German DJ and producer Thomas Brückner, better known as Tomcraft, who created the massive 2003 club hit “Loneliness,” has passed away at the age of 49.
Tributes have poured in from the dance music community, with Judge Jules, who supported “Loneliness” upon its release, calling Brückner a “lovely guy, who made one of the greatest records ever.”
On Tuesday, Brückner’s family announced on social media: “With a heavy heart, we need to inform you that yesterday, 15 July 2024, our beloved father and husband passed away. We will forever carry you in our hearts and love you until we’re reunited again.”
Brückner rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s with club hits like “The Circle,” “Prosac,” and “Silence.” “Loneliness” brought him commercial success, reaching number eight in the UK in 2002 before climbing to number one the following year.
Brückner initially wrote “Loneliness” as an instrumental with his studio partner Eniac but felt something was missing. He added lyrics and a melody borrowed from Andrea Martin’s 1999 R&B single “Share the Love,” which he found in a Munich charity shop, and had the words re-recorded by British vocalist Vivian.
“The lyrics say that happiness seems to be loneliness and loneliness killed my world,” Brückner was quoted as saying in Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh’s book 1,000 Number One Hits. It doesn’t really make much sense to me either – but I prefer it because of that. I like the idea that it is a bit crazy – it’s just that kind of record.”
