After a tough lineup of diverse artists competing to be number one at Unsigned Only for this year's EDM category, DJ and producer Du0 comes on top with his record 'Way Back Down.' Blurring the lines between pop, alternative and trap music, he managed to grab the attention of judges with originality, uniqueness and a truly clean, captivating sound. With a continued goal to share stories that resonate with himself and his listeners, he now gets the chance to do that on a much larger scale.
Du0 officially launched his career as a DJ and producer in 2018 with his first song titled 'Bits of Tape.' Released in September of that year, the track was a perfect example of the artist he was shaping up to be. Drawing from his musical roots, he debuted into the EDM soundscapes through chilled out future bass with a blend of soul, folk and gospel. He would then spend the next eight months honing his craft, finding his brand and establishing his style.
How did you get started as an artist?
I started out as a guitarist in a high school rock band (that mainly covered Nirvana songs). My tastes got heavier from there, playing in punk and metal bands in my late teens. I mellowed out in my 20s and played a bunch of different string instruments in a folk band. The whole time, I always had a real interest in electronic music and technology. I had samplers, hardware, sequencers and synths that I always wrote songs on. No matter what genre I was playing, my favourite part was definitely writing, to create something musically unique and writing lyrics to it.
What are some of your musical influences?
Musically, I love some of the classic electronic acts like Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk, but also more recent acts like Shallou, Golden Features and Claptone. Lyrically, I love Nick Cave, The Mountain Goats and Jason Isbell.
Born and raised out of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia, Du0 is a powerfully growing DJ, producer and songwriter. Since debuting into the scene a couple years ago, he has made it as one of the finalists in the International Songwriting Competition, been given an LA Music Award and has unveiled five other carefully hand designed productions. With early features on local and world renowned tastemaking blogs through the likes of Australian Music Scene, ThisSongSlaps, Acid Stag and Futuremag, the industry was certainly recognizing his talent.
After first releasing his faith inspired 'Bits of Tape,' Du0 went on to get his songwriting recognized both locally and internationally. His second record 'It's Ok' draws from his roots in hip-hop, playing out a more energy filled future bass, pop-infused trap vibe. He actually closed 2019 with the Unsigned Only winning track 'Way Back Down.' Originally released at that time, he brought together smooth, clean and powerfully captivating vocals alongside addictive swooshing bass, and subtle drums to distill a truly tasteful melody.
How did you learn about Unsigned Only, what kind of genres do you like listening to, what do you like producing and what went into producing 'Way Back Down' in 2019?
The International Songwriting Competition is something that I've always entered and I came across Unsigned Only through ISC. I was listening to a lot more pop than I usually would when I wrote
'Way Back Down.' These days I've been listening to a lot of house music. Maybe it's being cooped up in isolation that has me longing to see a DJ or a Band again that I've been listening to more party music? haha
Jump to 2020 and Du0 has achieved more well deserved success. Starting the year strong with his two-track EP Come Home / Better Place, he offered fans a truly serene journey. These songs consist of trance vibes, house elements, percussive instrumentation and production quality that will get just about every listener lost in an emotional, electronica ride. He features talented vocalists Emily Coulston and CLOE TERARE to breathe life into these colorful releases.
Always finding value in collaboration and working with friends, Du0's latest record is just that, as he features mesmerizingly hypnotic vocals of Brandyn Burnette on 'Number.' Cleanfully mixed, mastered and produced, this is a song that is filled with wild energy, soul bending synths, 80s vibes, numbing bass, club elements and a slight pop sound. Quickly becoming a hit, it has surpassed 100k streams on Spotify and has seen multiple spins on highly esteemed triple j on Friday Night Shuffle nights, garnering the support from big names The Aston Shuffle.
Du0 was one of ten finalists in this years edition of Unsigned Only Music Competition. While he came on top with his track 'Way Back Down,' he was up against artists Medii, Novatrippa, Julez Gardner, Max M, Enevold, Kini Solana, Ben E. Davis, Luke Vahjen and Achrona. Although duo group Medii came in second with their song 'Keys,' each artist is due credit as they were all talented and made for quite an exciting and tough lineup for the judges.
Nearing a decade anniversary, Unsigned Only Music Competition has been hosting a new edition of the event each year. Since its inception, five grand prize winners have been signed to record deals and winners of each category every year have secured licensing deals, published deals, received better gigs and attained better recognition by the industry. Designed for solo artists, bands, singers, producers and more all over the world looking for a chance to be noticed by industry professionals, this can also be a great avenue of opportunity for EDM artists.
While past years of the competition have featured judges like Excision, Ying Yang Twins and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the 2020 edition of Unsigned Only Music Competition also had an eclectically powerful and diverse group of high-profile recording artists and industry professionals. Big names like Robert Smith of The Cure, Bow Wow, NLE Choppa, Cedric Gervais and Charli XCX are just a few that listened this year.
With past winners of the EDM category of Unsigned Only Music Competition consisting of the likes of Krane, Reign, Arc North and MOZA, Du0 is the perfect addition to the roster. The artist says himself that "du0 came about a couple of years ago as a culmination of all my different influences and a place that I can write and collaborate." Blurring the lines between pop, alternative and trap music, he draws from the meaning behind his moniker to curate an effortlessly, timeless song that marks him as this years winner of Unsigned Only's EDM category.
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I want to give a big shout out to Able Grey, NoahConn and Tyler Eads for becoming my newest Patron's on my Patreon! Our collaborative journey is just beginning!
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