A master chef by day and guitar hero at night, Thomas Numprasong (aka Logam) is one of those rare renaissance men who seem able to hold it down on all fronts. Husband, father, chef, teacher—all while managing his Santoku Records label and producing tech-funk-driven drum & bass floor-killers at night—many are also surprised that the Atlanta-based artist still finds time to drop jaws every time he shreds some licks on his favorite guitar. (An Ibanez Universe Steve Vai Signature Series, in case you’re wondering.)
With releases on Eatbrain, Full Force, as well as his own Santoku imprint, it’s been his link with fellow stateside duo Legion that seems to have catapulted Logam into the international spotlight in a major way. With their 2014 vocal anthem “House of Cards” on Program and an exclusive signing to Ram Records, the Legion and Logam alchemy still seems to be paying off as their latest releases, “To Be Alone” and “Switch Up,” impressively attests. (Out now so lock yours in here!)
With such a broad range of influences and interests on part, it should come as no surprise that the tunes that changed Logam’s life are an equally eclectic and inspiring selection of cuts that transcend genre boundaries and yet provide a glimpse into the magic that he is able to bring to each and every project he touches.
This song is the reason I play guitar. I was hooked the instant I heard it.
Guns N’ Roses “Welcome To The Jungle” (Geffen, 1987)
This song is the reason I play guitar. I was hooked the instant I heard it. The emotion and fluidity that Slash captures in his playing was enormously inspirational and continues to inspire me even today. He is my “guitar hero.”
Stevie Wonder “Superstition” (Tamla, 1972)
That FUNK! The first time I heard it was on the radio when I was a kid and I didn’t know who it was or what it was but I couldn’t wait to hear it again. I was immediately drawn to the funk aspects of it and then I learned he was blind. What?!
Meshuggah “Future Breed Machine” (Nuclear Blast, 1995)
I had already been a metalhead for some time when I first heard this and the only way I could describe it to my friends was that it was all the heavy chugga-chugga parts of Pantera that we loved meshed into one song with the most ridiculous time signatures and patterns. Then when I learned to play it, I realized it’s really in 4/4 timing and it was just how they wrote the riffs that made it sound so off-time and unique. My mind was blown and it changed my perspective on writing music forever.
Pendulum “Slam” (Breakbeat Kaos, 2005)
When I first heard this one I was just starting to produce drum & bass music and the production quality/engineering on this just absolutely blew me away. So crisp, so clean, so full, so damn impressive. Even today, I think it sounds amazing; made me want to step my game up for sure.
Get it at Spotify | iTunes | Beatport
Noisia + Mayhem ft. KRS-One “Exodus” (Vision, 2007)
I mean, do I even need to explain this one? Who wasn’t blown away by it when it came out? It’s such a gnarly tune. Those mids, the drum work, the epic atmospheres. Flawless. It changed my life by making me want to quit [music].