Interview: Eden Burns and Christopher Tubbs — Auckland Show

Teaming up for a special all-night party at Tāmaki Makaurau's The Roxy on 9th June, we touched base with Aotearoa dancefloor dons Eden Burns and Christopher Tubbs, who recently launched their latest collaborative EP via Munich-based music / fashion imprint Public Possession. Chris Cudby attempted to pin down some of the DJ / production duo's studio secrets and current club inspirations — read below and secure your spot before it's too late...

Eden Burns and Christopher Tubbs (Public Possession) All Night Long
Friday 9th June - The Roxy, Auckland
Tickets available HERE via UTR

Chris Cudby: Looks like you've had a busy touring schedule over the past year, plus that doesn't seem to have impacted on your productivity! What's on the cards for Eden Burns in 2023 — both release-wise and for shows / touring? Whereabouts are you based these days?

Eden Burns: I sure have! and it’s only about to get busier. In July I tour Australia and New Zealand with my friend and fellow Public Possession artist Nice Girl, I think I have about 12 shows in 5 weeks… which seems a bit ridiculous haha. September I am touring Asia! Then October / November I will be touring Europe.

Release / music-wise I have 2 more records out this year, 1 of which will be released very soon on June 9th! I’m currently based in Wellington.

How did Burns & Tubbs discover there was a creative spark between you both? What's the process like making tunes together?

Christopher Tubbs: Eden and I come from a pretty similar place in terms of the music that inspires us… there’s lots of overlap. We both love that post-punk, dub-disco, Italo, balearic left-field thing... just the good stuff. When we collaborate Eden is the man at the controls — he’s an insanely quick producer; in fact I’ve never seen anything like it. He moves very naturally, very intuitively. Where I come in perhaps is slowing things down and perhaps saying “let’s stop there and develop that idea”. I’m pretty good at bringing references together and setting a vibe.

Extending that question a bit further and to satisfy my own musical curiosity — can you please reveal what gear / software you're currently using to produce your tracks?

Eden Burns: Equipment-wise myself and Chris don’t use much at all! We got a 303 clone and a Zoom drum machine from the '90s awhile ago and used them a bit on some tracks from the first record, but most of the time its all on the MacBook lol, we do a lot of sampling!

Software-wise, Guitar Rig is an absolute go too on every track!

Eden — you're onto volume VII of your Big Beat Manifesto series. Will these be collected together at any point? How do you feel your own solo musical vision / 'manifesto' has evolved since volume I?

Eden Burns: I hope so! I always thought doing some kind of box set or best of compilation would be really nice, but I have no plans set to do this at the moment.

Hmmm I think the manifesto remains the same! Whatever that might be… I am still trying to figure it out myself… silly club music?

How did you come to be involved with Public Possession?

Eden Burns: I sent them some demos over email and they happened to like them :)

We have some mutual friends that had released on the label in the past so maybe this helped. Public Possession have been a huge help, they are genuinely my favourite label and I am very proud to be working with them.

Any tunes you're currently enjoying right now + any clues as to what party-goers can look forward to on 9th June?

Christopher Tubbs: Eden and I want to give people a slightly erm, wilder dance floor experience than they might have at any other NZ parties. We both like to mix it up, not get locked into any one thing for too long but for it to feel like there’s a thread… you know — a trajectory.

Tunes we seem to play a lot: