Endorphin
Electronica mainstay and ARIA nominee Endorphin, aka Eric Chapus, hits town this week for a blissfully chilled show. Here's everything you need to know about the man
By Dan Stapleton
Endorphin is coming
He exists just below the radar
Over the course of ten years and six full-length albums, Australian electronic producer Endorphin has straddled the line between the mainstream and the underground. His music gets extensive radio airplay, he is regularly featured on chillout compilations, and Sony released his first three albums. Chances are you know at least one Endorphin song by sound, if not by name.
The tropics are his home
Chapus and his family arrive from France in 1984 and settled in Cairns in Northern Queensland. Some of his early material included recordings of the rainforest habitats around his home, and his lush chill out style still features many sounds from nature. He got his first break in 1996, when Triple J's Unearthed competition held a heat in Cairns for the first time.
He's remixed Australia's best
Aside from his own work, Endorphin has become known for his robust remixing talents, which he has used on tracks by Icehouse, Spiderbait, Paul Kelly, Sonic Animation, Sunk Loto, Men at Work, Jimmy Little and Tina Arena.
He's all over TV
Well, his music is, anyway. Endorphin tunes have popped up on series including Neighbours, McLeod's Daughters and Sleeper Cell (USA), as well as in films. Chapus is also an accomplished soundtrack artist: he has written the music for several series on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. His latest silver screen project is the forthcoming telemovie The Informant, created by the team responsible for Underbelly.
His live show is world-renowned
Chapus has toured extensively in Asia and South America, seeking out the dancefloors unpolluted by commercial sounds. He has become known on the chill out circuit for the gorgeous, elaborate visuals that accompany his performances. Be sure to catch the pretty colours when Endorphin plays tracks from his latest album, Soon After Silence, in Sydney this week.
Endorphin plays live at Sonar in Luna Park on Fri 2 May, the Brass Monkey in Cronulla on Fri 9 May and the Vanguard in Newtown on Sat 10 May.