Tom Thum

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Tom Thum
Born (1985-04-01) April 1, 1985 (age 40)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Occupation Beatboxer

Tom Thum (born 1 April 1985 [1] ) is an Australian beatboxer and musician. He is known for using vocal percussion to produce a wide range of sounds and instrumental effects using only his voice. He and fellow Australian Joel Turner won the Team Battle category at the 2005 World Beatbox Battle World Championship as the duo Attention Deficit Disaudio. [2]

Thum has released vocal‑based recordings, such as his EP Ratchet Face, produced with notable collaborators, and has performed with a range of artists across genres including hip‑hop and electronic music, illustrating a range of musical engagement beyond beatboxing alone. [3]

His 2013 TEDxSydney talk The orchestra in my mouth is featured in TED’s curated list of the most popular TEDx talks as of 2025. [4] In 2016 he was a featured artist on the Hilltop Hoods single "1955", which peaked at number 2 on the Australian music chart. [5]

In addition to his solo performances, Thum has been involved in several interdisciplinary music projects. He was featured in Thum Prints, a concerto for beatboxer and orchestra composed by Gordon Hamilton, which premiered in 2015 with the 16-piece Queensland Symphony Orchestra and was subsequently performed at the BBC Proms in Melbourne in 2016, blending contemporary beatboxing with orchestral music. [6] The work has been released as an album through ABC Classics, bringing the collaboration beyond live concert halls to recorded media. [7] He also created Basics 2 Basses, an online beatboxing masterclass series designed to teach fundamental techniques, the cultural history of beatboxing, and the development of individual styles to learners of all skill levels. [8] [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Thum". music.apple.com. Apple Music. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "World Renowned Beatboxer Tom Thum Releases New Track "Ratchet Face"". The Source. The Source. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "PREMIERE: Tom Thum Turns His Voice Into A Production House On New EP 'Ratchet Face'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "The 10 Most Popular TEDx Talks". TED. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "HILLTOP HOODS FEAT. MONTAIGNE & TOM THUM - 1955 (SONG)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Thum prints : Concerto for beatboxer and orchestra". Australian Music Centre. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "THUM PRINTS - THUM PRINTS". ABC Music. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "Beatboxing virtuoso Tom Thum announces 'Basics 2 Basses' masterclass series". Forte Magazine. Forte Magazine. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Tom Thum. World class Australian beatboxer, breakdancer, MC, and producer". icmi.com.au. ICMI. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
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