Werkha

Manchester-based producer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ Werkha aka Tom Leah is an artist whose work is steeped in meaning, fusing analogue jazz-funk vibes with the UK’s electronic, resulting in a number of uptempo releases nestled between the sounds of broken beat and cinematic moments. Deep synths and delectable drums ride alongside live horns and a wealth of string textures. His vibrant energetic live shows include a selection of instruments, looped and fused with a mix of tightly packed samples that set the moment alight, blending beauty and dance.


His upcoming release ‘Unsung Irregular’ is a reflection and exploration into experiences of scoliosis and the role nature has played in Tom’s recovery. Beyond this, the LP is a celebration of movement, and the resilient power of music to transform discomfort into rhythm. Scoliosis has shaped his life in ways both visible and invisible, and the album traces those contours with unflinching honesty. Tracks from the record, which features additional vocals from Ríoghnach Connolly and Daudi Matsiko, have seen support from Gilles Peterson, Nemone, Don Letts and Zakia (BBC 6Music), BBC Introducing Manchester, Worldwide FM and Papaoul and Tim Garcia (Rinse FM).


His debut album landed in 2015 on the acclaimed Brighton imprint Tru Thoughts, while he’s currently signed to Worldwide Award-winning London label First Word Records. His releases on the label - (“The Rigour” EP from 2020, and the ‘All Werk Is Play’ LP from 2022 - have seen support from a wide range of tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, Zakia, Jamz Supernova, Scratcha DVA, Mo Ayoub and Julie Adenuga.

Alongside his own releases, he’s collaborated and remixed with Quantic, A Certain Ratio, Marcos Valle, Eska, Chunky, Andrew Ashong and extensively with Keisha Thompson and Bryony Jarman-Pinto, to cite a few.

His vibrant energetic live shows include a selection of instruments, looped and fused with a mix of tightly packed samples that set the moment alight, blending beauty and dance. He has toured across the UK and Europe with Bonobo, Chet Faker, Todd Terje, Rebecca Vasmant and Mr Scruff, performed as a member of Bryony Jarman-Pinto’s band and shared stages with Crazy P, GoGo Pengui, LeFto and MCDE. Across live shows and DJ sets, he has performed at legendary venues including The Roundhouse, The Jazz Café and Manchester Cathedral, and at various festivals including Glastonbury, We Out Here, A Love Supreme and Latitude.

In addition to making music, Werkha continues to collaborate with Reform Radio to curate opportunities for upcoming Mancunian artists. He has simultaneously been creating and building another side-project, Saturama - a live audio-visual experience aimed at reconnecting to our rainforests in the UK, which has received support from organisations like Earth Percent, Plantlife, Manchester Museum, and RSPB Haweswater .