The underground electronic music scene in the UK has always thrived on evolution, and North Yorkshire-born producer Tom Collingburn is the latest artist redefining its boundaries. Under his Unruly Disturbance moniker, Collingburn has spent years honing a unique signature that seamlessly weaves together atmospheric soundscapes, cinematic textures and deeply emotional storytelling. His latest offering, ‘Frisson’, released via Not Yet Remembered, marks a staggering creative milestone—bringing an immersive electronic experience to listeners that features poignant spoken word contributions from Mat Riches.
What makes ‘Frisson’ so compelling is its willingness to explore moments of intense human connection and emotional vulnerability. After stepping away from the club scene and abandoning beats entirely over a decade ago, Collingburn’s return to rhythm is both a personal triumph and a sonic revelation. We sat down with the producer to discover the roots of his musical identity, the touching inspirations behind his new tracks, and how a Velux window and a cushion helped shape the record’s unique percussion.
Thank you so much for joining us, Tom! We are eager to dive into your journey. Here is what he had to say about the new album, his unique creative process and what lies ahead. When did you first start making music, where did it all begin, and what originally inspired you?
“My first introduction to electronic music was playing ‘Wipeout’ on PS1 when I was about 13. It was the first time a video game had used a full CD audio soundtrack by underground and established electronic artists, and it really changed everything for me. It gave me a musical identity for the first time that I didn't inherit from my parents. I copied the soundtrack from the game onto tape, and I'd listen to it all the time, even in school lessons. Those tracks by Leftfield, Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Underworld and Fluke pulled me towards that world and really were my earliest electronic influences. It wasn't long before I started buying the tracks on vinyl and was taught how to DJ by my older brother.”
“A few years after that, it wasn't enough to just mix records, I wanted to learn more about how that music was made. Fortunately, at that time a revolution was happening with programs like Fruity Loops and Rebirth, and the introduction of VSTs gave kids like me a chance to make beats on a computer without the need for an expensive studio. I was hooked.”
Can you tell us a bit about ‘Frisson’ and what this new release means to you?
“The new album is called ‘Frisson’. The word frisson describes a physical response to emotion, like the chills or the hairs on your arm standing up when you experience a strong emotion. I really wanted to capture that in different moods and genres across an entire album, so people could experience those emotions anywhere, sitting at home or even listening on the bus—something more than just for the dance floor. The really emotional part for me was bringing beats back into my music, something which I abandoned over 10 years ago when I'd had enough of the club scene. It took quite a lot emotionally for me to return to that, but I'm really glad I did. I'm not afraid of it anymore.”
Were there any artists or specific experiences that influenced you whilst writing this record?
“Absolutely loads of artists have influence on all the music I make; generally, when I'm not making music, I'm listening to it. Because the album is a merger of ambient, drone and cinematic music that I've written in recent years and modern electronic music with beats, I like to split the influences into those two groups. On the ambient side: Ben Frost, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Max Richter, Hammock, Cliff Martinez, Boards Of Canada. On the electronic side: Jon Hopkins, Ital Tek, Burial, Lorn, Rival Consoles, Fred again.., Jamie xx.”
“I'd like to shout out one of the influences of the album in a bit more detail, and that's Burial. I'm late to the party on Burial, I only started listening to him last year and his music was one of the catalysts that got me interested in using beats in my music again. I read about how he didn't use conventional drum sounds in his music, and a lot of the sounds are things like chucking a quid into a pile of coins or a jar of screws, then he just processes them to get them sounding like lo-fi organic drums. So, I took this on board. You can hear it the most on my track 'Manners Cost Nothing'—the kick is me hitting a cushion with a stick, the clap is me slamming the Velux window in the attic, and the hats are coat hangers moving around in my wardrobe. Listen closely; see if you can pick them out.”
How did the songwriting process look for this album, and how did it all come together?
“I never went into this with the intention of writing an album. I had heard the word frisson and thought that would make a great track title, although the first track I wrote intending to be 'Frisson' I actually renamed to 'In Response' in the final album release. I think after two weeks I had three tracks which I played to some friends and they were really surprised because I'd used beats in these new tracks. They've been friends with me for a long time, so they still remember when I was a techno DJ and producer, and they were also there when I stepped away from the DJing and underground club scene; they were used to hearing the ambient music I've been making for the last 10 years.”
“They loved the tracks. They made me believe that I really had something with this combination of cinematic melody and atmosphere with experimental beats. This encouraged me to make some more, and the creativity was flowing, so I went with it. Then by the time you're at eight tracks, you think, fuck it, this feels like an album.”
How would you describe the overall sound of the album, and how has your style evolved since you first started?
“I'd describe the sound of the album as melodic, atmospheric and focused. The style of music on ‘Frisson’ is definitely a reflection of the evolution of my sound. It's all of the sound design techniques and writing emotional music which I've learnt from making ambient in the last 10 years, combined with the modern electronic influences like Burial, Lorn and Ital Tek whose music has helped me fall in love with electronic beats all over again.”
Is there a central theme or a specific moment on the record that captures the core message you wanted to convey?
“The theme is definitely about emotion and the need to feel something. I wanted to prove to myself that I can make stuff with beats again, but it have more emotion and meaning than the 4/4 club tracks I used to make. The most emotional moment that will always stand out for me whenever I think about the album is around the track 'Willow's Lament'. During the writing process, one of our house rabbits, Willow, passed away. Within a couple of days, I felt a strong urge to honour her life and immortalise her in my music. I started writing a melody while holding memories of her in my head, but it was too much too soon. I was in tears over the keyboard—it's even getting to me now a bit just thinking about that time.”
“Anyway, I just left that idea alone. Sometime later towards the end of the album writing process, I decided to revisit it, and it was still really hard, but it felt different. The emotions were still strong, but I was able to see the happy memories of her over the sadness. The initial melody I had captured was raw, but it was something, so I went with it. I tried to capture aspects of her personality through the melody and her strength through the beats. I hope people get a sense of her when they listen to 'Willow's Lament'.”
Looking ahead, what are your wider aspirations, both musically and personally?
“I have a side hustle of writing sync music for film and TV music libraries. I've been at it two years and built up over 40 released tracks. The sync world is a bit of a long numbers game; you just build up a large catalogue, and once you start getting placements, you'll hopefully see a passive and cumulative income from it. I'm still building my library, but it's something I enjoy working on. I'll probably sign another 20 sync tracks this year, so I'll just keep at it and hopefully get some placements soon. You can hear examples of my sync work on my website: unrulydisturbance.com.”
“The real goal with the sync music for me, once I have those placements and examples of my music used in film or TV, is I'd love to work on soundtracks for film, TV or games. It was hearing stuff by Max Richter and Cliff Martinez that really got me making music again after I stopped producing techno. Hearing their music is what got me into ambient and helped me fall in love with a new genre after stepping away from underground club music. I love writing music to images; it would be my dream to do that as a whole cohesive piece.”
“I'll still keep writing my Unruly Disturbance music too. I have loads of ideas left over from the album writing process and I'm dying to get into the studio and get those down. I think I'll just do future releases as smaller EPs rather than another big bang album release. My goal there is to just keep growing my Bandcamp audience and selling music that way. I just like my music to be heard and appreciated by the right audience, even if that's only a couple of hundred people, that's enough for me. I'd rather have a small number of people who take time to properly listen to music than 100,000 followers on socials who hear two seconds of your music before scrolling to their next fix.”
Are there any live shows or new projects on the horizon?
“I haven't really thought about performing music again since my last DJ gig 10 years ago. The thought never entered my head during the writing process of this album, but you're not the first person to ask me that since the album released. I think I would enjoy performing to an audience again, but it would have to be a series of smaller, more intimate venues with the right vibe and enough shows lined up that it makes the effort of converting the album into a performance worth it.”
What kind of reception has ‘Frisson’ received so far?
“It's still early days; it's been less than a week since the album released. I've had lots of lovely messages about the music from total strangers, and people buying the album on Bandcamp, and friends sharing it with other friends and telling me how much they loved it. So yeah, that's enough for me really. Like I said on the previous question, I like to keep it smaller, more sincere and with more intent—that's why I'm not on socials.”
Do you have a final message for our readers, and how can they best support your journey?
“First, thanks for reading this. I really appreciate people taking the time to read a blog in this day and age where a lot of people expect everything delivered in 5 seconds or less. If you've got this far, then you're exactly the type of people I'm trying to reach. If you've listened to the album already, then I really hope you enjoyed it, and a massive thank you for listening to my music.”
“All I want is my music to be heard and enjoyed. If you've not listened yet, head over to Bandcamp and check it out, and if you do fancy buying it, that does get me a beer, although the next best thing is just a follow on Bandcamp—that way I can keep you informed about future releases. If anyone has any questions or just wants to reach out about music, I always love to hear from you. My email is on my website, or you can message me via Bandcamp.”
With ‘Frisson’ delivering a masterclass in evocative electronic production, Tom Collingburn has successfully bridged the gap between his ambient past and his electronic future. The album stands as a powerful reminder of what can happen when an artist embraces vulnerability and steps back into the creative unknown.
Be sure to check out the album on Bandcamp and visit unrulydisturbance.com to explore his incredible cinematic catalogue. You can also follow the artist's PR updates on their Instagram via PremPR.
