Today is a special day. My buddies DAKK vs SLICE killed it when they opened for Adventure Club last night, and now I have the madness that is to come in a mere five hours to look forwards to. One of my good friends is having his birthday shindig tonight, and countless amounts of hard earned dollars are being pumped into the evening. Yes, we’re going to be those ridiculous people with booths and bottles and all that tomfoolery. Be jealous. Those aren’t even the biggest reason why today is special. A little under a month ago, I managed to get a hold of a major up and comer for an interview before he got some well deserved exposure from my favourite Swedish duo.
Eden Anderson is a twenty one year old producer from London, UK. Make sure to put this bloke on your ‘watch in 2012’ list. With a fully loaded arsenal of potent remixes and a handful of originals on the way, there’s no telling how big of an impact he’ll make on the scene this year. He’s already out-remixed talents such as Uppermost, Swanky Tunes, Vodge Diper, Caveat, and even Kaskade when he won Dada Life’s remix competition. For each remix, he creates a melody which ends up overtaking the original; something incredibly hard to pull off yet he does this on a regular basis. Sign of a future EDM great? I think so.
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SSOM: How long have you been dabbling in electronic music?
I used to produce rap and hip hop, but I’ve been producing house for the past 2 years! I didn’t start DJing until my first year at college. I wanted to raise more of an awareness for the EDM scene so I set up a student club night where myself and a few local DJ’s would play the latest electronic music to students in my city.
SSOM: In a scene that is quickly becoming dominated by heavy bass and complex beats and sounds, what made you go with the lighter, more melodic approach to electro as an emerging artist?
I love bass, but don’t like making tracks that are all about the heavy bass line because it will just be compared to another track with a heavy bass. There seems to be a competition on how filthy a track can sound, and that’s just not what I’m about. Nobody should underestimate the power of a really good melody. It can infect your mind much better than a heavy bass line can.
SSOM: Just from listening to the melodies you use in all of your tracks, you definitely have a musical ear. Have you been involved in music for a long time?
Though I’ve never had classical training, I played the guitar, drums and piano from a young age, so I guess the answer to your question is yes (laughs).
SSOM: So, you’re a student and music is a hobby for you from what I’ve read. Mind if I ask what you’re taking?
I’m studying music production at music college. I’ve learned a lot about the studio environment and the business/industry aspects of music from attending the college, but all the skills I’ve picked up in my tracks are mainly down to watching a lot of YouTube tutorials (laughs).
SSOM: Have you had the chance to dazzle the live public with your style yet? If not, any plans to?
Only a little, but nothing major yet. It’s definitely something I want to pursue this year!
SSOM: I’ve definitely got you on my ‘keep an eye on’ list, so aside from the possibility of live shows, what can the world expect from Special Features in 2012?
What I really want to work on over the next few months is making people realise that I’m not essentially a remixer but an artist, and I’m gonna do this by putting out a lot more original work.
SSOM: If it weren’t for ChubbyBeavers.com, I would have never found your old original work. Please tell me there’s an EP in the works with more original sounds?
Maybe.. You will have to wait and see 😉 I have a few collabs in the making with some talented up and comers and I can’t wait to release them to the world!
SSOM: Definitely looking forwards to it. How do you feel about winning the Dada Life remix competition and getting some serious exposure? I’d imagine your inbox must be flooding lately.
Surprised but obviously over the moon. It has been great promotion. A lot more people are finding out about my music because of the competition and that’s what I’m constantly trying to achieve when I put up my remixes. My main goal is trying to reach out to as many people as I can, because I believe that to be successful in such a competitive industry, you have to take that just as seriously as the music. As for the e-mails, they’ve been pretty crazy! I’ve had to make sure to flag the important ones so they don’t get lost under all the others (laughs).
SSOM: What’s your setup for production?
Simply a laptop running Fruity Loops and some headphones right now. I have a midi keyboard but it’s locked in the basement and rarely comes out!
SSOM: I always like to know what other artists choose to listen to. What are your top five tracks/artists lately?
Madeon – ‘Icarus’
Mat Zo – ‘Fractal Universe’ (oldie but a goodie)
Zedd – ‘Slam The Door’
Mord Fustang – ‘We Are All Connected’
Phaeleh – ‘Afterglow’ (Chilled and a bit dubsteppy. One of my all time favs)
SSOM: One last thing, why Special Features?
The true origins of SF are mysterious and many of my friends claim to have bestowed it upon me, but regardless of this, it is a name that has stuck throughout my teenage years.
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I cannot stress enough how much talent this guy has, and I cannot wait to see how far his musicality will carry him. Considering he’s also in school for the very industry in which he’s breaking into, I’d say he has a bright future ahead of him.
Cheerio,
Grant.
Dada Life – Happy Violence ft. Sue Cho (Special Features Remix) [PurchaseOnly]
Calvin Harris – Feel So Close (Special Features Remix) [Mediafire]
David Guetta & Avicii – Sunshine (Special Features Remix) [Mediafire]
Deadmau5 – Strobe (Special Features Remix) [Mediafire]
Max Vangeli – Look Into Your Heart ft. Max C (Special Features Remix) [Mediafire]
Bonus.
Special Features – Red Nosed Mix [Mediafire]
Tracklist.
1. Calvin Harris – Feel So Close (Special Features Remix)
2. Dada Life – Kick out the Epic Motherfucker (Original Mix)
3. Michael Brun – Dawn (Hardwell Edit)
4. Marcel Wood – 3stortion (Marcel Woods Treatment)
5. Nitrous Oxide – iPeople (Special Features Edit)
6. Dirty South & Thomas Gold – Alive (Tommy Trash Remix)
7. Kaskade & Skrillex – Lick it (Original Mix)
8. Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso vs. Special Features, Max Vangeli & Max C – Calling Your Heart (Michael Brun Mashup)
9. Avicii – Levels (Clockwork Remix)
10. Lucky Date – Ho’s and Discos (Space Laces Remix)
11. Paris FZ & Simo T- Monk (Original Mix)
12. Special Features – ID **** (Melody From Happy Violence Remix)
13. David Guetta ft. Sia – Titanium (Nicky Romero Remix)
14. Deadmau5 – Strobe (Special Features Remix)
15. Bombs Away – Super Soaker (Rocket Pimp Remix)
Keep up with Eden.
somesortofmusic. 