When any DJ at the top of their game steps into the booth it has that effect. Before they cue up a track or even plug in their headphones the mood changes. Eyes dart to the front, people get up on their toes and there is a murmur of expectation. But with Eddie Halliwell it’s not merely a murmur, it’s a rapturous roar, one that builds until at its crescendo the famous chant begins.
Nowadays cries of “EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE!” can be heard emanating from packed dance floors on every continent. With three consecutive Top 20 placings in DJ Mag’s “Top 100 DJ’s Poll” and the first (and only) person to have been crowned Mixmag’s “DJ of the Year” twice Eddie Halliwell has established himself as one of the most exciting and talked about DJ’s in the world today.
2007 was Eddie’s busiest year to date. Dubbed by Tiesto as a “legend” who received his top vote in the DJ Mag Top 100 Poll Eddie went on to achieve his highest placing to date (No.16). Last year Eddie’s tech driven trance was also one of the highlights of the White Isle with him enjoying another storming season as headline resident at Cream Amnesia (alongside Paul van Dyk) plus for the second year running mixing the “Cream Ibiza” compilation. This plus the stratospheric success of his promotion to a full weekly show on Radio One, (garnering a nomination for Dj Mag’s “Best Radio Show” award) meant that he was the natural choice to represent the station for their Ibiza Weekend live Essential Mix (his fourth performance on those hallowed turntables). His renowned catch phrase also ended up transcending the airwaves with Eddie hosting a number of international “Fire It Up” events. Indeed following this triumph May 2008 will see him mix the first release in a new “Fire It Up” compilation series!
The key to this success however remains the same – Eddie’s unshakable commitment to pushing the boundaries of club DJ’ing. Combining technical talent, a desire to embrace the latest digital deck technology and a unique ability to instinctively connect with the crowd his highly visual frenetic performances are simply jaw dropping. His mind-bending manipulation of the music using layers of effects, lightening cuts and slick scratches make you question both your eyes and ears. Moving swiftly and deftly his fingers harness the energy of every stab, synth, hi-hat, squelch and beat, making each sound divine as he bounces along to every twist and turn in the track, compelling the crowd to just unleash themselves on dance floor.
It’s a talent that translates worldwide, with him able to deliver a heart stopping set anytime, anywhere. Recent headline performances include Skol Beats Festival (Brazil), Ultra Music Festival (Miami), Global Gathering and Creamfields (UK), Mysteryland (Belgium), Dancevalley and Trance Energy (Holland) and Summerdayze (Australia). Back in the UK he remains a regular headliner at Cream, Godskitchen, The Gallery, Planet Love and Lush (Northern Ireland) and Inside Out (Scotland).
Particularly close links also remain with those he forged his reputation as a resident DJ – Goodgreef (having helped them win Mixmag “Club of the Year” in 2003) and Gatecrasher, for whom he mixed one disc of the “Gold” selling “Gatecrasher Residents Transmission” compilation. Other CD projects of course include two CDs with Cream plus also a mix for Judgement Sunday and three cover mount releases for Mixmag. Of these the most notable is of course “BOSH!”, which last year was voted by Mixmag as one of the 25 best mix CDs of all time (and all this from someone who used to refuse to make tapes for promoters to get bookings, insisting instead that they come see him play live!).
Today Eddie also maintains an ongoing relationship with Pioneer, helping them test their latest equipment and showcase it worldwide. As Paul Van Dyk pointed out technology completely changed what clubbers can expect to hear from the most cutting edge DJ’s: “Now kids just use them, for example, Eddie Halliwell — what he does with those Pioneer CD players is f*cking nuts! He had no hesitation; he just went for it and has probably got the best out of the machine”. As result Eddie was the natural choice to headline the worldwide “Powered by Pioneer” tour to showcase the company’s first ever digital scratch mixer, criss-crossing the globe smashing it out to a stadium of 10,000 manic Brazilians at the legendary Skol Beats, ripping up warehouse parties in Holland and mesmerising half the UK music industry at the IDJ Live conference in London.
Little wonder the iconic chants of “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!” fill the air globally where he touches down.
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