Tommaso Marra, best known as Tommyknocker, is a Hardcore producer and DJ.
Career
Tommyknocker bought his first set of turntables in 1992 and, two years later, he discovered Hardcore music. Captivated by this, as of that moment still underground, sound, he entered the undergroundrave scene by spinning at illegal raves in Rome, parties with an atmosphere and sound that very much influenced Tommyknocker as an artist. The name Tommyknocker appearedfor the first time on a flyer in 1995 when Tommyknocker started spinning for Freddy K in clubs and on the radio. He was one of the first DJs to play Hardcore in Italian clubs. He became a resident DJ at the Oxygen parties, where he came in contact with Hardcore artists from other countries, specifically the Netherlands, thereby broadening his musical horizons. In the following years, Tommyknocker continued spinning Hardcore in his city and, by 1998, he decided to begin producing music. He was inspired by artists such as Promo, Stunned Guys, PCP, Miro and Lory D. By 1999, Tommyknocker had released his first EP "The Realm" on Traxtorm Records. Having produced a string of tracks over the next few years without having achieved a critical, breakthrough hit, Tommyknocker released his hit EP Showtime in 2003, featuring Demolition and Showtime. This release exemplifies why he has gained a reputation in the Hardcore scene as a DJ who heavily favors distorted bass and angry vocals. After this release, Tommyknocker moved to Belgium to keep up with incoming bookings in Western Europe. Since then he has regularly played at major Hardcore events such as Masters of Hardcore, Decibel Outdoor, Raving Nightmare, Defqon.1 Festival, and Q-Base. In 2005, Tommyknocker spun in front of the biggest crowd he had ever played for at the famous Thunderdome festival. Today, Tommyknocker plays for crowds all over Europe and even Australia. His release Twisted World, a collaboration done together with The Viper, hit first position in the Masters Of Hardcore Radio Livetop 100 in 2007. By 2009, Tommyknocker released the track Criminal. This nineties techno-influenced track with a message about Government corruption resonated loudly with both fans and fellow producers. This resulted in the track receiving second place in the Masters Of Hardcore Radio Live Top 100. In 2010 Tommyknocker returned to Rome, where he continues to live today.
