Thomas George Stell (born 1991), known professionally as Golden Features, is an Australian deep house / dance DJ and producer currently signed to Warner Bros. Records. Three singles, "Tell Me" featuring Nicole Millar, "No One" featuring Thelma Plum, and "Wolfie" featuring Julia Stone; received listener's votes for the Triple J Hottest 100. They were listed, successively, at No. 101 in 2014, No. 92 in 2015, and No. 70 in 2016. Golden Features performed at the Hard festival in 2016. His debut album, Sect (26 July 2018), reached No. 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Golden Features
Birth nameThomas George Stell
Born1991 (age 32–33)
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
  • Deep house
  • dance
Occupation(s)
  • DJ
  • producer
Years active2013–present
Labels
Websitegoldenfeatures.com

Career edit

2013-2017: Career commencement and EPs edit

Tom Stell has performed as Golden Features since 2014.[1] When Peking Duk members, Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles, relocated from Canberra to Sydney they shared a house with Stell for a year.[2][3] He recalled, "Those two are like my brothers and without both of their support and guidance the Golden Features project never would have seen the light of day."[2]

Golden Features adopted a gold mask for performances and initially maintained his anonymity. He explained, "You go out, you do whatever you have to do, you put it out there in the world, and you don't expect personal credit for it. You just do it because it satisfies you... I didn't want my face plastered over things just because I prefer to have a character that I speak through."[4] As a solo artist, he released a four-track self-titled extended play in February 2014.[4] After he revealed his name, he observed, "it became a gimmick and people became more interested in who is making the music rather than the music itself. So I cut it off and put my face up everywhere. The initial idea was like the music speak for itself, it backfired but I stand by it."[3]

The producer provided a remix version for the Presets' single, "No Fun" (August 2014), which made it to No. 13 on the ARIA Club Tracks.[5] His EP provided a single, "Tell Me" featuring Nicole Millar, in the following month, which reached No. 14 on the ARIA Dance Singles and No. 7 on the ARIA Hitseekers Singles charts.[6] It missed being listed on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2014, and was placed in the Second Hottest 100 (101–200) at No. 101.[7]

The artist's second four-track EP, XXIV, was issued in July 2015, and reached No. 56 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[8] The reviewer from Oz EDM felt, "[he] is known for his genre-bending signature sound (apart from his Mask)... [the EP] offers nothing short of amazing production and originality and genuinely is something for dance fans to get excited about."[9] Its lead single, "No One" featuring Thelma Plum, peaked at No. 58 on the same chart.[8] It was listed at No. 92 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2015.[10]

Included on XXIV was "Telescope" featuring K.Flay, which the reviewer noticed provided, "intriguing RnB style vocals" by Flay and "offers a somewhat new style of what we have come to expect from Golden Features. Showing light elements of trap, 'Telescope''s upbeat tempo is less dark than the rest of the tracks."[9] In 2016 he released, "Wolfie" featuring Julia Stone, which reached No. 70 in Triple J Hottest 100, 2016.[10] Pilerats' Troy Mutton described, "it proved a little surprising to some. Not the out-and-out dark and brooding banger we've come to expect from [him], rather something sweeter, less intense. It's so sweet in fact that it's named after – and features a sound byte from – his young nephew... [Stone's] twee, Australian lilt is toned down ever-so-slightly to create something that is somehow both melancholic and euphoric."[11]

Golden Features supported Alison Wonderland on her tour of the United States in 2016 and undertook his own headlining tour of the US in February of the next year.[12]

2018-present: Sect and Sisyphus edit

He released his debut album, Sect, on 26 July 2018, which reached No. 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart and No. 1 on the iTunes Chart.[13]Sect was named a Triple J feature album, described as being an "eclectic mix of driving beats, dark choruses, blistering drops and ethereal vocals".[14]

Golden Features appeared on the Coachella DoLab stage during the first weekend of the 2019 festival.[15]

In July 2020 Golden Features collaborated with Odesza and released the project Bronson, the ten track album features appearances from lau.ra, Gallant, and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.[16] Bronson debuted number 22 on the ARIA Albums Chart and at number 5 in the United States on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart.[citation needed]

In 2022, Golden Features released "Touch" and "Vigil" and toured the United States of America in September of that year.[17]

In June 2023, Golden Features announced the release of his second studio album, Sisyphus.[18]

Discography edit

Studio albums edit

List of studio albums, with release date and selected chart positions shown
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[13]
Sect 11
Sisyphus
  • Released: 7 July 2023[18]
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
  • Label: Warner Music Australasia
TBA

Collaborative albums edit

List of collaborative albums, with release date and label shown
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[20]
US Dance
[21]
Bronson
(with Odesza as Bronson)
23 5

Extended plays edit

List of extended plays, with release date and label shown
Title Details
Golden Features
  • Released: 28 March 2014[citation needed]
  • Label: Warner Music Australia
    (825646215379)
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
XXIV
  • Released: 19 June 2015[citation needed]
  • Label: Parlophone
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Raka
(with The Presets)
  • Released: 15 November 2019[22]
  • Label: Modular Records, EMI
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles edit

As lead artist edit

List of singles as lead artist, with year released and album shown
Title Year Certifications Album
"Tell Me"
(featuring Nicole Millar)[23]
2014 Golden Features
"No One"
(featuring Thelma Plum)[24]
2015 XXIV
"Wolfie"
(featuring Julia Stone)[25]
2016 Wolfie / Funeral
"Falling Out"[26] 2018 Sect
"Worship"[27]
"Always"[29]
"Woodcut"
(featuring Rromarin)[30]
"Paradise"
(with The Presets)[31]
2019 Raka
"Raka"
(with The Presets)
"Heart Attack"
(with Odesza as Bronson; featuring Lau.ra)[33]
2020 Bronson
"Vaults"
(with Odesza as Bronson)[33]
"Dawn"
(with Odesza as Bronson; featuring Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs)[34]
"Keep Moving"
(with Odesza as Bronson)[35]
"Touch"[36] 2022 Sisyphus
"Vigil"[17]
"Endit"
(with Rromarin)[37]
"Flesh"[18] 2023

Remixes edit

Year Title Artist Note
2014 "No Fun" The Presets
"Years of War" Porter Robinson featuring Breanne Düren and Sean Caskey
2017 "Lose It" Flume featuring Vic Mensa
2018 "Memories That You Call"[38] Odesza featuring Monsoonsiren

Mixes edit

Year Title Song Artist Note
2014 Hidden City "Voices" Fake Blood
"Baby F-16" Panteros666
"Turn It Up" Mercer Tchami Remix
"Must Be Love" Riton
"Lately" Jade Blue and
Frequency
Vox Remix
"None A Them" Hannah Wants and
Chris Lorenzo
"Roadgame" Kavinsky ID Remix
"Maybe We Are Different" Golden Features
"Give Me Back The Nights" Brodinski
"Guillotine" Golden Features
"Go Harder" AC Slater featuring Dell Harris
"Moderation" Light Year
"Turn Of Phrase" TACHES
"Feel Good Inc." Gorillaz ID Remix
"Tell Me" Golden Features featuring Nicole Millar
2017 Diplo &
Friends Mix
"Guillotine" Golden Features VIP Mix
"Diamonds" Malaa
"Dynamite" Boys Noize featuring Benga
"Baxter" Golden Features
"No Fun" The Presets Golden Features Remix
"Let There Be Light" Justice
"New Wav" Madeaux featuring Kaleena Zanders,
Wuki Remix
"Into The Night" Nero
"Tell Me" Golden Features featuring Nicole Millar
"Television Rules The Nation" Daft Punk
"Do You?" Golden Features
"Lazer Beams" Green Velvet and
Harvard Bass
Golden Features Remix
"Wolfie" Golden Features featuring Julia Stone
"Years Of War" Porter Robinson Golden Features Remix
"No One" featuring Thelma Plum Golden Features
"Saturate" The Chemical Brothers
"2 Live" Boys Noize
"Guillotine" Golden Features
"Propaganda" DJ Snake Habstrakt Remix
"Funeral" Golden Features
"Etude" Nero
"D.A.N.C.E." Justice
"Telescope" Golden Features featuring K.Flay

Awards and nominations edit

ARIA Music Awards edit

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the Australian music industry.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2023 Sisyphus Best Dance/Electronic Release Nominated [39]

References edit

  1. ^ Collar, Matt. "Golden Features Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b Hitch, Georgia (6 August 2014). "Golden Features: The Man Behind the Mask". Pulse. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b MacIntyre, Kieran (13 August 2015). "The Australian Takeover: Part II: Golden Features". Monsters & Critics. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b staff writer (9 April 2014). "Golden Features Is Big in Australia Right Now – But Who Is He?". Thump. Vice. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  5. ^ Wallace, Ian (8 September 2014). "Week Commencing ~ 8th September 2014 ~ Issue #1280" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1280). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA): 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  6. ^ Wallace, Ian (20 October 2014). "Week Commencing ~ 20th October 2014 ~ Issue #1286" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1286). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA): 17, 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  7. ^ staff writer (1 February 2015). "These songs just missed out on a Hottest 100 placing". FasterLouder. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  8. ^ a b Wallace, Ian (6 July 2015). "Week Commencing ~ 6th July 2015 ~ Issue #1323" (PDF). The ARIA Report (1323). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA): 4, 16–17, 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Album Reviews: Golden Features – XXIV EP". Oz EDM. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Search Hottest 100 Archive". Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 11 November 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  11. ^ Mutton, Troy (December 2016). "Golden Features unveils new double-A side, 'Woflie' feat. Julia Stone and 'Funeral'". Pilerats. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  12. ^ Kallenbach, Kris (23 January 2017). "Golden Features Hits the Road with Wolfie Tour". The Nocturnal Times. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Discography Golden Features". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  14. ^ "Golden Features - SECT". triple j. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  15. ^ STONE, KATIE (11 April 2019). "DO LAB X EDM.COM ARTIST PLAYLIST SERIES: GOLDEN FEATURES". edm.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Golden Features & ODESZA Detail Debut BRONSON Album". Rolling Stone Australia. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Golden Features "Vigil"". Acid Stag. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  18. ^ a b c "Golden Features announces new album 'Sisyphus' with single 'Flesh'". NME. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  19. ^ Meadow, Matthew (27 July 2018). "Golden Features drops one of the year's best albums with "Sect"". Your EDM. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  20. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums: The Week of August 22, 2020". Billboard. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Raka – EP by Golden Features & The Presets on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Tell Me (feat. Nicole Millar) [Radio Edit] – Single by Golden Features on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  24. ^ Davies, Hayden (5 June 2015). "Listen: Golden Features – No One feat. Thelma Plum". Pilerats. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Wolfie / Funeral – Single by Golden Features on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  26. ^ "Golden Features teases his forthcoming debut album with steamy new banger, Falling Out". Pilerats. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  27. ^ "Listen to Worship, the second single from Golden Features' debut album, SECT". Pilerats. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  28. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  29. ^ Davies, Hayden (13 July 2018). "Golden Features channels Justice for heavy-as-hell new single, Always". Pilerats. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Woodcut (feat. Rromarin) [Remixes] – Single by Golden Features on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  31. ^ Carr, Debbie (11 October 2019). "The Presets and Golden Features take us to 'Paradise' in new collab single". ABC. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  32. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  33. ^ a b Newstead, Al (29 April 2020). "Listen to the first tracks from Odesza & Golden Features' new project BRONSON". ABC. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  34. ^ Mao, Jessica (30 June 2020). "Bronson enlist Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs for 'Dawn' [Stream]". Dancing Astronaut. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  35. ^ Narozniak, Rachel (21 July 2020). "'Keep Moving' with BRONSON's latest single, music video". Dancing Astronaut. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  36. ^ "Golden Features Returns With News Single "Touch"". ozedm.com. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  37. ^ "Golden Features Serves Up Eclectic New Single "Endit" With Rromarin". This Song Is Sick. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  38. ^ "A Moment Apart (Deluxe Edition) by ODESZA on Apple Music". iTunes Store. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  39. ^ "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.