A new name you might not of heard yet, but is totally worth checking out Heion. He kindly took the time out to prepare an excellent mix and answer a few questions for the us:
Interview
Tell me about the concept behind Heion, where did the name come from?
The name „Heion” came quite naturally. Years ago when I was studying Japanese, (I’m not good at it, to be honest!) I came across the word „heion” which means „peace” in Japanese.
I want to believe that what chaos and wild stuff lies inside me, somehow gets comfortable and familiar and peaceful when you hear it. I think that it’s the artist’s job, to make himself understood and transform whatever he has to say and whatever he has in himself into something you can understand or something that gets familiar. It’s kind of a contradiction if you make something and nobody understands it.
I’m a hard working man and I love what I do. I’m sampling and adding new instruments to it and also working on original and new stuff. I love a great groove-filled baseline as much as I love a colourful electric piano sound. It’s more enjoyable to describe what I do by showing and sharing it, isn’t it?
I’ve notice your music involves some very clever use of samples, would you describe yourself as a crate digger?
I’m always searching for interesting grooves, vocal samples or just something that inspires me. We have some artist who were great in the 70’s and the 80’s here in Romania. I found great samples in their works, I won’t tell which are which, they are in there. I found those works in my parent’s record collection, kinda late, but hey, maybe I didn’t have these ears back then. I’m sure a lot of kids with parents from that generation can tell you their parents have a good record collection. Our parents listened to good music, that’s a fact. I also met some nice people over the internet and we traded stuff we liked or didn’t hear about before. I can’t call myself a crate digger, we have some stores here but it’s not what I’m looking for. But I can say I have an ear for good sounds. I’ve also found a lot of great stuff on Hot Groovy Records and Juno and many other sites. But it’s discogs who got me addicted and pushed me into digging. I went deeper and deeper after that. So what I use is just what I really like from a particular track. The rest are just new instruments I’m playing, adding and creating something new, what inspired me in the first place.
How would you describe the music scene in Bucharest? (Clubs, Bars, Record shops etc)
I think people are still searching for good music, and it can tell by the urge of partying every time, mostly on weekends. Haha! Week days have also great parties. People are very energetic. Bucharest has two sides, I guess. One with people who do know what party to attend and what they want and one with those who don’t, or experimenting and trying new stuff all the time. The good thing is that they all want to party. This is one of the main reasons the music scene in Bucharest is not at its maturity. It’s young, it’s dynamic and colourful and goes into a good direction. It’s blooming.
I think if Bucharest and other cities from Romania had more record shops, the scene would be bigger and more mature and on top of that people would know what to listen to. They could extend their musical horizon. Of course, other aspects too. Good music is serious stuff.
Do you think soundcloud has had an influence in your current success?
Definitely! I’ve met a lot of great people on soundcloud, people who have supported my works from the beginning and still do. It’s important for me to know people and keep in touch with them. It’s where I met JKriv and Matthew Kyle, Guy from Sleazy Beats and Dave Allison, all of them supporting my works right from the beginning. I was very excited when I got great feedback from them after sending my tracks.
What upcoming projects have you got in the pipeline (Big up your new releases here etc)?
I’m taking on a new approach in music production and musical composition. It’s inspiring and it’s a good way of keeping my work always fresh. It’s always good to find a new way to work on my sound or a particular instrument. Challenging me is a part of the whole process of making music. The other ones are not to be mentioned.
I’ve just released two EPs, „Our Bright Stories” on In The Woods and „So Much Soul” on Los Grandes. It was an interesting journey working on these two, especially on „So Much Soul”. I have two EPs lined up, you should watch for ISM Recordings and Audio Parallax Records. Also, my first track on wax on Low Slung Records along with Low Slung, 78 Edits and Sellouts is out on May 21st. It’s a stunning release, trust me.
Who are your greatest musical influences, are there any tracks in particular that have changed style of music you make.
I discovered a lot of musicians and genres over the years and some stayed with me while others didn’t. It was and still is a process in which I learn about music and discover interesting stuff. I came across quite a few fantastic artists. Works by Billy Paul and Leon Ware have always inspired me. One of my favourite tracks out there is I Want You by Marvin Gaye. Of course there are so much more (like The Four Tops or Mandrill).
I’m also a big fan of Frank Booker and Eddie C. And love the works by Lou Teti, he has really awesome stuff. I like his way and style and how he managed to create his unique sound.
Where can we catch you DJ’ing in the future?
Most of the time I’m DJ’ing here in Bucharest at Papiota bar where I have a residency. I’m waiting for some confirmations for this summer, but I have nothing too fancy in the near future. I’m looking forward for some gigs outside of Romania, I’m sure people would love to have me and hear me play at their parties. I definitely would love that.
Mix
Tracklisting
01. Marius – Flamingo Isle
02. Heion – Big Fever
03. Heion – Follow Me
04. Casual Encounters & Honom – Robo Funk
05. Lou Teti – Shake (JKriv Remix)
06. Heion – Cosmos Control
07. DFD Disco – Go Ahead
08. Deep & Disco – Dub Attack
09. Neil Diablo – The Feeling
10. Rayko – So In Love
11. Finn Peters – Purple & Yellow (Yam Who? Rework)
