TATE SEDAR Talks About His New EP, Staying Inspired, Storytelling In Music & More

TATE SEDAR is no stranger to reinvention, but with his debut EP ‘THIS IS POST-EDM’, the San Francisco native brings it all full circle. A year after announcing his rebrand into the genre he coined “post-EDM,” TATE SEDAR delivers a body of work that not only traces his artistic evolution, but also pushes the boundaries of what electronic music can sound and feel like. With over half a million streams, a string of high-profile shows—including direct support for R3HAB at Avalon Hollywood—and a reawakened connection to his hometown through a headlining return at DNA Lounge, 2024 marked a pivotal chapter. Now, as the EP closes with the long-awaited release of ‘Dream’ featuring Otto Palmborg, TATE SEDAR sits down with EDMHouseNetwork to reflect on the tracks that tested him, the genres that still call to him, and what it really means to make music in a post-EDM world.

If you had to pick one track from the EP that stretched you the most as an artist, which one would it be and why?

Hey, EDM House Network. Great to be back after a couple of years! I was originally going to say “Our Goodbye,” because it went through two versions and it is one of the oldest tracks BUT I’d probably have to go with “Coming Home (I.M.U).” It stretched me because I had to incorporate my post-EDM sound in a way that the track didn’t just play as a typical progressive house track. It also took a year to find the right vocal, cost a good amount of time in the studio managing the low end, and was a learning experience in collaborating with people.

You’ve drawn from everything, Motown, rock, progressive house. Is there a sound or genre you haven’t tapped into yet but really want to experiment with?

I’ve sort of dug into bass house already with my remix of “Acrobatic” by SIDEPIECE on SoundCloud, but would like to do that more. I want to combine more harmonic and melodic elements into it, especially from the “color” genres of color bass or color house. I also am always intrigued by hyperpop and trying to invest that into productions as well.

“Coming Home (I.M.U)” was born in a hectic period of shows and touring. Do you find that live performances fuel your creativity, or do you need quiet studio time to really lock in?

I’d say, for me now, shows 7 times out of 10 show the results of your productions and how people respond to them – rather than bringing about any production-based inspiration. It’s rare shows ever inspire production. However, I think playing OTHER people’s music and seeing how people respond to it is, on a side note, one of the unique values in the craft of DJing – but also a way to see what makes people move and feel in the market as it comes time to return to the studio for the ideation process.

I think the traditional album cycle of record companies exists for a reason, not just for there to be time to create – but to also tour, promote music and let that music marinade with audiences. A show every once and a while does get my spirits up, motivates me and most importantly – allows me to connect with people and fans. However, I do think some organized and isolated studio time is key…at least for me.

You put out 13 releases in a single year. How do you stay inspired and avoid creative burnout?

I avoid writer’s block in a way that some people would consider to be both advantageous and crippling, and that is: if I’m not inspired, I go back to something unfinished or old. Iit is both a realistic and still productive approach on how to maximize creativity without losing an artistic spark. We’re not going to magically be inspired every second of the day – we need life to kick in and let it (inspiration) happen. But I think when things aren’t flowing, go back to something old. Now, there is going way too deep and working on so many aged projects that sound nostalgic, may not resonate with audiences, etc. That is counterproductive both to time management and creativity – the act of always making something fresh or new. When I’m not inspired, I just work on a couple of contemporary projects or older ones that are strong ideas. This allows me to maintain productivity AND can also help source new inspiration, as working on dated projects can bring up new ideas. 

Your remix of “Hero” had a clear social message. Do you think electronic music has enough space for storytelling with real meaning?

The answer is yes. I think that there is a huge gap or void of storytelling in the larger genres of electronic and dance music. And when you think of the histories & origins of the two forms of music and how they can resonate with the world we currently live in – culturally, socially and politically – there is so much that can be done.

You’ve been featured on some of the biggest dance music platforms. Was there a moment that made you step back and realize, “Okay, this is real now”?

I think the moment things started to kick in was when I got my first track “Heaven” on radio on My95.9 in Hawaii. It really felt, like, an organic audition moment for the world to hear me; it was always a personal dream for me to be on there and I thought it was gonna happen even later. So to have that was a groundbreaking moment. And what made it special was a friend from elementary school living in Oahu got to video-record and share that moment with me. An honorable mention also is getting broadcasted globally on the Discovery Project channel of the EDC Virtual Rave-a-thon in 2020.

A year from now, what’s the dream? Whether it’s a new sound, a festival stage, or something completely unexpected. What’s next?

A dream of mine – and I know this sounds a little more practical – is to cultivate an audience that would allow me to connect with fans outside of California. I have played outside of the state and internationally, but I want to learn how to better navigate the industry and forge my career in a way that I can connect more with people outside of social media into the real world and create moments & experiences for them – which would then allow me to take everything else to the next level.