Golden Features
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 | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas George Stell 1991 (age 34–35) |
| Origin | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | goldenfeatures.com |
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.
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 released in June 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.ref name= "ARIA270615"/> "No One" was listed at No. 92 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2015.[10]
In 2016 Golden Features 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]Golden Features 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.[17]
In 2022, Golden Features released "Touch" and "Vigil" and toured the United States of America in September of that year.[18]
In June 2023, Golden Features announced the release of his second studio album, Sisyphus.[19]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [13] | ||
| Sect |
|
11 |
| Sisyphus |
|
[A] |
Collaborative albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [22] |
US Dance [17] | ||
| Bronson (with Odesza as Bronson) |
|
23 | 5 |
Extended plays
[edit]| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [8] | ||
| Golden Features |
|
— |
| XXIV |
|
56 |
| Raka (with The Presets) |
|
— |
| Sisyphus Remixes |
|
— |
Singles
[edit]As lead artist
[edit]| Title | Year | Chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [8] | ||||
| "Tell Me" (featuring Nicole Millar)[24] |
2014 | — | Golden Features | |
| "Baxter"[25] | 2015 | — | XXIV | |
| "No One" (featuring Thelma Plum)[26] |
58 | |||
| "Wolfie"/"Funeral"[27] | 2016 | — | double-A sided single | |
| "Falling Out"[28] | 2018 | — | Sect | |
| "Worship"[29] | — | |||
| "Always"[31] | — | |||
| "Woodcut" (featuring Rromarin)[32] |
— | |||
| "Paradise" (with The Presets)[33] |
2019 | — |
|
Raka |
| "Raka" (with The Presets)"[35] |
— | |||
| "Touch"[36] | 2022 | — | Sisyphus | |
| "Vigil"[18] | — | |||
| "Endit" (with Rromarin)[37] |
— | |||
| "Flesh"[19] | 2023 | — |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Sisyphus did not enter the ARIA Top 100 Album Chart, but peaked at number 13 on the Australian Artists Album Chart.[21]
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 | [38] |
References
[edit]- ^ Collar, Matt. "Golden Features Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
- ^ a b Hitch, Georgia (6 August 2014). "Golden Features: The Man Behind the Mask". Pulse. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
- ^ a b MacIntyre, Kieran (13 August 2015). "The Australian Takeover: Part II: Golden Features". Monsters & Critics. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ a b c staff writer (9 April 2014). "Golden Features Is Big in Australia Right Now – But Who Is He?". Thump. Vice. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "ARIA Singles: Meghan Trainor And John Legend Debut At No 1". noise11. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Album Reviews: Golden Features – XXIV EP". Oz EDM. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Search Hottest 100 Archive". Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 11 November 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Mutton, Troy (December 2016). "Golden Features unveils new double-A side, 'Woflie' feat. Julia Stone and 'Funeral'". Pilerats. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Kallenbach, Kris (23 January 2017). "Golden Features Hits the Road with Wolfie Tour". The Nocturnal Times. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Discography Golden Features". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
- ^ "Golden Features - SECT". triple j. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ STONE, KATIE (11 April 2019). "DO LAB X EDM.COM ARTIST PLAYLIST SERIES: GOLDEN FEATURES". edm.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ "Golden Features & ODESZA Detail Debut BRONSON Album". Rolling Stone Australia. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Top Dance/Electronic Albums: The Week of August 22, 2020". Billboard. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Golden Features "Vigil"". Acid Stag. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ a b c "Golden Features announces new album 'Sisyphus' with single 'Flesh'". NME. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "ARIA AUSTRALIAN ARTIST ALBUMS CHART" (PDF). ARIA. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ "Raka – EP by Golden Features & The Presets on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ "Tell Me (feat. Nicole Millar) [Radio Edit] – Single by Golden Features on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Golden Features Announces 'XXIV' EP Tour, Shares New Track "Baxter"". Music Feeds. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Davies, Hayden (5 June 2015). "Listen: Golden Features – No One feat. Thelma Plum". Pilerats. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Golden Features Drops Incredible Double Release "Wolfie/Funeral"". How Land Echoes. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Golden Features teases his forthcoming debut album with steamy new banger, Falling Out". Pilerats. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Listen to Worship, the second single from Golden Features' debut album, SECT". Pilerats. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ Davies, Hayden (13 July 2018). "Golden Features channels Justice for heavy-as-hell new single, Always". Pilerats. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Woodcut (feat. Rromarin) [Remixes] – Single by Golden Features on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^ Carr, Debbie (11 October 2019). "The Presets and Golden Features take us to 'Paradise' in new collab single". ABC. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ "Singles to Radio". The Music Network. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "Golden Features Returns With News Single "Touch"". ozedm.com. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Golden Features Serves Up Eclectic New Single "Endit" With Rromarin". This Song Is Sick. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
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