Vandelux is the alter-ego of Canadian producer Evan White. Hailing from Vancouver, the multitalented Jazz drummer, guitarist and pianist, developed his interest in electronic music during high school, after piecing together a makeshift recording studio from garage sale audio equipment and a hacked version of Fruityloops Pro. Crossing multiple genres and showing no signs of slowing down, Vandelux‘s style has been compared to the likes of Chet Faker, Bob Moses, RJD2, Big Wild and Pretty Lights. After years of closet compositions, the now Luxembourg-based young beatsmith shines thanks to his heavy bass, neon synths elements and deep vibes, giving successfully his own twist to the tracks he works on. Viralbpm sat down with the upcoming talent and talked about his musical background, interests, sounds and -of course- future releases.
V1. You are blending different sounds and genres together, so how would you describe your sound, your style?
Vandelux: I think I'm still trying to figure that out. Some tracks have more of a deep house feel, others have a funk/hip hop vibe. I guess it is more of a spectrum than a specific style at the moment, but I hope to define this over time.
V2. People compare your style to artists like RJD2 or Pretty Lights? Would you say this assumption is correct, did these artist inspire you? Are there any artists out there that you adore, someone who influenced you the most?
Vandelux: I've been hugely inspired by both RJD2 and Pretty Lights, so being compared to them is a massive compliment! I've been listening to a ton of Phantogram lately, and also RAC, dj shadow and Rufus du Sol. When I'm at home I'm usually spinning Sam Cooke or Van Morrison records.
V3. What musical background do you have? How did you start recording your own stuff
Vandelux: I took piano lessons and music theory every Wednesday for about 7 years. I was never great at reading music but loved to write and try to play things by ear. So I began drumming in high school and convinced a friend to teach me how to play guitar (thanks Jeff Wang!). I wanted to experiment with music but didn't have a ton of confidence to do it with others, so I started collecting audio and recording equipment at garage sales and pieced together a little home studio. It allowed me to layer my own tracks on top of each other, like I was playing with others, but with complete creative control. Now that I think of it, I guess I was kind of a loner!
V4. Being a jazz drummer, guitarist and pianist, how do you feel about artists that did not have these kind of skills when it comes to musical instruments, especially in the electronic scene? Do these skills help a producer to take it to “the next level”?
Vandelux: You don't have to be a great musician to create great music. I'm sure it helps, but music is an art, not a science, and at the end of the day it is about how it makes you feel, not how sophisticated or complex it is. Sure, some people have a preference for sophisticated music. But there are a ton of insanely talented musicians out there that can't write a song, and a ton of untrained musicians that can write great music.
V5. Any other song or collaboration you are currently working on and you would like to reveal to us?
Vandelux: Yes! I've got two more singles that I'll be releasing over the next few weeks, and I've just finished an album with Marc7 from Jurassic 5, which we are going to release this summer.
V6. Any other future plans regarding releases, touring etc?
Vandelux: No date set for the release… but coming soon .
V7. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, how would you describe the electronic scene there?
Vandelux: Vancouver has a bit of everything. It isn't really into the deep electronic scene, but there are lots of different influences and styles of music up there. I find that the music trends shift with the seasons as well. Lots of Bon Iver in the winter and Rufus Du Sol in the summer.
V8. Anything particular you like to do when you're not working on your career as an artist? Any hobby or something else you like to do during your more laidback time?
Vandelux: I surf quite regularly, and recently joined a cold water swim club in San Francisco. It is a ‘no wetsuit' club which can get pretty sketchy in the winter months. Water temp drops down to 9 degrees Celsius in the winter and it is COLD! But there's something about it that does both the body and mind wonders. I hated it at first, and now I'm addicted.
