DJ Tonka


Thomas-René Gerlach, known professionally as DJ Tonka, is a German electronic dance musician. He is also known as Tonka, Chip Tunes, and Thomastic.

Musical career

In his early career, Thomas-René 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, 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 synthpop 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

Studio albums

  • 1998: Peaktime
  • 2004: ''84''

    Singles & EPs

  • 1995: "Flashback"
  • 1995: "Flashback, Remixes"
  • 1995: "Got to Get Up"
  • 1995: "Feel"
  • 1995: "Feel, Remixes"
  • 1995: "Phun-ky"
  • 1996: Feel Phun-ky EP
  • 1996: "Old Skool"
  • 1996: "Feel the Street vs. Deskee"
  • 1996: "Feel the Street vs. Deskee" Remixes
  • 1996: "Radical Noise, Remixes"
  • 1996: "Happiness"
  • 1997: "Old Skool"
  • 1997: "Old Skool"
  • 1997: "The Night", Security
  • 1998: "She Knows You"
  • 1998: "She Knows You"
  • 2000: "Don't Be Afraid"
  • 2000: "Don't Be Afraid"
  • 2002: "J.O.E, Never!"
  • 2002: "Keep Klimbing"
  • 2004: "84"
  • 2004: "Get Back, PT1"
  • 2004: "Get Back, PT2"
  • 2008: "Orca", Freeze
  • 2008: "Orca"
  • 2008: Drop Box EP
  • 2009: Ready for War EP
  • 2011: "Aliens & Earthlings"
  • 2012: "Atlantis"
  • 2012: "Atlantis Remixes"
  • 2015: "Calippo - 4U"
  • 2016: "Security"
  • 2019: "Don't Stop"
;TONKA presents CHIP TUNES
  • 2001: Heartjumpa, Reflect, Fallin', Passion

    Mix-CDs

  • 1998: The House of Disco
  • 2000: ''Essential Streetparades / Proved''

    Remixes

  • 1995: Ian Pooley - "Celtic Cross Remixes"
  • 1996: Celvin Rotane - "You've Got to Be You"
  • 1996: The Moodyman - "The Dancer"
  • 1996: Smokin Beats - "Disco Dancin'"
  • 1996: Full Intention - "America"
  • 1996: The Hipgrinders - "Good Times"
  • 1996: Gina G - "I Belong to You"
  • 1997: Colonel Abrahams - "Trapped"
  • 1997: Jimmy Somerville - "Safe"
  • 1997: Bootsy Collins - "I'm Leavin' U" "
  • 1997: Dave Angel - "Funk Music"
  • 1998: The Funkjunkeez a.k.a. Roger Sanchez - "Got Funk?"
  • 1998: Louise - "All That Matters"
  • 1998: Urban Soul - "Love Is So Nice"
  • 1998: Black & White Brothers - "Put Your Hands Up"
  • 1998: DJ Tonka vs The B52's - "Love Shack"
  • 1998: K-Klass - "Live It Up"
  • 1999: Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
  • 1999: Tony Esposito - "Kalimba De Luna"
  • 2000: Dominica - "Gotta Let You Go"
  • 2000: Bump a.k.a. Steve Travell & MA - "I'm Rushing"
  • 2001: Cleptomaniacs a.k.a. Brian Tappert & John Julius Knight – "All I Do"
  • 2002: Robin S. - "Show Me Love"
  • 2002: Robin S. - "Luv 4 Luv"
  • 2002: Alizée - "L'Alizé "
  • 2002: Sharam Jey pres the Punisher - "Straight Up!"
  • 2004: Ian Pooley ft Jade & Dantelle - "Heaven"
  • 2004: Erick Morillo ft. Leslie Carter - "Waiting in the Darkness"
  • 2005: Tonka vs The Adjuster - "All Over Again"
  • 2005: Room 5 a.k.a. Junior Jack - "Make Love 2005"
  • 2006: Ian Pooley & Tonka - "Celtic Cross 2006"
  • 2006: Erick Morillo ft P.Diddy - "Dance I Said"
  • 2008: MDX & Namito - "Hot & Spicy"
  • 2009: Gus Gus - "Lust"
  • 2009: Ian Pooley vs Zoo Brazil - "Reader"
  • 2009: Coburn - "We Re-Interrupt This Programme"
  • 2009: Aquasky - "You Know We Do It Big Girl"
  • 2009: AudioFun - "Dirty Gold"
  • 2010: Ellie Goulding - "Guns and Horses"
  • 2010: Housse de Racket - "Oh Yeah!"
  • 2010: Simon Rose - "Stachus"
  • 2010: Mercedes - "Shock Absorber"
  • 2010: Aggro Santos - "Saint or Sinner"
  • 2010: The Wanted - "Heart Vacancy"
  • 2011: Natalia Kills - "Mirrors"
  • 2011: Dabruck & Klein ft Ollie James - "I Found Love"
  • 2011: Arty - "Around the World"
  • 2012: The Disco Boys - "Around the World"
  • 2012: Medina - "Forever"
  • 2012: Laserkraft 3D - "Urlaub"
  • 2015: Robin Schulz - "Headlights "

    Other projects

;THOMASTIC
  • 1993 Eurostyle Tunes Vol.1
  • 1993 I Want to Be Free - Rmx
  • 1993 Dream Team EP, Whirlpool Prod. - Dreaming, Remixes
;T´N´I
  • 1991 Low Mass E.P.
  • 1991 Trip Men w. Alec Empire
  • 1991 Paris, No More Ugly Germans, Compilation & Single
  • 1992 Disco Beam E.P.
  • 1992 Do You Still Care? ft Marie Pullins
  • 1993 Depart EP
  • 1993 I Want to Be Free
  • 1994 Mad Situation, Be Straight
  • 1995 Nothing Can Stop Us
;T´N´I Remixes
  • 1992 Paris Red - Do Ya
  • 1992 The Bionaut - Everybody is Kissing Everyone
  • 1992 Paradise Project - Deep Green
  • 1993 Dream Team EP w. Whirlpool Prod. - Dreaming
  • 1993 Formosa - Dr. Strangelove
  • 1993 Rainforest - The Birds
  • 1993 House Pimps - Get The Hook
;SPACE CUBE
  • 1991 Space Cube EP
  • 1992 Machine & Motion
  • 1992 Pure Tendency - Ritchie Hawtin Rmx
  • 1992 Kool Killer EP 1
  • 1993 Kool Killer EP 2
  • 1993 Kool Killer EP 3
  • 1993 Kool Killer EP, UK Mixes
  • 1993 The Latest Adventures Of Kool Killer
  • 1993 Sassion ft Gordon Matthewman & Force Mass Motion
  • 1993 The Unrel. Project EP
  • 1994 Inbound, Outbound
  • 1994 Kommerz Killer
  • 1995 Dschungelfieber, Remixes
  • 1996 DJ Tonka & Ian Pooley's Unrel. Space Cube Tracks
;SPACE CUBE Remixes
;OUTRAGE
  • 1991 Emperor, Daylight