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In the beginning, he was known only as Zhu. The electronic dance producer born Stephen Zhu emerged in 2014 with “Moves Like Ms. Jackson,” a dance track made up of a medley of OutKast songs. From there, Zhu defied the power of the information age by remaining anonymous, focusing attention solely on his music. As more tracks appeared on the internet, the hype building around his music increased. His debut EP, The Nightday, arrived in the spring of 2014. Included on the EP, his hit single “Faded” was nominated for a Grammy, a first for an anonymous artist. The following year, Zhu recruited an impressive roster of guests for the Genesis Series EP, which featured collaborations with Skrillex, Daniel Johns, Trombone Shorty, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, A-Trak, Keznamdi, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, AlunaGeorge, and labelmates Gallant and THEY. After embarking on his first headlining tour, which included a spot at Coachella, Zhu released the single “In the Morning” in 2016. “Generationwhy” — the lead single off his debut album of the same name — arrived in June 2016. The following year, Zhu surprise-released the four-track EP stardustexhalemarrakechdreams. In 2018, he issued the singles “Blame” with Ekali and “My Life” with Tame Impala. That spring, he released the EP Ringos Desert, Pt. 1, featuring JOY. on “Stormy Love, NM.” and Karnaval Blues on “Still Want U.” A full-length expansion followed that September. Ringos Desert added guests such as Tame Impala, Tokimonsta, and Majid Jordan to the blissed-out house party.

ZHU – RINGOS DESERT (LP)