Tim Wu, better known as American prog. house DJ and producer, Elephante, is a force of nature on the stage.
The energy he brings to his live performance almost matches that of the crowd watching the audio/visual experience. Backed by high-intensity visuals and a stellar lineup of both, original tracks and fan favorites, Tim seamlessly moves throughout stage; dancing with fans and even adding his own vocals.
An Elephante show is a searing yet engaging example of what electronic music can truly be, especially when he’s fresh off the release of his new single, "Diamond Days." When asked about the conceptual inspiration for the new track, he links the song to the very familiar feeling of nostalgia and its uncanny ability to crystallize emotions and moments in time.
The wistful melodies and lyrics longing for what was once lost, pulls the listener into a world of his own creation. Often, the inception of these songs are spontaneous; citing one example, Tim recalls having written a song entirely within a dream, half-consciously scrawling it down and falling back asleep. Having no recollection of what had been written, he awoke the next day to a fully-fledged song, inexplicably inspired by his subconscious. He says ephemeral moments of inspiration such as these are the genesis of a lot of his music.
The spontaneity of his workflow will be a great deal of help, as he is about to have a very busy fall. Starting in November, Tim will embark on the Diamond Days Tour, his full-production, visual, narrative-based live experience that will span the western US.
Following the tour, 2020 will see the release of the hotly anticipated follow up to his debut LP, Glass Mansion. Though there is no release date yet, LP two will follow similar themes of love and nostalgia, while pushing the boundaries of who Elephante is as an artist. On that point, Tim also mentions his upcoming, non-EDM side project, Diplomacy. Started with a long-time friend and actor from Los Angeles, he describes the project as The Killers meets Bono, with some electronic elements.
After getting through the fluff questions, Tim and I finally arrive at the meat of the interview: his favorite Halloween candy. He is a huge fan of Butterfingers, although he asserts that the candy is near inedible if not crispy, as the wafers tend to stick to the roof of one’s mouth once they become stale. After being accosted for my love of Candy Corn, we wrap the interview up and he proceeds to do his thing on stage, as natural as can be.
Elephante’s new single, Diamond Days, can be found on your listening platform of choice; I would get on board now.
