By: Jordan Calvano

19-year-old Pittsburgh native Tom Holroyd has been quickly proving himself to be an artist who is not afraid to take any chances—and it has paid off.

He produces and performs under the fun and quirky moniker Comic Strips, and has found a way to create an original and provocative sound that sets him apart from the brunt of artists in the electro game today. While that may be his genre of choice, he is working to create an infusion of multiple genres. He has been uploading songs for the past year to his Soundcloud account at a prolific rate. While some of his songs are strictly electro-house tracks like those off his Party Zone EP, his talents are not strictly limited to that particular category. He has a knack for weaving dubstep wobbles and heavy synths into tracks with house and electro-house feels to them. This effect changes the vibe of his songs in a memorable fashion, helping create the sense of diversity in his catalog.

Holroyd has released a solid number of originals, along with remixes of prominent artists like Maroon 5, Skrillex, and Congorock. Although on his latest release, he has embarked on his most talented and explosive remix thus far. Tom remixed Gotye’s emphatic anthem about love lost and heartbreak aptly entitled, “Somebody That I Used To Know.”

The original has been spreading rapidly on the sound waves of radio stations and online blogs, so it is an appropriate song for an artist like Comic Strips to remix. Tom does a great job at creating his own feel to the music, while still keeping a large portion of the vocals to help convey the incredible emotion the song contains. The cut kicks in the emphatic vocals immediately to snag the listeners attention from the very start. He mixes them with melodic synths and incredibly captivating snare drums, and they combine to make an emotive exciting build up. The vocals remain basically untouched until the moments before the drop where he pitches and speeds up Gotye’s voice. This effect works well, and leads to the vocals being soothing and enjoyable. The drop displays some of Tom’s most impressive and ample wobbles of any of his cuts, and does a great job of bridging the verses together with chopped up vocals that mix up the phrase, “Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.” After the drop climaxes, we get a taste of Kimbra’s beautiful and touching vocals that add so much to this song. This remix does an incredible job at making her voice sound even more passionate by matching it with a slow synth buildup that perfectly compliments it.

Overall, this Comic Strip remix is a gem. At around 5:30 minutes long, it keeps the listener entranced with all the components of a good remix. He’s received over 2,000 plays on his Soundcloud in the first 2 days, and his fans are thoroughly satisfied. Catch Comic Strips on his first West Coast tour in January in California and Arizona sponsored by none other than TheUntz.com.

For more information on this tour check out our link: www.theuntz.com/TheUntz.com-presents-Comic-Strips-West-Coast-Tour-January-2012