Endorphin (band)

Endorphin is the stage name of Eric Chapus (born ca. 1962, Saint-Tropez, France), an electronic act and music teacher. Since 1984 he has lived in Australia originally at Kuranda, where he started his musical career. He has released six studio albums, Embrace (1998), Skin (1999), AM:PM (2001), Seduction (2003), Shake It... (2004) and Soon After Silence (2007). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998 Embrace was nominated for Best Dance Release. Skin reached No. 32 on the ARIA Albums Chart and at the related ARIA awards ceremony he was nominated for Best Male Artist. Endorphin teaches courses in Composition and Music Production at the Australian Institute of Music.

Endorphin
Birth nameEric Chapus
Born1962 (age 60–61)
Saint-Tropez, France
OriginKuranda, Queensland, Australia
GenresElectronic, trip hop
Occupation(s)Musician, producer, teacher
Instrument(s)Keyboards, guitar
Years active1984–present
LabelsSony/Epic
Websiteendorphinmusic.com

Biography

Eric Chapus who performs as Endorphin was born in ca. 1962 and raised in Saint-Tropez, France.[1] His parents separated when he was ten and at 13 he went to live with his father in Goa, India.[1] He later recalled "I thought he was the coolest thing... he introduced me to lots of drugs at 13. We were living in the streets, living like beggars. It was really an eye-opener. We buried our passports and lived for one year like total vagrants. We took a lot of drugs, smoked a lot of hash and I had a bad experience with LSD."[1]

In 1984 Chapus moved to Australia and settled in Kuranda where he started his music career.[1][2] From mid-1980s to early 1990s he was in a variety of avant-garde groups including Godzila in the Mist, an industrial music band, which used "the noise of chainsaws and angle grinders."[2] From 1996 he performed as a solo artist, Endorphin, and recorded two tracks, "Pacific" and "Relapse". The latter track was entered in the Unearthed talent competition run by national radio station, Triple J.[1][2]

1998-2002: Columbia years

He signed with Columbia and worked on his debut album, Embrace which was released early in 1998.[2] David Peter Wesolowski of AllMusic described it as "chilled out" and noticed that it "grabbed plenty of critical praise but was also a commercial success in Australia."[2] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998 it was nominated for Best Dance Release.[3]

The artist supported the Australian legs of tours by Portishead (April 1998), Massive Attack (June), Faithless and then Moby.[4] The album's third single, "Satie", is a tribute to French composer Erik Satie, and was compiled on a various artists album, Café Del Mar, Volumen Seis (1999).[5]

Endorphin relocated to Sydney to record his second studio album, Skin, which was released in 1999. Wesolowski opined that it was "more direct, a shade less intricate, and thus easier to get into. In the long run, however, it's probably not quite as rewarding. It certainly offers a decent range of sounds, including sultry female vocals, exotic samples, hypnotic trip-hop arrangements, and brooding basslines."[6] Guest vocals were supplied by Tammy Brennan (of Pavo Christatus) on two tracks, and one track each by Cindy Ryan (Stella One Eleven), Sabina Carney (his girlfriend) and Zoe Chapus (their daughter).[7]

Jasper Lee of Oz Music Project felt that "perhaps a more darker and intense core is needed to give Endorphin that extra edge" as the album showed "ground covered too many times and a style that is a tad bit boring and unoriginal."[8] Skin peaked at No. 32 on the ARIA Albums Chart in November of that year.[9] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2000 Endorphin was nominated for Best Male Artist for that album.[3]

Endorphin's third studio album, AM:PM was released in October 2001, which reached No. 43.[9] It also reached No. 11 the ARIA Australasian Artists Albums chart.[10] An ARIA staff writer reported, "[it's] a double album with the AM part reflecting the studio sound, whilst the PM side reflecting the live aspect of this brilliant artist."[10] Guest vocalists include Luke Hannigan (of Lo-Tel), Jimmy Little, Abi Tucker (The Secret Life of Us) and Caroline Wilson (Kinetic); Endorphin co-produced it with Daniel Denholm.[11][12]

2003-2009: Independent artist

Seduction, his fourth studio album, was released on 5 May 2003. It was album of the week from 9 June for ABC radio station, Gold and Tweed Coasts, because he "fuses his signature electronica sounds with new musical collaborations with live musicians and singers".[13] For the album he used Iva Davies, Jade Macrae, the Martinez Brothers and Sarah McGregor.[13] Indy Lin of InTheMix opined that it shows "brilliant use of live instruments and vocals harmoniously woven into Endorphin's signature beats."[14] His fifth album, Shake It... (27 September 2004) provided a charting single, "Love Is a Dancefloor" (February 2005), which reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 100.[15][16]

He followed, in May 2007, with his sixth studio album, Soon After Silence, and then his first compilation album, 2069 in March 2009. As a teacher Endorphin instructs courses in Composition and Music Production at the Australian Institute of Music, Sydney campus.[17][18]

Discography

Studio albums
List of live albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[19][9]
Embrace
  • Released: June 1998
  • Label: Columbia (489821.2)
  • Formats: CD, 2×LP
 76
Skin
  • Released: November 1999
  • Label: Columbia (495235.2)
  • Formats: CD
 32
AM:PM
  • Released: October 2001
  • Label: Columbia (5034822000)
  • Formats: 2×CD+CD_Rom
 43
Seduction
  • Released: May 2003
  • Label: Seduction Records (SRE01)
  • Formats: CD
 -
Shake It...
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Seduction Records (SRE02)
  • Formats: CD
 -
Soon After Silence
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Seduction Records (SRE07)
  • Formats: CD, digital
 -

Compilation albums
List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[19]
2069 (Re-Recordings & Rarities)
  • Released: 2009
  • Label: Endorphin Music
  • Formats: Digital
 -

Charting singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
AUS
[19]
"Love Is a Dancefloor" 2005 82 Shake It

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Endorphin were nominated for two awards.[20]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1998 Embrace ARIA Award for Best Dance Release Nominated
2000 Skin ARIA Award for Best Male Artist Nominated

References
  1. Lobley, Katrina (30 May 2003). "Rush Job". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  2. Wesolowski, David Peter. "Endorphin | Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  3. Endorphin at the ARIA Music Awards:
    • 1998 winners and nominees: "Winners by Year 1998". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
    • 2000 winners and nominees: "Winners By Year 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  4. Cyclone (12 February 2002). "French Fried Endorphin". 3D Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 June 2003. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  5. "Composer of the Week: Gymnopediste Composer of the Week, Erik Satie (1866-1925) Episode 1 of 5". BBC. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  6. Wesolowski, David Peter. "Skin – Endorphin". AllMusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  7. "Endorphin". Campaign Australia. Informit Australian Public Affairs Information Service (288): 46–49. March 2000. ISSN 1327-6395.
  8. Lee, Jasper. "Endorphin Skin Sony". Oz Music Project. Archived from the original on 6 August 2003. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  9. Hung, Steffen. "Discography Endorphin". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  10. "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 22 October 2001. pp. 2, 5, 9, 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2002. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  11. "Endorphin – AM:PM". femail.com.au. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  12. "AM: PM – Endorphin | Credits". AllMusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  13. "Endorphin seduces us :: Music Review". ABC Gold & Tweed Coasts. 16 May 2006. Archived from the original on 27 May 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  14. Lin, Indy (5 May 2003). "Endorphin: The sound of Seduction". InTheMix. Junkee Media. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  15. "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 21 February 2005. pp. 2, 4, 7, 13, 17–18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  16. Perry (12 November 2004). "Endorphin – Shake It (Album)". Resident Advisor. Paul Clement, Nick Sabine. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  17. "Education Profile: AIM (Australian Institute of Music)". Beat Magazine. Furst Media. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  18. "Learning: The Theory Behind a Great Remix". Stoney Roads. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  19. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 94.}
  20. ARIA Award previous winners. "Winners By Award - 27th ARIA Awards 2013". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 1 March 2014.
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