Tom Challenger

Tom Challenger was born in Huddersfield where he played in school ensembles and local R’n’B bands – in 2001, he moved to London to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from where he graduated with a first class honours degree after studying with Martin Hathaway, Simon Purcell, Jean Toussaint and Stan Sulzmann.

This environment helped him immerse himself into London’s creative music scene. During this period he took part in many musical projects, including the formation of the band Chemba, who started to develop music with no pre-determined forms or material. At this time he also started to form close relationships with important future collaborators – Dave Smith, Robin Fincker, Jules Buckley and Matt Calvert to name a few.

Since 2007, he has been a member of Trip Hop and Electronica pioneers, Redsnapper – both as a performer and as a compositional collaborator. After working on new material, they toured extensively throughout Europe and released the mini album – ‘A Pale Blue Dot’ in late 2008. Recently, alongside more touring, he helped pen their latest release - ‘Key’ (Released on V2 records).

Being a member of the Loop Collective from 2007 enabled him to widen his musical horizons. With them he has helped to organise the annual Loop Festival, and also set up the Loop Records ‘subsidiary’, Mini Loop. At this time he started his next project, Ma. A debut album (‘Jyketie’) was released in 2008, and a UK tour was completed in early 2009 for which they collaborated with drummer/sound manipulator Steve Arguelles. Matt Calvert joined permanently in 2009, subsequently releasing their latest album ‘The Last’, to critical acclaim.

In February 2009, Tom joined Outhouse, another Loop band. Following the Radio 3 and WDR radio broadcast of the Outhouse performance at the 2009 Loop Festival, they have since toured The UK and Europe (with guitarist Hilmar Jensson), and released a new album ‘Straw, Sticks and Bricks’ (on the Babel Label). Outhouse also work as ‘Outhouse Ruhabi’, a collaboration with Wolof Drummers from The Gambia and Senegal.

Since 2007, he has been a member of Trip Hop and Electronica pioneers, Red Snapper – both as a performer and as a compositional collaborator. After working on new material, they toured extensively throughout Europe and released the mini album – ‘A Pale Blue Dot’ in late 2008. Recently, alongside more touring, he helped pen their latest release - ‘Key’ (Released on V2 records).

Tom also pursues an ongoing project called ‘La Ferme’ - a series of duos and solo performances. So far this has led to performances with percussionists Ben Bryant and Charles Hayward, and a record with (Three Trapped Tigers keyboardist) Tom Rogerson (release in 2010 on Mini Loop records). As a member of Dice Factory (with George Fogel (piano), Tom Farmer (Bass), Jon Scott (Drums)), he helps contribute compositionally and as a performer. They are due to release their debut album in late 2011.

Aside from all of the above projects, Tom can be heard performing as a sideman in varied situations; from the acoustic layers of Bruno Heinen’s ‘Tierkreis’; to the Avant Funk of Porpoise Corpus; to the more traditional format of the Hannes Riepler Quintet. He has - in the past - performed and collaborated with a vast array of musicians including Michael Garrick, John Taylor, Lol Coxhill, The Herbaliser, Plaid and The Bays. As an educator, he has taught at the GSMD since 2007, and leads numerous ensembles in the London boroughs of Camden and Newham and Tower Hamlets.