E. Dan

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Eric Dan, known professionally as E. Dan, is a Pittsburgh-based recording engineer, mixer, and producer. Most known for his extensive work with hip-hop artists Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller, E. Dan has recorded, mixed and/or produced several gold- and platinum-certified releases throughout his 20-year career in the music business.^[1][2]

In 2003, Dan opened I.D. Labs, a commercial recording studio and production facility, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. which serves as a home to other producers from Pittsburgh including Big Jerm, Sledgren, Sayez, Christo, Nice Rec and J. Card.^[3]

Career[]

E. Dan's career in music started at the age of 16 when he began playing guitar, which led to him producing and recording various local artists by the age of 19.^[3] At the age of 20, E. Dan began working with Pittsburgh rap group Strict Flow, producing, recording and engineering their projects, gaining him more attention and work with the likes of Jurassic 5, the Beatnuts and Camp Lo.^[3] After years of recording local artists in his basement studio and building a name for himself as one of the most sought-after engineer/producers in the area, Dan decided to pursue producing and engineering full-time with the opening of his studio, I.D. Labs in Pittsburgh, in 2003.^[3][4]

A year later, a local 16-year-old rapper named Wiz Khalifa began frequenting I.D. Labs while working on his first mixtape. Within a few sessions with Khalifa, Dan offered him a job in exchange for studio time and beats. Dan was soon helping Khalifa develop his talent, beginning a long musical relationship between the two Pittsburgh natives.^[2] Dan has since gone on to produce and engineer much of Khalifa's catalog, including his early mixtapes and major label debut album Rolling Papers.^[4][2] A couple of years after Dan began working with Khalifa, he was introduced to another local rapper, 15-year-old Mac Miller. Dan and Miller soon formed what would become a life-long friendship and working relationship.^[5] As with Khalifa, Dan became Miller's go-to engineer and producer and is responsible for the production and mixing work on many of Miller's biggest records.^[1][5]

In 2013, Dan opened a more modern and larger I.D. Labs studios. It continues to serve as a creative hub for Pittsburgh's music scene, as well as the headquarters for Taylor Gang's offices.

Over the years, E. Dan has earned several gold and platinum certifications as both a mixer and producer. These include the Wiz Khalifa singles "Fr Fr" (featuring Lil Skies), "Hopeless Romantic" (featuring Swae Lee), and "When I'm Gone", Mac Miller's "Self Care", "Loud", and "Knock Knock", and contributing to J. Cole's Dreamville collective album Revenge of the Dreamers III, among many others. In 2015, Khalifa's single "We Dem Boyz", which E. Dan mixed, received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song.^[6][7][5]

Dan now splits his time between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, mixing, producing, and managing up-and-coming producers and running his production company ID Labs Music. His roster includes German-based producers David Ruoff and Elias Klughammer, known artistically as David x Eli. Signed to producer Metro Boomin's Boominati imprint in 2020, David x Eli have recently co-produced the single "Pop Star" (featuring Drake) by DJ Khaled, and contributed to multiple tracks on the Savage Mode II album by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.^[8]

Also signed to Dan's production company is Chicago-based producer Tyler Mason, known as Nostxlgic. Nostxlgic is most notably credited for co-producing with E. Dan the single "Fr Fr" (featuring Lil Skies) by Wiz Khalifa, and the single "Self Care" by Mac Miller.^[6][7]

RIAA certifications[]

References[]

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