FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

16 Year Old Gasp Is Proving House Music Is Not Just A Veterans' Game

Introducing Gasp, the 16 year old House producer from Dunedin.

Gasp, aka 16 year old Eden Burns, is like the Doogie Houser of New Zealand house and future beats. This guy may not be old enough to legally enter a club or buy a beer but he has been playing alongside some of the most sought-after headline acts to tour the land of the long white cloud. He's shared a stage with Flume, Kaytranada, Kilter, Baauer and Ryan Hemsworth just to name a few.  What's more, he only started putting his tracks and mixes out last year but they are already getting gushing praise on an international scale. His blissful track "Lagoons" was picked up as a track of the month by Mixmag.

Advertisement

Right now Eden lives with his parents in a small university town of Dunedin, a place where most other young folk are still just listening to dubstep and drum and bass. But Gasp is something of a black sheep, and we had a lovely chat with the young producer and DJ to discuss how he started to make music on his own terms. He also made us an exclusive mix with a stack of excellent old house tracks that existed a decade or so before he was born, as well as blending in some fresh New Zealand talent.

Hey Eden. What have you been up to today?
Not a lot today. I've just got back from Queenstown. I was there because I had to go to Auckland where I've been working with the Sweet Mix Kids who sent me up there to work on their album. They just got signed to Warner so yeah I'm helping them out.

When did you start making music?
When I was really young, like about 6, I got a drum kit and got into a few bands and did all that shit. But then my band K2 broke up. I still liked music though and got into electronic stuff because that was getting big at the time. I guess first up it was dubstep, even though I'm not into that now..

Right, so dubstep was your gateway?
Oh well, no actually I wouldn't say dubstep when I think of it. I would say Gary Numan, The Human League and The Cure, with their use of synthesizers and stuff. I really like that. I was like 12 or 13 when I got into the electronic thing.

How old were you when you were playing in bands?
I was like 8 and did a Smokefree RockQuest, which is quite big over here. I think I was in year 7.  We even got a peoples choice award which was real good.

Advertisement

What do your parents think about you making music?
Really good. I'm not at school or anything though. I tried a few music school things but it didn't really like it. I left in year 10 I should be in year 12 now I think. I think I learned a lot more like if I didn't leave school I don't think I would be where I am today.

What do you think about the other people in the New Zealand scene?
( laughs) Well in Dunedin there is not much going on to be honest. Oh with house and stuff at least.  There is a very big Drum and Bass scene. Same with Christchurch.  But up in Auckland I guess there is a lot going on. There is a few really good artists like two new kids called Sachi they are real sick.  But yeah there's not too much.

How do you think you fit into it?
I think I'm pretty involved with all the New Zealand DJ and producing scene I guess. But my music is quite different I'd like to think.

Recently your track Lagoons for best new music in Mixmag.
Actually I didn't even get notified about it. Sounds pretty weird but I was looking my name up on Google and it popped up which was crazy. I was very stoked about that.

What have you got coming up?
The Sweet Mix Kids with the collaboration I'm doing there is going to be a really cool video for that. And also The Secret Club which is a new collective. Basically it is me, and this guy called Kamandi and Polo and as well as a bunch of other people. That's doing really well and there will be heaps of releases with that.

Check out Gasp's mix for us here .Hopefully he will be sneaking into a club and playing to you real soon.