The Speclialist: Tom Furse dreams of exotica

The Specialist is a short film series profiling record collectors through one aspect of their collection that’s particularly important to them. This time round, Tom Furse explores the kitsch magic of Exotica.

Even if you’re not familiar with exactly what Exotica is, chances are you’ve skipped over countless classics in charity shops and second hand record bins in your life time. Once written off as lift music with some pretty dubious colonial undertones, the misunderstood world of Exotica music is on the cusp of a renaissance, as collectors dive into the lesser known annals of library music, new age and ambient. One of those is Tom Furse.

Defined by Martin Deny’s Exotica, and Arthur Lyman’s Taboo, Exotica evolved hand in hand with the golden age of air travel, feeding people’s dreams of far flung lands and tropical paradises (Hawaii features prominently) to create a tiki bar atmosphere from the comfort of your living room. The kind of music, as Furse explains, that’s best enjoyed with a rum cocktail and a picture of the beach.

So sit back, grab yourself a drink and dream of warmer climes.

It’s not unfamiliar territory for Furse, who in breaks from touring and recording with The Horrors has released a compilation of library music Tom Furse Digs on Lo Recordings last year.