It pays to be consistent in electronic music, which perhaps explains why ED ED has repped some of the biggest labels in electronic music, from Noir to Bedrock, to Second State to Get Physical and many more besides. It also explains why he’s decided to release at a frankly prolific rate in 2020. Indeed, when everyone else was busy locked in the studio, Ed already had an arsenal of killer weapons that were primed and ready to go. Ed too is a person who likes ort maintain a close relationship with the labels he works for, with his recent efforts for Ouie and Get Physical indicative of the fact. Having spent years in Berlin, he’s now moved to Zurich, a more laid back city that’s sure to play a pivotal role in his output over the next while. As ever with ED ED, his is a packed schedule, with 2021 immediately bringing about more goodness, with a return to Get Physical already locked in for January. We dialled up ED recently, with everything from career highlights to motivation to the pandemic – naturally! – on the agenda…
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How are you? What’s good, what’s bad in your world?
I’m doing good thanks! Hope you are too! The Good: Still making music and releasing music The Bad: No gigs and of course all this craziness in these times with friends with businesses having a lot of challenges to go on.
After 20 years in the game, what’s the most important lesson you have learnt?
Probably that you need perseverance and just have to keep going. It’s a tough business and you have to manage expectations and focus on your music instead of comparing and looking at what everyone else is doing.
What have been the highlights of your career?
Playing the sleepless Floor at Melt festival and also very epic nights at Sisyphos, Watergate and Katerblau in Berlin. Those nights had unreal energy and power where you can just play what you feel and it was accepted and celebrated by the crowd.
What keeps you motivated, what keeps you going?
Good question. I think as long as you feel the music and have the motivation to make music then that would be my fuel to go on and be motivated. If I look at the royalties and sales then I’d say that would be more of a challenge to see that as motivation.
What have you most missed during the year during the pandemic?
Probably the structure of bookings and making music and playing it in a club or festival setting. I think that is quite challenging for all artists at the moment that you don’t really know how to plan things and see what will happen in the next 12 months.
Will you change your routine once things are back to normal based on anything you have discovered or heard about yourself this year?
Not really. I haven’t discovered anything about myself that I didn’t know before. I think I learnt more about our financial system and how we are all dependent on one another and also buying lots of “things” to keep the economies from moving and also being able to travel freely. Also interesting to see how many things the governments can change in terms of privacy with this pandemic going on.
You recently remixed DJ Le Roi & Roland Clark – how scary is it to approach such a classic?
Actually, it was more exciting than scary. The vocals are iconic and it was a challenge to find a new twist to the classic. I think the more deep/electronic take was refreshing since it has more housey feel in the original.
Where do you find inspiration? Do you listen to other music or watch certain films?
I browse through a lot of weird music from the 60s/70s/80s and listen to some musical figures that I like. Movie wise I like more the dark dystopian style which mostly features some dark soundtracks so that helps as well.
What else are you working on or what projects do you have in the pipeline?
My next EP on Get Physical “Naked Walls”, a remix for Acid Pauli and Geju on their imprint Ouïe and an EP on Exploited Ghetto next year in May. Currently producing in the lovely Coty of Capetown and started some new tracks for the year. Also, Monkey Safari will remix “Naked Walls” of for the upcoming Get Physical 2021 Compilation.
EDED’s Naked Walls (ft. Chasing Kurt) is out 22/01 via Get Physical Music.
What is the music you have listened to most this year?
I actually listen to soundtracks, Jazz, deep house, some classical music… so lot’s of genres to soothe the nerves!
Thank you.
