# Tom Vek

> Compiled by Music Nerd from 34 sources, last updated 2026-09-03.
> Bracketed numbers in the text refer to the numbered sources at the end.

# TOM VEK - Artist Knowledge Document

## Overview
Tom Vek is a London-based electronic experimenter and multi-instrumentalist who emerged in 2005 with his debut album *We Have Sound* [4][9]. He is known for his blend of indie-rock and indietronica, often characterized by lo-fi production, dance beats, and angular guitars [2][3][5]. Vek is also an entrepreneur, developing a digital music player called Sleevenote [6].

## Career Highlights
- Released his debut album *We Have Sound* in 2005, which garnered critical attention and an appearance on *The OC* [2][5][6].
- His follow-up album, *Leisure Seizure* (2011), reached No. 79 on the UK charts [6].
- Curated and released *We Have Sound Remixed* (2025) to mark the 20th anniversary of his debut album, featuring remixes from artists like Dave Glass Animals, Everything Everything, and Anna Prior [2][33].
- Began developing the Sleevenote digital music player in 2020, aiming to bring the experience of cover art and liner notes to digital audio [6].

## Story hooks
- He avoids lead guitar lines in his music, which a reviewer noted gives him "something to talk about" [5].
- Vek studied at St. Martin's College of Art and Design and has often designed his own album art and website [7][8]. He is particularly fond of the *We Have Sound* artwork, which he created after getting into "vector" design and op-art [7].
- He once pushed himself and his manager, fully-clothed, into a pool, an experience he wished he had written a song about, especially after hearing Friendly Fires' "Jump In The Pool" [6].
- He has a small backyard in East London where he sits with a book and enjoys a slushy maker that can turn any drink into a slush [9].

## Sound & Influences
Tom Vek's sound is a "DIY home brew of groove-laden art rock, punky shouty vocals, and huge beats" [3]. His early work, particularly *We Have Sound*, features thick, dry drums, hissing cymbals, jangly guitars, and a purposeful lo-fi feel that blurs the line between dance and indie rock [3][5]. He has been compared to artists like The Rapture and Phil Elvrum for his "sloppy dance beats and an ear for sonic minutiae" [5].

On *Luck* (2014), he incorporated influences from Frank Ocean, The Police (specifically Sting's toplines), and Deftones for guitar layering and a "super melodic wall of noise" [9]. He also listens to Jeff Buckley, which inspires him to attempt vocal acrobatics, though he often keeps "less-than-perfect bits in" [9]. His 2020 album *New Symbols* features loud and dense songs with driving, anxious synth progressions and winding guitars [4].

Vek started making music by recording guitar parts over each other on a 4-track cassette recorder and was particularly compelled by bass guitar in his early teens [7]. The "genesis moment of the 'Tom Vek sound'" involved taking a tape recording of drums into a studio and looping it to build a song, which was his first experience with cutting and pasting sound [7]. He has also been influenced by the production of Moby's *Play* and Deftones' "My Own Summer (Shove It)" for sonic width [7].

## Discography Highlights
- "C-C (You Set The Fire In Me)" (2005) — a track he considers one of his most indescribable and a blueprint for his second record [9]. Dave Glass Animals created a remix of this track that Vek said sounded like Justin Timberlake's "My Love" [10].
- "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes" (2005) — a single that a reviewer suggested could have been a radio smash [5].
- "A Chore" (2011) — his first single in almost six years, premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show [8].
- "Seizemic" (2011) — a track from *Leisure Seizure* that he felt was another point of finding something he wouldn't know how to describe [9].
- *Luck* (2014) — his third album, which he named after the track "Pushing Your Luck" and designed the cover graphic for [9].
- *We Have Sound Remixed* (2025) — an album curated by Vek featuring remixes from artists like Dave Glass Animals, Everything Everything, IS TROPICAL, Gus alt-J, Baths, Porij, and Coby Sey [2]. Coby Sey's remix of "That Can Be Arranged" was noted for its use of layered voices as the primary instrumentation [12].

## Industry Connections
Tom Vek curated *We Have Sound Remixed* (2025), which features contributions from Dave Glass Animals, Everything Everything, IS TROPICAL, Gus alt-J, Baths, Porij, Anna Prior, Dutch Uncles, Vivid Fever Dreams, and Coby Sey [2][15][18][19][20]. The album was released on Stratasonic [2][13]. He has worked with producer Tom Rixton on early recordings [7]. His photos have been taken by Albane LeClerc of Hessia Studio [7][16] and @iamrollo [17].

## Recent Activity
As of 2026, Tom Vek is building a new digital music player called Sleevenote, which he started toying with in 2020 [6][14]. The Sleevenote project aims to bring the beauty of cover art and liner notes to digital audio, and a new, smaller, and cheaper version is currently available [6]. He has expressed a desire to move on from retro CD and cassette players, advocating for new ideas that push for digital music purchasing as it benefits musicians more [6].

In 2025, he released *We Have Sound Remixed*, which he curated for the 20th anniversary of his debut album [2][33]. He also added extra content to the deluxe version of *Luck* [34].

## Online Presence
Tom Vek's official website is tomvek.com, which links to his music on various platforms and information about his Sleevenote project [1]. He has a verified Spotify artist page, an Instagram handle @tom_vek, an X account @tom_vek, a SoundCloud account tomvek, and a YouTube channel @tomvekmusic. His Instagram is used to post graphics for Sleevenote [6].

## Who They Are
Vek is a visually-focused individual who loves the design of automobiles and is obsessed with mid-century desert architecture that incorporates cars into the language of the house [6]. He also loves physical fiction books, preferring small paperbacks, and has likened Sleevenote to "a Kindle for music" [6].

## In Their Own Words
- On working alone: "I’m very fickle regarding industrial design of the tech I use and a big fan of the current “M” MacBooks, Apple kinda lost it for a bit." [6]
- On his early musical experiences: "I must have been around nine. My dad had done some record production and had some instruments in the house, but I was most compelled by a 4-track cassette recorder he had, and recording guitar parts over each other and hearing harmonies come together." [7]
- On the challenge of his second album: "The old adage that you have your whole life to write your first album and only a few to write your next, plus late 20s." [11][25]
- On his belief in Sleevenote's future impact: "what we're trying to do, I truly believe, is positive for the future of releasing music." [24]
- On the benefits of digital music downloads: "Not only does it send far greater support for artists, but it gives us music fans offline and time-stamped access to great art, and being encouraged to spend some time with a curated selection of art, we all know is good for the mind and soul." [6]

## Audience & Fanbase
Tom Vek has a dedicated fanbase, with one interviewer noting that "We still listen to ‘We Have Sound’" even after his hiatus [8]. He considers himself to be "road test[ing] the songs for the hardcore fans" [9]. He has also noted that owning his songs on Supercollector grants access to an exclusive collectors club chatroom where he posts exclusive content [31].

## Sources

1. Tom Vek Official Website — https://tomvek.com
2. Tom Vek - ‘We Have Sound Remixed’ [Album Review] - V13 Media (2025-10-19) — https://v13.net/2025/10/tom-vek-we-have-sound-remixed-album-review
3. Tom Vek - We Have Sound B-Sides Review - Higher Plain Music (2025-04-16) — https://higherplainmusic.com/2025/04/16/tom-vek-we-have-sound-b-sides-review
4. Album Review: Tom Vek – New Symbols – Beats Per Minute (2020-11-16) — https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-tom-vek-new-symbols
5. Tom Vek: We Have Sound Album Review | Pitchfork (2005-07-28) — https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8540-we-have-sound
6. Musician Tom Vek is building the Sleevenote digital music player | The Verge (2026-08-08) — https://www.theverge.com/report/976872/tom-vek-musician-entrepreneur-sleevenote-interview
7. Interview With Tom Vek (2025-10-07) — https://www.synthhistory.com/post/interview-with-tom-vek
8. It’s taken Tom Vek over five years to create his second album – What took ‘Leisure Seizure’ so long? - Loud And Quiet (2017-03-10) — https://www.loudandquiet.com/interview/tom-vek
9. Gimme Your Answers: An Interview w/ Tom Vek – Alicia Atout (2014-10-02) — https://amusicblogyea.com/2014/10/02/gimme-your-answers-an-interview-w-tom-vek
10. Their own words — "Dave from @glassanimals did an 'insane' remix of 'C-C (You Set The Fire In Me)'; what was the most surprising thing he did with that track?"
11. Their own words — "You called your second album 'difficult' on its 15th birthday; what specific challenge made it feel that way?"
12. Their own words — "You mentioned @cobysey's version of 'That Can Be Arranged' was going to 'blow people's minds'; what specific detail in his take made you say that?"
13. Instagram collaboration with @stratasonic_records — https://www.instagram.com/p/DRpPKY_DBt8/
14. Instagram collaboration with @sleevenote — https://www.instagram.com/p/DcCUjBKiNre/
15. Instagram collaboration with @annaprior — https://www.instagram.com/p/DOv0zDGCLbX/
16. Instagram collaboration with @hessiastudio — https://www.instagram.com/p/DRpPKY_DBt8/
17. Tom Vek credits @iamrollo — Photo by — https://www.instagram.com/p/DRiKNX1CMpM/
18. Tom Vek credits @annaprior — remix; Featuring — https://www.instagram.com/p/DOq2zJSiAn4/
19. Tom Vek credits Dave — remix of C-C; done an insane remix; Featuring — https://www.instagram.com/p/DL7KZ9Zo0K6/
20. Tom Vek credits @glassanimals — featured artist; Remix by — https://www.instagram.com/p/DPBzKCfiBjM/
21. Tom Vek on their own role — Designed by — https://www.instagram.com/p/DRnEH5tCOAI/
22. Tom Vek on their own role — collaborator — https://www.instagram.com/p/DPldKixCH3e/
23. Their own words — EP released on his birthday: "Can't believe it! The EP came out on my BIRTHDAY!!! What are the chances???" — https://www.instagram.com/p/C6yJEdkIRwE/
24. Their own words — his belief in Sleevenote's future impact: "what we're trying to do, I truly believe, is positive for the future of releasing music." — https://www.instagram.com/p/DcCUjBKiNre/
25. Their own words — reflecting on his second album: "Happy 15 year birthday to my difficult second album" — https://www.instagram.com/p/DZnvYUiI9Kt/
26. Their own words — shared musical tastes with a friend: "I just took a walk with my friend James @goodheadz at @unifiedgoods, we talked about our shared love of Bjork, Mogwai, Battles, Cable, Onedia and more as he looked through my music" — https://www.instagram.com/p/DRxTh7PiGIU/
27. Their own words — memory of Leisure Seizure era show: "TBT 2011, backstage at a Leisure Seizure era show" — https://www.instagram.com/p/DW7GqsviOTb/
28. Their own words — about Pre Have Sound album: "Pre Have Sound was a collection of songs recorded prior to We Have Sound that I put out to mark the 10 year anniversary, these songs are still only available on vinyl." — https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ_piKRtIa0/
29. Their own words — how he supports making more music: "On the last day of 2024, the 10th anniversary year, I'm pleased to announce that I've arranged with the original label to get my third album Luck up on @supercollector__ and funds " — https://www.instagram.com/p/DEP4XM1I0Rn/
30. Their own words — the idea behind Supercollector: "The idea is - if you truly love one of these tracks, you buy a blockchain edition for $10." — https://www.instagram.com/p/DEP4XM1I0Rn/
31. Their own words — benefits of owning songs on Supercollector: "As of now owning any of my songs on Supercollector gets your name next to the song and access to an exclusive collectors club chatroom, which I'm making a point of posting exclusiv" — https://www.instagram.com/p/DEP4XM1I0Rn/
32. Their own words — future vision for Supercollector: "But what else could we build if you all owned your favourite song?" — https://www.instagram.com/p/DEP4XM1I0Rn/
33. Their own words — We Have Sound Remixed project: "I’m excited to announce a project a long time in the making - We Have Sound Remixed. For its 20th anniversary." — https://www.instagram.com/p/DL7qfnxNqIq/
34. Their own words — adding content to Luck deluxe version: "I’ve just added a load of extra stuff to the deluxe version of Luck" — https://www.instagram.com/p/DLCXc1HtSTf/