“Irish music is definitely one of the most interesting scenes. It’s wild at the moment.”
Under the guise of EDEN, rising electronic artist Jonathon Ng crafts intricate, intimate stories with a unique sonic edge.
His music is personal yet communal, delicate yet triumphant. Ng credits the likes of Bon Iver and Frank Ocean as key influences on his work.
Like that pair, he successfully defies convention while laying his feelings bare for all to hear, creating a world for people to disappear into.
The 22-year-old Dublin native sat down with JOE hours before his Olympia Theatre headliner in April to give an insight into his creative process and his journey thus far.
“Since the beginning of time [if people ask] ‘What kind of music do you make,’ I just say, ‘I’ve no idea.’ I just say it’s like pop music, it’s vocal-centric for the most part,” Ng says.
Debut album Vertigo is a collection of emotions to project upon and draw inspiration from.
Despite quickly amassing a huge and loyal worldwide fanbase – he’s recently returned from packing out venues in America night after night – you get the sense that EDEN and his project are just getting started.
“When I first started putting music online, I didn’t really publicise it,” recalls Ng. “I’d show it to my closest friends, but I wasn’t messaging people or putting it on my Facebook.
“It was like having people hear it, but at a distance. I didn’t want friends of friends or who I was in school with to know that I was doing it.”
He reflects on his rapidly-increasing international fanbase.
Because it was kind of born on the Internet, people sharing music with their friends, that’s how it worked, everywhere has kind of grown at the same rate.
“While Dublin is special for me because all of my friends and family are here, and it’s always a crazy show because this is where I grew up, it’s been a weird simultaneous growth everywhere.”
EDEN returns to Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on Tuesday 27 November. Tickets are available here.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
