Ever since the release of his latest single “Exist,” Edmond Huszar, better known as OVERWERK, has been busy with his debut US tour this summer. The Canadian producer launched himself into the scene in 2011 with his debut album The Nth Degree, and has earned himself a devoted fan base that spans all over the world thanks to his unique sound of orchestra-electro-glitch. I got in touch with the multi-talented OVERWERK to learn more about his new track, his growth as a producer, sources of inspiration, and more. (If you want to catch him at a show, be sure to get your tickets here.)
Congratulations on your US tour debut! You’ve been touring in Canada and France in the past. How do you feel going into your first US tour? 
I’m very excited to be in the US. I have lots of fans always asking me to come play, so I’m excited to finally get around a bit.
You just released an awesome new single “Exist.” What was the inspiration for that track, and what kind of story or emotion did you want to convey?
With “Exist,” I had actually come up with the concept for a music video before the song. I don’t want to give too much away, but hopefully the video will get people thinking about things they don’t usually consider.
I first heard of your music — “Alive” and “Buzzin’” on Turntable.fm about 2 years ago. Since your debut album The Nth Degree, how do you feel your music — and ultimately, you as a producer — have evolved ?
Since The Nth Degree, I’ve learnt a lot about mixing and sound design. I’ve read a lot and tried to really dive into the fundamentals of sound. I now make most of my synths and percussion from scratch as opposed to sampling. Through practice and experience, I now have the ability to execute my ideas more accurately than before.
You have a very unique sound to your productions, and an especially noticeable theme is the sound of orchestral strings. Is there any particular reason you use a lot of orchestral elements in your music? And are there any classical music or composers that have been influential for you?
I really enjoy mood music. All music tells a story but there is something inherently powerful about orchestral sounds. I enjoy all forms of music, but something about electronic mixed with orchestral strikes a chord with me. I never really listened to classical music, so all my orchestral influences come from more modern composers/writers.
In your AMA, you gave the advice of exploring genres of music that you aren’t comfortable with or haven’t dove into in order to get inspired, and you also mentioned that you like happy hardcore. When you’re looking for inspiration yourself, what kind of genres do you explore that are beyond your comfort zone?
I used to listen to happy-hardcore, hardstyle, jumpstyle, euro-trance, hard dance. Sometimes I go back to those genres to get some inspiration. A lot of the time I go back to artists that really make me feel good like Abba or Queen, maybe some older disco stuff where they were really able to capture the groove and make people dance. I’m going to focus some future production less on “big drops” and more on dance. I want to get these big festival crowds two-stepping instead of jumping for short intervals.
Your music has been featured alongside GoPro and Red Bull, and your music is also licensed to luxury brands such as Prada, Gucci and Ferrari. How did you get involved in these types of projects, and what was it like to work on them?
I didn’t really put effort into reaching out, most of those brands came to me. They must hear something in my music they can’t find other places. I know my cinematic/orchestral elements are definitely a factor. Working with them is always great, very professional of course, but that’s how I like it.
You possess a lot of creative skills — graphic design, film, photography — and do your own album artwork. Given your plans to combine all of your artistic skills into one, would you ever consider producing a music video for any of your tracks? Or is this something already in the works?
Definitely considering it. Like I was saying, I have something very cool planned for “Exist.”
Are there any artists you’d like to collaborate with, both within and outside of the EDM genre?
I use a lot of Drake samples during my live sets; I think he has a very versatile voice. Woodkid is another artist I’d love to work with. His productions really connect with me. I think Justice are super creative and I think a collab with them would be very fun.
Your career has been growing, with more shows to come in North and South America and Europe. Throughout your journey as an artist, what was one of the most exciting moments when you knew you were gaining a lot of traction for your music?
I think that moment was maybe when I played this one show in France a little over a year ago. This venue was packed with almost 4,000 people and they were all screaming “OVERWERK.” When I dropped “Daybreak,” everyone was singing along with the melody (despite there being no words). It’s definitely a humbling experience to see firsthand the impact you have on so many people’s lives.
You’ve stated that one of the obstacles you face is that as you become established, you start to build a team that helps support your career, but at the same time that means hearing a lot of different ideas coming from all sides. As this can be a common issue for a lot of artists, what advice do you have in balancing out those voices while still staying true to your vision?
I’m starting to realize that it was my vision that got me this far, so I now have to be unyielding with my ideas. Not everyone has a vision or can see what yours is; if you start to be influenced by others, your message becomes unclear. My advice to other artists is to do what makes you happy, express yourself, stay true to who you are, and success will come. Don’t let your identity or vision slip away because of external influences.
What can fans expect from you for the rest of 2014 and going into 2015?
My fans can expect a lot more music. After this tour I’m really going to focus on production, and I think my fans will be very happy with the diversity I have to offer. The well of creativity hasn’t run dry, and I’m very excited to show everyone more OVERWERK.
Photo Source: electronicdancemusic.com
