Eliminate: Turning Dreams Into Reality [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

The wealth of musical talent in the Pacific Northwest, both historically and currently, is no secret. We’re lucky to have so many great local artists producing quality tunes on a consistent basis, and in 2014 not many acts topped Seattle’s Eliminate. Also known as Nathan Merrill, the Bremerton-born producer and DJ performed around the country, topped Beatport charts with his debut EP, and worked with some of the industry’s best last year. He’s parlayed that into a headlining gig alongside Reid Speed for his Foundation Nightclub debut on Wednesday, January 14th, with plenty more in the pipeline.

Taking piano lessons at an early age, and playing the trumpet and drums in middle school, musical ambitions have been flowing through Merrill’s veins as long as he can remember. Utilizing his background, Merrill began producing as a hobby in 2009. Then dubstep happened.

I immediately thought dubstep was the coolest shit ever. I was blown away by the crazy sounds that were in these tracks when all I knew how to do was make some shitty piano melody in FL’s stock sound bank, and throw it over a drum beat.

Those shitty piano melodies didn’t last, as Merrill developed his sound and style, looking up tutorials and putting in the time necessary to evolve his hobby into something more. The only hobby he hasn’t gradually lost interest in, and instead is becoming more involved with, producing music is becoming a very viable career option for the Washington State University alum. Graduating with his degree in Communication, with an emphasis in broadcast production, Merrill has plenty to fall back on. But getting paid to create and share tunes is his dream job, and he’s not stopping until it’s a reality.

He released his debut EP, Gravity, via Play Me Records in April of last year and immediately impressed. The three-track EP spanned trap, glitch-hop, and everything bass and hit #2 in the Beatport hip-hop charts after the first day. All three tracks rocketed up the singles charts and ended up becoming #1 in releases for glitch-hop and hip-hop.

Man, the Gravity EP was like a real-life M. Night Shyamalan movie for me. I wasn’t really expecting it to do that well, and then bam *Plot Twist*, it’s all over the charts.