As the founder, lead singer, writer and co-producer of
the internationally successful band “Deepest Blue”,
Joel Edwards was catapulted into the forefront of the
music industry with the project he originally started
with progressive house producer Anthony Mein. As
well as still being in demand to sing Deepest Blue hits
globally Joel has recently joined the hugely successful
band Planet Funk and is enjoying performing at
festivals all over the world.
To date Joel has had 2 UK Top 10s, 3 Top 40s, 6 Club
Chart number ones, plus consistent high rankings in
the national airplay chart; highest being number 2 with
Deepest Blue’s international hit ‘Give It Away’. His Deepest
Blue Album ‘Late September’ (which was recorded on
David Gilmours state of the art boat on the River Thames)
charted at 22. Joel’s music is regularly put onto the hugely
successful Ministry Of Sound compilations and sales from
these now go into the millions.
His unlimited musical diversity means he can cross all
genres but still keep his pop sensibility. He likes to work
with a diverse range of artists and producers like the
rock star Skin or Garage star Ed-Case whose remix of
the Gorillaz ‘Clint Eastwood’ became an international
hit. Joel has also provided Ft vocals for M factor as well
as reworking and remixing for dance music legend
Chicane. He is currently working with another house
music legend Dave Lee aka Joey Negro/Jakarta.
Joel has recently started work with producer Lance
Thomas of ‘LadyTron’ fame. He has also written with Drum
& Bass artists ‘The Under Wolves’ with vocals provided by
Melanie Blatt of All Saints.
Under Joel’s new monikers of DEE-LUX and uATM he has
currently been working with Jamaican star Busy Signal,
UK Grime artist Dj Ironik as well as Perry Mystique and
Sway.
As a remixer he has been called upon to work with
Pixie Lott, Dj Ironik, Perry Mystique and Sway, Texas,
Lamb and Blondie (downloads of this particular track
went into hundreds of thousands) More recently Joel is
starting to get requests to provide his vocal and writing
talents for a new up and coming generation of dance
music producers.
In 2004 Joel took on a new style and made an acoustic
album entitled ‘Lost and Found’ taking influence from
Nick Drake and Van Morrison, Joe Henry and Norah
Jones (*re Norah Jones; the unreleased Husky Hoskulds
version). He made this album at Olympic studios with
a full orchestra and asked players from Van Morrison’s
band, also one of his childhood hero’s Georgie Fame,
to play Hammond organ on his album. Joel notes that
hearing the orchestra play the musical scores that he
had been working on for six months as truly emotional
and awe inspiring.
Inspired by his father’s involvement within the
compilation album industry, Joel was exposed to a
massively wide range of music from a young age.
Artists like The Fall, Jesus and Mary Chain, Pink Floyd,
Lou Reed, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake and then pop
producer Trevor Horn to be part of his musical
childhood makeup.
He says growing up when house music was in its
inception was an extremely exciting time. Every one of
his friends had a bedroom studio and every night of the
week was spent making records till 4am to give out to DJs
at the weekend as white labels. Joel states hearing his
music being played for the first time on Radio 1 by house
music legend Pete Tong with all his mates crowded round
was a very special moment. He also realised his passion
could also be his job and feels eternally blessed to be
able to live out his childhood dream of making music.
Joel likes to delve into different styles and genres
regularly; music for him is a form of expression and a
business. As well as writing and producing hit records
he also likes to create avant-garde music for his own
personal enjoyment, he says it balances the “Ying and
Yang of making commercial music”.
He takes influence from art, literature and film as well as
personal experience and weaves these themes into his
productions. Joel is also often inspired whilst enjoying his
favourite pastime of a good coffee and people watching
down Portabello Road; there’s nothing as queer as folk.