Wave Racer facts for kids
Thomas Michael Purcell, known as Wave Racer, is an Australian musician and music producer. He plays many instruments and writes songs. His stage name, "Wave Racer," comes from the fun Nintendo 64 game Wave Race 64.
Wave Racer released his first two songs, "Rock U Tonite" and "Stoopid," in 2013. That same year, he joined an Australian music label called Future Classic. This label also works with other electronic artists like Cashmere Cat and Flume.
In 2015, he released his first short album, called an EP, named Flash Drive. It included a song with another musician, Lido. Later, in 2021, Wave Racer released his first full album, To Stop From Falling Off The Earth.
He has played music at big events in the United States, like the Ultra Music Festival. He also toured with Chromeo and was part of Mad Decent's Block Party Tour. In Australia, he has performed at popular festivals such as Splendour In The Grass and Falls Festival. He also opened for Disclosure in 2014 and Porter Robinson in 2015.
Contents
About Wave Racer's Music Journey
How Wave Racer Started
Thomas Purcell was born in Sydney, Australia, on April 26, 1992. He started making electronic dance music (EDM) with a friend. They were a duo called "Pablo J & The Lobsterettes."
Wave Racer has said that other artists like Cashmere Cat and Hudson Mohawke greatly influenced his music. People often describe his style as "future bass."
Early Songs and Albums
In 2014, Wave Racer released a single song called "Streamers." It was described as a "tropical, glitchy tune." It mixed sounds from trap and futuristic indie-dance music.
In 2015, he released "Flash Drive" (featuring B▲BY) and "World Record" (featuring Lido). These songs were part of his Flash Drive EP, which came out on October 15, 2015. The song "Flash Drive" was even featured in the 2016 racing video game Forza Horizon 3.
In 2017, a remix Wave Racer made of Flight Facilities' song "Stand Still" was used by Fetty Wap in his song "Way You Are." This happened without Wave Racer's permission.
Recent Performances and Albums
On April 24, 2021, Wave Racer played live at Porter Robinson's online festival, Secret Sky. He performed his own music with a live band.
On August 6, 2021, Wave Racer appeared on Triple J's "Like A Version" show. He sang a cover of The 1975's "It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)" and his own song "Look Up To Yourself."
On October 29, 2021, Wave Racer released his first full album, To Stop From Falling Off The Earth. It was released through Astral People Recordings and PIAS. The album has 11 songs. For the first time, Purcell sang his own lyrics on the album. He also used a lot of electric guitar and synthesizers. Music magazines like NME and Rolling Stone Australia gave the album good reviews.
Awards and Recognition
Wave Racer has received awards for his music.
In 2013, he was nominated for a J Award as "Unearthed Artist of the Year." This award recognizes new and exciting Australian artists.
In 2015, he won the "Best Producer" award at the FBi SMAC Awards. These awards celebrate music, arts, and culture in Sydney.
Year | Award | Nominee / Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year | Himself | Nominated |
2015 | FBi SMAC Award for Best Producer | Himself | Won |
Wave Racer's Music
Studio Albums
Title | Details |
---|---|
To Stop From Falling Off The Earth |
|
EPs (Short Albums)
Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
US Dance |
||
Flash Drive |
|
15 |
Singles (Individual Songs)
Title | Year | Label | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Rock U Tonite" | 2013 | Future Classic | Rock U Tonite/Stoopid |
"Stoopid" | |||
"Streamers" | 2014 | Non-album single | |
"Flash Drive" (featuring B▲BY) | 2015 | Flash Drive | |
"AUTO" | 2019 | Astral People Recordings / PIAS | To Stop From Falling Off The Earth |
"Summer Rain" (featuring Kwame) | Non-album single | ||
"This N That" (featuring LunchMoney Lewis) | |||
"Higher" | 2020 | ||
"Left Behind" | 2021 | To Stop From Falling Off The Earth | |
"What Are We Waiting For?" | |||
"Look Up To Yourself" | |||
"Dreaming" |
Remixes (Songs Re-imagined by Wave Racer)
2013
- Flight Facilities featuring Mickey Green – "Stand Still (Wave Racer Remix)"
- Panama – "Always (Wave Racer Remix)"
- DCUP featuring Mereki – "Don't Be Shy (Wave Racer Remix)"
- Cosmo's Midnight – "The Dofflin (Wave Racer Remix)"
- Ghost Town DJ's – "My Boo (Wave Racer Remix)"
2014
- Foster The People – "Best Friend (Wave Racer Remix)"
- Ryan Hemsworth – "Ryan Must Be Destroyed (Wave Racer Remix)"
2015
- Duke Dumont – "The Giver (Reprise) (Wave Racer Remix)"
- Snakehips featuring Chance The Rapper & Tinashe – "All My Friends (Wave Racer Remix)"
2016
- Flume featuring Kai – "Never Be like You (Wave Racer Remix)"
2017
- Tkay Maidza featuring Killer Mike – "Carry On (Wave Racer Remix)"
Covers (Songs Performed by Wave Racer)
2021