Being one the most in demand remixers and DJs out there today, Ewan Pearson certainly has a lot on his plate. I caught up with Ewan on an early Tuesday morning (Berlin time), and in amidst all the stuff to talk about, we started with his latest release; his work alongside famed producer Paul Epworth (of Bloc Party credit), who shared responsibility on the Rapture’s new album ‘Pieces of the People We Love.’ Ewan was brought onto the project when Matty Safer (bassist of the Rapture) passingly informed Ewan of his name being short-listed to produce their new album. “I thought nothing of it at the time,” recalls Ewan, and then by chance in 2006 he found himself in New York producing the follow up to their enormously successful debut ‘Echoes’ on DFA.
Whilst there was a weight of expectation that both the Rapture and Ewan carried throughout the project, these fears were subsided as they got deep into action. “It was a very collaborative effort,” and this environment helped bring the best out of everyone – especially the music. Ewan has fond memories of the experience; it was his foray into “live production”, with guitars, drums and vocals, and also a venture into the more musical side of things, in terms of song writing and structure. He speaks very highly of the Rapture as being “really musical,” and with ideas coming out left, right and centre, something that made the recording process that much harder as it was his job to organise all these ideas and noises that the band were making.
Following on from this project, he now finds himself working alongside Tracey Thorn (former vocalist of Everything But the Girl) on another venture incorporating live instruments. Collaborating with esteemed producers such as Darshan Jesrani (of Metro Area), the album – whilst highly diverse – harks back to the old days of disco. Just check out Tracey’s new single on her Myspace page for a taste (www.myspace.com/traceythorn). How did this project come about? Once again, it was just by “chance meetings” and “friendship” recalls Ewan. He speaks fondly of the “trust” that is shared between him and all the artists he works with. Naming this the key to the success of his endeavours, musical or otherwise.
With so much talk about producing other people’s music, it left me wondering what’s happening with his own musical projects? His more “personal” project, with production wiz Al Usher under the pseudonym Partial Arts, is an outlet for that exact purpose, which he describes as really “indulgent techno.” And whilst it may be indulgent in Ewan’s eyes, it still has a universal appeal with their first EP signed to Kompakt records and with more releases scheduled for 2007. I am curious as to why Ewan is placing such a heavy focus on producing for other artists rather than his own musical endeavours. But Ewan insists that producing other people’s music is just as satisfying as producing your own, especially the “collaborative process,” where he finds himself “work[ing] with others to come to an outcome greater than the sum of the individuals.”
Talk then turns to DJing. Ewan has been touring all over the world for a large part of his career. So how does he find time to balance DJing, production and life? Not surprisingly, he “finds it very hard,” as travelling really takes its toll on the body. “Work-life balance” is a term not usually referred to in the music industry, due to the creative nature of the work involved. But it’s something that Ewan plans to do more of next year, which involves cutting down his touring schedule and settling down in his home town of Berlin. Ewan tells me of many friends “that have burned themselves out.” Because of the highly competitive nature of the music industry, your “career is very short-lived, with a life cycle of only three to four years.” And because of this short life cycle, people try to maintain the peak of their careers by working themselves too hard. And it’s even worse when families are involved Ewan says – “because it just breaks down.”
It seems Ewan is going through a new phase in his career. He informs me that it’s the first time he’s felt “secure” with his place in the industry. Being one of the most in-demand remixers and now on his way to being one of the most in-demand producers, it’s about time… So, what can we expect from Ewan in 2007? Besides his tour of Australia this December and early January, he plans to start his own label with Al Usher and keep on producing. And, with a less hectic DJing schedule planned for 2007 hopefully we’ll see more and more productions surface from this truly talented and admirable artist.
Ewan Pearson tours Australia over the coming weeks:
31 Dec – Adelaide, Rocket Bar
1 Jan – Brisbane, BBQ Breaks
5 Jan – Byron Bay, Play
6 Jan – Sydney, Yu
19 Jan – Perth, Ambar
25 Jan – Melbourne, Bamboozled
palu says...
great article jitwam!