DJ Mag Malaysia #002 DJ Mag Malaysia #002 | Page 22

Cover Story

5 . H o w d i d t h e a l i a s H I - LO c a m e a b o u t ? W h a t
made you want to create more music under a
different name?
Well you might already know, but the alias
H I - LO i s a c t u a l l y O L I H s p e l l e d b a c k w a r d s .
These initials stand for my full name Oliver
Heldens, and I thought it would be cool to
p r o d u c e t ra c k s u n d e r t h i s a l i a s . H I - LO i s
really all about the groovy vibe, heavy bass
lines and great build ups. This alias really
lets me express my musicality because I get to
produce more bass house / tech house inspired
tracks. This way of producing basically lets me
make more underground stuff again, and that’s
what I really like.
6. How do you balance the radio show, your
label, producing and all even while on tour?
What is your secret to making it work?
I have been very busy since the start of my
c a r e e r, a n d e v e r y t h i n g i s s t i l l d e v e l o p i n g
very fast. But I am getting more used to the
f a c t t h a t I ’ m a l w a y s b u s y, a n d I h a v e a l s o
found ways to split the work so I can be more
efficient at times. Next to that I have a really
good team that helps me get all the work done.
So I think my secret is dedication and my team,
they are the best!
7 . Yo u ’ r e o n l y 2 1 a n d h a v e m a d e q u i t e t h e
mark in the electronic music scene. Do you
feel like there is a certain amount of pressure
for you to become the future of the scene or
curate the music of the future?
A s I m e n t i o n e d e a r l i e r, t h i n g s h a v e b e e n g o i n g
very fast for me. So there has always been a
certain amount of pressure to bring out the
best of me. But I try not to worry about it,
because I’m still doing what I love most.
8. Moving on to your music, there seems to be
a pattern where you tracks are named after
animals. Any reason for that?
A t f i r s t I n a m e d my t ra c k “G e c ko” b e c a u s e I
thought it was a really crazy track. I came
u p w i t h “G e c ko” b e c a u s e “c ra z y ” m e a n s “ g e k ”
in Dutch. And after producing that track, I
thought it would be fun to name another track
after an animal. And I must say I kind of like
the fact that so many fans show up at gigs
dressed as animals!

20

9 . Yo u ’ v e p r o d u c e d s o m e o f t h e i n d u s t r y ’ s
biggest chart toppers, is there a secret to
your production techniques?
There is no secret to the way I produce my
tracks, and if there was I wou