DJ Tonka

DJ Tonka
DJ Tonka DJing at Sikamikanico in Oslo, Norway on 8 September 2007
Background information
Birth name	Thomas René Gerlach
Also known as	DJ Tonka Thomastic Chip Tunes Tonka
Born	June 24, 1973 (1973-06-24) (age 38)
Origin	Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Genres	House
Occupations	Disc jockey Record producer
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Force Inc. Uplifting Records Vivienne
Associated acts	Outrage Space Cube T'N'I
Website	http://www.djtonka.de

DJ Tonka (born June 24, 1973 in Mainz, Germany; real name Thomas René Gerlach), is an electronic music artist. He is also known as Tonka, Chip Tunes, and Thomastic.

Career

In his early career, Thomas Gerlach worked with fellow producer Ian Pooley in the groups Outrage, Space Cube, and T'N'I. Together they produced several records in techno, progressive house and breakbeat. In 1996, the partnership was dissolved (an EP with unreleased tracks was still released in 1997), and coincidentally, both started producing a more mainstream-friendly sound.

As a solo artist, Gerlach took on the name DJ Tonka and began producing house music, with influences from synth pop and the American garage house scene. He achieved some notoriety as a remixer, reworking tunes such as "Trapped" for disco artist Colonel Abrams, "Love Shack" for The B-52's and "Push It" for Salt-N-Pepa.

Tonka cites Grandmaster Flash and Depeche Mode among his influences. He has also founded two record labels: Uplifting Records in 1997 and Vivienne Records in 2000.

Discography

Singles

DJ Tonka/Tonka

• 1995 "Feel"
• 1995 "Flashback"
• 1995 "Phun-ky"
• 1996 "(I Want You To) Feel"
• 1996 "Feel/She Knows You"
• 1996 "Feel Phun-ky EP"
• 1996 "Feel The Street" (with Deskee)
• 1996 "Flashback (Remixes)"
• 1996 "Happiness"
• 1996 "Radical Noise"
• 1996 "Old Skool/Use Ya Ears"
• 1997 "Old Skool/Feel The Street (Remixes)"
• 1997 "Security/The Night"
• 1998 "She Knows You/Get On Up"
• 2000 "Don't Be Afraid (To Let Yourself Go)"
• 2002 "Keep Klimbing"
• 2002 "Never/J.O.E."
• 2003 "Get Back" (with Lara McAllen)
• 2004 "84 (My Beginning)"
• 2005 "All Over Again", as Adjuster vs. Tonka (with Johan Rundqvist)
• 2008 "Drop Box EP"
• 2008 "Website"
• 2008 "Blow Up"

Chip Tunes

• 2001 "Heartjumpa"
• 2001 "Chip Tunes Vol. 1"
• 2002 "Chip Tunes Vol. 2"
• 2002 "Limited Edition DJ Tools"

Space Cube

All are collaborations with Ian Pooley

• 1991 "Space Cube EP"
• 1991 "Sub Audible"
• 1992 "Kool Killer EP"
• 1992 "Kool Killer Vol. 2"
• 1993 "Kool Killer Vol. 3"
• 1993 "Kool Killer Mixes EP"
• 1993 "Unreleased Project EP"
• 1993 "The Latest Adventures of Kool Killer EP"
• 1994 "Dschungelfieber"
• 1994 "Inbound/Outbound"
• 1995 "Kommerz Killer/Big Bam Bam"
• 1997 "Unreleased Space Cube Tracks"

T'N'I

All are collaborations with Ian Pooley

• 1991 "Do You Still Care" (with Marie Pullins)
• 1991 "Low Mass EP"
• 1991 "Trip Men"
• 1992 "Beam EP"
• 1993 "Depart EP"
• 1993 "Dream Team EP"
• 1993 "I Want To Be Free"
• 1994 "Mad Situation/Be Straight"

Other aliases

• 1991 "Emperor/Daylight", as Outrage (with Ian Pooley)
• 1993 "Euro Style Tunes Vol. 1", as Thomastic

Remixes

• 1991 Paradise Programme - "Deep Green (T'N'I Remix)" (as T'N'I, with Ian Pooley)
• 1992 N.R.G. - "I Need Your Love (Space Cube Remix" (as Space Cube, with Ian Pooley)
• 1993 Formosa - "Dr. Strangelove (TNI Remix)" (as T'N'I, with Ian Pooley)
• 1993 The Bionaut - "Everybody's Kissing Everyone (T'N'I Remix)" (as T'N'I, with Ian Pooley)
• 1993 House Pimps - "Get The Hook (TNI Remix)" (as T'N'I, with Ian Pooley)
• 1993 Rainforest - "The Birds (TNI Remix)" (as T'N'I, with Ian Pooley)
• 1993 D.A.C Robinson - "Lucky Strike (Space Cube Remix)" (as Space Cube, with Ian Pooley)
• 1993 Ilsa Gold - "Up (Space Cube Remix)" (as Space Cube, with Ian Pooley)
• 1995 2 Def DJ's - "Spirit (Space Cube Remix)" (as Space Cube, with Ian Pooley)
• 1995 Legend B - "Lost In Love (Space Cube Remix)" (as Space Cube, with Ian Pooley)
• 1995 Ian Pooley - "Celtic Cross (DJ Tonka Mix)"
• 1996 Full Intention - "America (I Love America) (DJ Tonka's Late Checkout)"
• 1996 Gina G - "I Belong To You (DJ Tonka's Expect The Unexpected Mix)"
• 1996 Smokin Beats - "Disco Dancin (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 1996 The Hipgrinders - "Good Time (DJ Tonka's Sick In Da Style Mix)"
• 1996 Moodymann - "The Dancer (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 1996 Celvin Rotane - "You've Got To Be You (DJ Tonka's Eurostyle Club Mix)"
• 1997 The Funkjunkeez - "Got Funk? (DJ Tonka's Remix)"
• 1997 Dave Angel - "Funk Music (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 1997 Bootsy Collins - "I'm Leavin' U (Gotta Go, Gotta Go) (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 1997 Jimmy Somerville - "Safe House (DJ Tonka 12")"
• 1997 Colonel Abrams - "Trapped (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 1998 Louise - "All That Matters (DJ Tonka Mix)"
• 1998 Black & White Brothers - "Put Your Hands Up (DJ Tonka Full Version)"
• 1998 Urban Soul - "Love Is So Nice (DJ Tonka's Till Sunrise Remix)"
• 1998 K-Klass - "Live It Up (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 1998 The B-52's - "Love Shack (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 1999 Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It (DJ Tonka Remix)"
• 2000 Dominica - "Gotta Let You Go (DJ Tonka Mix)"
• 2000 Bump - "I'm Rushing (Tonka's Bumpin' Anthem Mix)"
• 2001 Cleptomaniacs featuring Bryan Chambers - "All I Do (Tonka's Classic Club Mix)"
• 2001 Tony Esposito - "Kalimba De Luna (Tonka's Mojito Beach Party Mix)"
• 2002 Alizée - "L'Alizé (Tonka's Sunny Season Mix)"
• 2002 Robin S. - "Luv 4 Luv (Tonka's 2002 New Club Mix)"
• 2002 Robin S. - "Show Me Love (Tonka's 2002 Club Mix)"
• 2002 The Punisher - "Straight Up! (Tonka Remix)"
• 2003 Robin S. - "Luv 4 Luv (Tonka's 2003 First Club Mix)"
• 2004 Ian Pooley - "Heaven (Tonka's High Pass Mix)"
• 2005 Room 5 - "Make Luv (Tonka Remix)"
• 2005 Morillo featuring Leslie Carter- "Waiting In The Darkness (DJ Tonka's Even Darker Club Mix)"
• 2006 Ian Pooley - "Celtic Cross (T'n'I Revival Mix)" (as T'N'I, with Ian Pooley)
• 2006 Erick Morillo - "Dance I Said (Tonka Remix)"
• 2008 MGMT - "Kids (Tonka Treatment)"
• 2009 Coburn - "We Re-Interrupt This Programme (Tonka Remix)"

Albums

• 1992 Machine And Motion, as Space Cube
• 1993 The Latest Adventures of Kool Killer, as Space Cube
• 1998 Peaktime (In One Go), as DJ Tonka
• 2004 84, as Tonka

External links

• DJ Tonka at Discogs.com

Persondata
Name	Tonka, Dj
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1973-06-24
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death