Eats Everything on building communities & Australian electronic music
EATS EVERYTHING is arguably one of the biggest names to come out of Bristol. The city has such a rich history with electronic music, so it's exciting to see the larger-than-life producer and DJ reaching all corners of the globe. Armed with an incredibly versatile repertoire of sounds and an iconic taste in music, he's arguably one of the most revered names globally in electronic music.
He's called labels like Claude Von Stroke's Dirty Bird and Carl Cox's INTEC imprint home, and over the years has even come to work with fellow Bristol music legend Nick Harris on their own label - Edible.
His work in radio spans a years long career too - he kicked it off with a successful 12 month stint on the BBC Radio 1 Residency. He then became deputy host for Radio 1's Dance specialist broadcast. Now in 2019, he's about to hit 100 episodes with his Edible Beats radio show which recently won Best Electronic Music show & Listeners Choice at the 2018 Mixcloud Radio Awards.
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What makes his radio presence so exciting is his boisterous persona - one that never takes itself too seriously, and that is reflected in all aspects of his work, including his music.
He's back in Australia this weekend for Electric Gardens Festival and a run of shows to match. We threw a couple of questions over to Eats Everything to touch base.
Hey Dan! Stoked that you’re coming back to Australia, it’s been a hot minute. What is it that you’re most looking forward to about coming back?
Well I’m definitely not looking forward to the long flight, I can tell you that! But all jokes aside, Australia is such a vibrant place, and everyone is very friendly. I’m looking forward to discovering and checking out new artists and producers. I don’t think enough credit is given to how massive the music scene is over there. Across so many different genres.
You’re set to play at Electric Gardens Festival’s across the country, as well as a couple of shows over the weekend too. What are you listening to at the moment and what can we expect to hear from you over the weekend?
The sounds of disco, house, and jungle are my life. That’s pretty much all I play when I’m at home or driving around with my family. I’m pretty versatile though. So, you can expect to hear a variety of sounds; songs and classics that everyone will recognise but also some underground tracks. It also depends on the vibe I feel from the crowd, that always influences the tracks I select.
Back in 2015, your label Edible Records kicked off with your pal Nick Harris. In a couple of interviews, you’ve mentioned that you really wanted to create not only a platform, but a culture surrounding the label that feels like a community. Four years on from the label’s inception, do you feel like you’ve achieved this?
I feel like me and Nick are doing alright so far! We understand that the music industry is a business, but we really try to make the music and our artists the main focus… I’m not into the business side as I'm sure you can imagine. Building a community is dependent on having no egos, so we always make sure we listen to what each person has to offer. Nick and I’s dynamic works really well because I look at things from a club/dancefloor perspective while he thinks about the bigger picture and how something would work as a standalone release. Even with our artists, it’s about having mutual respect. There’s no strict hierarchy, I take into consideration all the suggestions they might have. It’s difficult at times but I feel we’ve stayed true to our initial objectives.
I think community is such a huge part of electronic music culture, and it seems like that’s something that’s really important to you too. Is it exciting getting to engage with so many different music communities across the globe?
It never gets old! Honestly, it’s always a pleasure to see how the music I love and create is received in different parts of the world. No matter how tired I get, no matter how much the business side of things can get on my nerves, I’m blessed to do what I do. There’s nothing like seeing people who can’t even speak the same language get so much satisfaction from my music.
You’re about to hit your 100th episode of your edible Eats radio show! Have you got anything special planned to celebrate the milestone?
I’ll be doing a very special b2b showcase with Green Velvet at Mint Club and Lab 11 over two nights at the beginning of February and in between I’ve got huge party at Printworks in London with Andres Campo, Nastia, Cinthie, Lord Leopard, Alan Fitzpatrick, Mele… Too many for me to list really but it’s gonna be fun!
You’re a raver through and through. What is it about electronic music that keeps you energized? When’s your next opportunity to get to do fuck-all?
I think what keeps me energized about electronic music is that it's more than a fickle fashion trend. It’s become a genre with its own history, culture and a scene that goes beyond geography. Also, new subgenres are always being developed so it’s exciting to see the many branches that form and how they differ. It keeps me inspired in a way that I was when growing up.
And my next opportunity to do fuck-all is when my booking agent decides he wants to do fuck-all! Haha.
Image: SUPPLIED
Interview by CAITLIN MEDCALF
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