EDEN (Pop)

What started as the dance-oriented Eden Project morphed into something different for Irish singer/songwriter Jonathon Ng, who shifted into more song-based indie electronic territory under the name EDEN during the latter half of the 2010s. With his 2018 album, Vertigo, EDEN earned acclaim and a notable amount of chart success on both sides of the Atlantic. Likewise, his next project album, 2020′s No Future, hit number 26 on the Billboard 200.
In 2014, after the Eden Project’s last effort, Final Call, Ng changed his professional moniker to EDEN. A shift in sonics also accompanied the switch. The classically trained musician — who, as a teen, grew tired of school band and orchestra and opted to learn other instruments — began incorporating more organic instrumentation, unveiling his new direction on 2015′s End Credits EP (Seeking Blue Records/MCMXCV). While the Eden Project channeled Ng’s love of EDM, the new material mirrored atmospheric soundscapes similar to Crywolf or M83. After releasing a digitized cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” in early 2016, he issued the propulsive single “Sex.” His EP, I Think You Think Too Much of Me, arrived later that year. In 2017, he spent much of his year touring before the release of “Start//End,” the first single from his official studio full-length debut. Vertigo arrived in early 2018, which he promoted on a tour with Verite. EDEN returned in April 2019 with the single “909” and spent the remainder of the year teasing singles from his next full-length project. Released in February 2020, the dreamy, introspective No Future consisted of 19 tracks, several of which act as brief transitional pieces between lengthier songs. ~ Neil Z. Yeung