EDDIE swung by to talk about his latest track to land on HypnoVizion and what’s in store for his project moving forward.
Australian producer EDDIE‘s versatility and growth has been quite a treat to watch over the years. Rising in the scene with infectious electro and progressive sounds found on tracks like “Caffeine” and “Somewhere In Between” with Colleen D’agostino, 2023 saw EDDIE stepping into the realm of powerful bass-fueled tracks with a dark, moody edge. Landing a coveted spot on Rezz‘ label HypnoVizion, EDDIE’s music became more cohesive as he solidified his sound moving forward, as seen on his impressive Onzeker Kraft Vol.1 EP stocked full of otherworldly releases.
Even with an intense visa process to return to the U.S. from his homeland, resulting in his first show of the year taking place in June, EDDIE had quite the year for performances. His debut at Brooklyn Mirage captivated fans, new and old, as he brought a slew of brand-new visuals to the venue’s massive LED screen. He also debuted new music and showed us all exactly ‘who the fk’ EDDIE is, showcasing tracks like “Pocketknife” with Lights for the first time. Providing support to fellow artists on tour as well, like Apashe and Black Tiger Sex Machine, EDDIE took us all further into his new mystifying era.
Hot off the release of his latest track, “UP/DOWN,” out now via HypnoVizion, we knew we had to catch up with EDDIE before he propels further in the scene. Keep on reading for the lowdown on his production process, new music, the aesthetic he’s been crafting, and more!
Stream EDDIE – UP/DOWN on Spotify:
Hi, EDDIE. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us! Your latest release, “UP/DOWN,” on HypnoVizion, offers dark, spellbinding soundscapes for listeners. We love its glitchy midtempo tones and enthralling bass-fueled beats. How did this track come together for you? Walk us through your process.
Hello! Absolute pleasure to chat with you! Okay, so “UP/DOWN” wasn’t written within the walls of my usual process, but it started over a year ago. I had written down some basic lyrics that just went, “Up up & down down, there’s no place like downtown,” and I sent them to my friend back in Melbourne to do a monotone vocal for it. I basically wrote a house record around it, but then I thought, why not make it darker and cyberpunky with a touch of spook? So I revised and made about four different versions, eventually ending up with this final version that everyone gets to hear.
You’ve released on various labels over the years, such as mau5trap, Monstercat, and Deadbeats. In 2023, you found a home on HypnoVizion. What does it mean to you to have support from Rezz, and how has it been working with the label this year?
Honestly, reading it back now and seeing how many staple dance music labels I’ve been blessed to release with is just forever going to be wicked to me! Rezz has been such a good friend and an awesome collaborator; she’s been so supportive of my project and my vision for what I want to do moving forward. I mean… we have two collabs out already and a third coming in 2024, which I’m hyped for! Overall, I’m extremely grateful for her and her team at HypnoVizion!
From festival stages to concert venues, clubs, intimate settings, and more, you’ve played a plethora of venues big and small. Is there a type of space you prefer to play in more than others? Do you tailor your sets any differently depending on where you’re performing?
It’s a tough one to answer because I’ve loved small venue vibes a lot, but then I’ve also played my favorite show ever at HypnoVizion’s debut event at Brooklyn Mirage. What I want for my project moving forward is to be able to show off my live visuals as much as possible, so that venue has to be the best in America for that. Naturally, that takes the cake for me! Yeah, I tailor my sets accordingly, always keeping them relatively similar in terms of keeping staple records of mine, etc.
Your performance at Brooklyn Mirage this year was very special for you. It was your first time playing in New York and your grand return to the U.S. after a lengthy visa process. With all the new music, EDDITS, mashups, and visuals, how did you go about preparing for this set? What was going through your head when you finally took the stage?
Great question. That was the best night of my life so far, career-wise, for sure. Honestly, I’m not an overly anxious person, but I was feeling some type of way the night of Brooklyn Mirage. [Laughs] Basically, I hadn’t touched CDJs in over six months or so, and this was the first time I could really show everyone who EDDIE is. I was nervous, but as soon as I got up there, I felt so confident and free. The set just flowed, visuals and lights were perfect and in unison, and I ended up keeping the whole crowd there ’til the end of my set at like 3am or something, I don’t remember exactly. That was such a surreal feeling — seeing all the messages later of new fans, people being blown away, etc. It definitely solidified my feelings toward this “who the fk is EDDIE” era.
You’ve also put out a variety of releases, ranging from the electro house sounds found on your Bite Series EPs to heavier basslines on tracks like “Incubator” and “Post-Rave Heist.” How would you describe your current sound? Are there any other genres you’d like to experiment with?
As my project evolved and matured, I found exactly what I enjoyed making/performing and even visually what I wanted to do. I came to the realization that aesthetically, I love the dark/moody/mysterious vibe combined with a high urban fashion, so the press pics moving forward, the artworks, and animations all started to become cohesive and a lot more elevated, in my opinion. Music-wise, I sit within the broad realm of “bass music” because I make the midtempo stuff with dubstep elements. I also have unreleased dubstep records, done the EDDIE way, so yeah, I’m essentially educating everyone on who the fk EDDIE is moving forward. [Laughs]
You recently stated via Instagram that 2023 was the first year you felt like you released the EDDIE sound consistently and that “moving forward [you] know what [you] want to do & how to do it sonically/visually.” What can fans look forward to from you next year? Can we expect a return to electro at all, or are you moving forward in a new direction?
Yep, definitely moving on from electro house/progressive house. For example, in 2023, I released a whole EP with Rezz’s label and then collaborations with Drezo and Black Tiger Sex Machine — all midtempo records, some with more dubstep sound design influences. Definitely going further into that, but also incorporating vocals with this genre too. I’ve always loved working with vocals; my record with Lights is a prime example of that combo.
Last question here — what is one piece of advice you could go back and tell yourself at the start of your career?
Something that could’ve probably boosted me quicker would be sticking to an extremely cohesive brand musically and visually, so maybe that? What I would really want to say is just enjoy every single moment, even if it’s a bad one, because the bad ones make the big wins later that much sweeter.
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