Best drum event (Drummer magazine)
- 2006: Best drum clinician (DRUM! Magazine), Best drumming video/DVD (Drum! Magazine); Best DVD, Best drummer (Rhythm magazine)
- 2007: Best DVD, Best drummer (Rhythm magazine); Best DVD, Best drummer, Best Clinician (Modern Drummer magazine)
- Aurora Gold Award 2007 for Best Video Production
- 2008: Best Clinician (Modern Drummer Magazine); Best Clinician (DRUM! Magazine)
Selected discography
- Thomas Lang - Mediator (1995)
- John WettonJohn WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
- Live at the Progfest L.A. (1997) - Thomas Lang - Creative Control (2003)
- Thomas Lang - Creative Coordination (2006)
- Thomas Lang - Something Along Those Lines (2007)
- B*Witched - Jump Up, Jump Down (Live)
- Willi Langer - Colours of the Octopus
- Willi Langer - Signs of Life
- Billy Liesegang - No Strings Attached
- Vienna Art OrchestraVienna Art OrchestraThe Vienna Art Orchestra was a European jazz group based in Vienna, Austria. Organized at different times as either a big band or as a smaller combo, it was regarded as one of the leading European jazz ensembles and was an official cultural ambassador of the Republic of Austria.-History:Founded in...
- Songs and other Adventures - Vienna Art OrchestraVienna Art OrchestraThe Vienna Art Orchestra was a European jazz group based in Vienna, Austria. Organized at different times as either a big band or as a smaller combo, it was regarded as one of the leading European jazz ensembles and was an official cultural ambassador of the Republic of Austria.-History:Founded in...
- Art and Fun - John WettonJohn WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
- Arkangel - John WettonJohn WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
- Live in Tokyo - John WettonJohn WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
- Live in Argentina - StOrkStOrkstOrk is an American avant-garde metal supergroup, formed by ex-Korn guitarist Shane Gibson and session drummer Thomas Lang in 2010. The band's debut album, stOrk, was released on January 11, 2011 via MUSO Entertainment.-Band members:...
- StOrk (2011)