Inspired by acid house and techno from the 90s dance scene, HELLBOUND! Is taking aim at reviving the rave. His modern take on these classic electronic staples resonates with listeners new and old. Following success in a past life as a touring producer, HB stripped down his product to something raw, energetic, and nostalgic. The one-upmanship of sound design in EDM drove him toward creating analog sounds with hardware to juxtapose modern sounds with retro techniques. The year 2020 is pivotal for the landscape of dance music and HELLBOUND! is up to the task of rewriting history! Read the interview below!
Hi Hellbound! How are you doing?
I’m doing well! I’ve been mainly just chillin, working on some long term projects of mine and writing music. Hope you have been doing well!
Take us back to the beginning, how did you find your passion into producing electronic music?
Wow okay this is a deep one. So probably around 2012 I was just starting college, studying film production and started going to shows/festivals. I had always been into creating digital art in any fashion since I was really young, but never really found my lane. I had started to fall out of love with film due to the lack of commitment from the peers around me. For what I wanted to do, you really needed a dedicated team to push forward and create and I didn’t have that. I felt a little lost to be honest. When I discovered music production, it really fulfilled that need to create and the best part was I could do it all myself and didn’t need anyone else. I had always played instruments growing up (guitar, piano, drums, etc), but still never fell in love with anything like I did with producing. It’s all I have been doing every single day of my life for the past 7-8 years.
How have you been staying productive during the quarantine period?
I’ve been planning big long term artistic goals. Focusing on art is all you can really do right now. With shows getting canceled everywhere for the foreseeable future, you really have to dig deep and find what really resonates with you. I never want to be one of those artists only doing it for the paycheck, so you gotta keep the love for your art strong.
You released an EP called “Afterlife” through Welcome Records. Could you share the creative process behind about this EP?
For the Afterlife EP, I really wanted to blend some of my favorite aspects of techno with a hint of bass music. It may not seem like bass music, but in comparison to the techno that’s happening in Europe, it is a lot more of a hybrid with american influences. I’m extremely inspired by so many different artists in Europe, so maybe in the future I might try my hand at that, but I can’t give anything away yet.
What is your favorite song from the EP?
My favorite song is by far Afterlife. That song came together in a few hours and it was the most fun to make. I really like songs with random melodies and things going on. It really just all fell into place and that’s why it sounds so organic and flows so well. I love all the songs on the EP, but for me the process on Afterlife was the most fun.
How did your relationship with Welcome Records first start?
In the summer of 2019, I managed to get an all access wristband for Hard Summer. I was walking backstage with some friends and saw Kayzo and some of his friends backstage before his set. I walked up and introduced myself and he was like, “oh shit good to meet you I’m actually playing one of your songs tonight“. So I watched his set and he killed it. Next day I tweeted something like “good to meet you” or whatever. He hit me up to come over to work on music and we ended up making our song “No Regrets” that day. The session flowed so well and we cranked the song out with no speed bumps which is always a great sign. Since then, my song “Techno Battery” came out on their halloween compilation, dropped an official remix for Kayzo, and of course our collab “No Regrets“. I was also supposed to go on tour with him this spring, but COVID-19 hit and it never happened. I’m extremely thankful for all the support I’ve gotten from Kayzo and Welcome over the past year.
This quarantine period has been hard for the music industry so now it’s time to support and support any interesting new producers you would recommend to follow?
I’m not sure exactly how new any of these producers are, but like I said a lot of my influences are producers/djs from Europe. I really don’t listen to any american EDM aside from my friends here. The techno coming out of Europe is an absolute vibe. Some artists I’ve been digging lately are: Clouds, FJAAK, Nico Moreno, Randomer, Remco Beekwilder, Charlotte De Whitte, Amelie Lens, Ansome, Rihtker, Alignment, MRD, i_O, and Raito. I believe i_O is the only one from the states.
Would you like to share something with the followers of Let the Bass Get You?
Regardless if you are a producer, DJ, or fan, always be yourself and follow your heart. Nobody wants a carbon copy of something else. The best version of you is you.
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