First There Was Daft Punk, Then There Was ZHU… Now, Meet Running Touch

A little bit of secrecy can really take an artist a long way. Start with one of the most famous DJ duos in dance music history: Daft Punk. The DJs play a very limited number of live shows and refuse to show their faces. They have made a name for themselves with some of the most iconic dance tracks ever including “One More Time”, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”, and “Around the World”. They have built their success on musical talents alone. The mystery of the duo only lends to their market appeal and evokes a sense of interest in audiences. Another artist who more recently followed a similar strategy to raise artist awareness is ZHU. Out of nowhere he shocked the dance music scene with his release of “Faded”, an instant success that dominated the radio waves, online streaming, and iTunes charts. But ZHU never showed us his face. To him the music was more important than who he was, and he wanted audiences to respect him for his skill before his appearance.

We may have found our next Daft Punk, our next ZHU. Obviously comparing a new artist to a legend like Daft Punk is a big statement, but everyone has to start somewhere. Although he is still in the early stages of his production career, Running Touch is rapidly making himself known to the dance music community. But who is he exactly? Like the two previously mentioned artists, we don’t know… yet. He’s an Australian producer who was discovered in a heavy metal band, we know that. But the reality of it is that it doesn’t matter WHO he is, only what he is capable of creating. He wants you to hear his music, not to see his face. Running Touch is an artist, plain and simple.

Running Touch was discovered through Ed Sheeran’s Road to Discovery Project and has given us a glimpse of his melodic deep house sound. His tunes are not like the deep house tracks we have become familiar with through artists like Oliver Heldens and Duke Dumont; but rather he blends the deep acoustic sound with melodies similar to progressives, Disclosure and Flume. In addition, he provides vocals to his tracks that compliment them with utmost beauty. I am actually very excited that information on Running Touch was sent my way because I can’t stop listening. His music is truly rapturous.

To boot, music isn’t his only strong suit. Running Touch is also developing a novel to coalesce with his music. Each song relates to an element or particular section of his story. In an interview with EDM.com, Running Touch states that “a semi-fictional novel in which is still being constructed makes the foundation of my music, all of my songs briefly pair with respective parts of the story, and as each release airs, I plan to release the digital story alongside. Further, the story certainly does not stop there. Parts of the story will also be found in my alias concepts.” His other aliases, under which he crafts DnB, electronica, and even trap, are yet to be announced, however his idea of blending music with literature is groundbreaking and certainly something to be excited about.

If you are a fan of art, you should most certainly be a fan of Running Touch. He is electronic music; he is acoustic music; he is a novelist; he is a mixer; he is a storyteller; he is not a face, he is an artist. Running Touch states that his ultimate goal is to “change the way the world thinks of dance music by defining genres and breaking boundaries of what is considered to be normal.” Evidence of this can be noted in his breathtaking silhouetted EP recordings on his Facebook page, check them out now, they are amazing.

There is no word as of yet on when we will get the chance to see this mysterious new producer in Arizona, as he has never made a live performance under this alias, but we will certainly be keeping our eyes open for an opportunity. If he’s anything like Daft Punk or ZHU when it comes to touring, it may be a while, but we certainly hope it’s the contrary!

Keep in the loop:

Facebook: facebook.com/RunningTouchOfficial

Twitter: twitter.com/Running_Touch

Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/running-touch