The rise of EDEN is nothing short of remarkable. Born Jonathon Ng, the artist rose to success with his 2015 EP End Credits, which he recorded and produced all from the comfort of his bedroom at his childhood home. Despite no promotion, his work went viral – resulting in 120 million streams, a sold-out U.S. headline, and a legion of online followers.

Now with over 1 billion online streams, a critically acclaimed debut album, and fresh off the heels of a worldwide tour, EDEN shows no signs of slowing down. The Lorde-approved artist has become a force in the industry for his electro-pop music that balances masterfully engineered instrumental tracks with emotional and poetic lyrical style.

Yet despite his success, his process remains the same. The vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist maintains total creative control by continuing to record and produce all of his music from his native Dublin, Ireland completely independently – a rarity in the industry.

EDEN is the first interview in our Talent Watch series, which profiles rising stars and explores the intersection of fashion, music, entertainment, and culture – while wearing CFDA designers for the occasion. In honor of the release of his latest single “projector” and his forthcoming second album no future, which will be released next Spring – get to know the artist in our exclusive interview.

What’s your earliest music memory?

I remember finding Sandstorm by Darude on a CD and playing it over and over while dancing around my kitchen. I must have been four or five years old.

Who are some of the artists you look up to?

At the moment, Frank Ocean, Yung Lean, Ben Howard, and Lee Krasner.

Tell us about the new single “projector.” Where did you begin for this song?

Projector started life as an experiment with a new synth. I had just bought a Deckard’s Dream and was running through a bunch of its patches, and suddenly a chord sound instantly jumped at me. I think I wrote the first four lines instantly and thought ‘damn I’ll put my 909 on loop and see where this goes’. It built up from there really quickly. The drum pattern is one I had programmed maybe a year before hand but I never finished the project it was on. The chorus I had written as a standalone vocal idea a few months prior too. I think aside from mixing, the song was finished in about two days.

How have you evolved since releasing your last album, vertigo?

I feel a lot less self-destructive.

What can we expect from the upcoming album?

It’s definitely a brighter experience. In many ways it feels like a step I should have taken years ago.

How would you describe your personal style?

When I watched Bohemian Rhapsody I suddenly realized that I dress in very 70s/80s shapes. I felt a strong connection to a lot of what Rami Malek was wearing when it was in its less outlandish moods. I think 2018 and 2019s reinvention of a lot of the styles of that period probably contributed to that though.

How does fashion inform or play a role in your work?

I think fashion can actually alter your mood in a big way – in a broader sense than ‘I look good so I feel confident’ too. So in the way that I dress in the morning can help shape the kind of day I’ll have and how I’ll work on things. I think a memory, an image, a conversation can inspire creativity the same can be said of clothes.

Who are some of your favorite designers?

I don’t really shop with specific design houses in mind but I’ve noticed myself being drawn to Saint Laurent a lot recently. I love how fresh JW Anderson’s work feels and I really love reading about his processes and thoughts behind his work.

What’s one item or piece you couldn’t live without?

I bought a bag from a boutique skate shop in D.C. that I didn’t use for about a year and I now carry everyday.

Stream “no projector” now, and watch the full video here. 

@iameden

Photographer: Loli Laboureau

Fashion Editor: Nicky Campbell