Tagged: upcoming artist
Upcoming Artist: HIIO
We are back with another #bangin upcoming artist to introduce to our readers and this time it’s South America’s latest exports, the dynamic duo who call themselves HIIO!
HIIO are touted as one of the best new elements of house. An exhilarating collaborative partnership of South America’s two most exciting and talented DJ/producers – Argentina’s Nico Hamuy and Colombia’s Ortzy. Studio based full time in Buenos Aires, HIIO are already letting loose with their engaging, full throttle & emotive progressive house rockets.
Their brilliant inaugural release took-off in mid 2012 with a heart-starting remix of Chuckie’s ‘Who Is Ready To Jump’ and continue to work with him on new projects. ‘Lose Control’ also hit it big and with the support of Roger Sanchez amongst other major players in the international scene.
Ortzy is Colombian born and raised. Nico Hamuy has called Buenos Aires home his whole life. However as Buenos Aires is fast becoming a mecca of music, it’s no wonder in late 2011 Ortzy relocated and now works full time in the studio on their collaborative partnership – HIIO.
Nico in the studio with Chuckie
Ortzy says ‘ I really felt the need to step out of the spotlight and focus on the essence of what Nico and I are trying to do with HIIO. Buenos Aires is the place for this. It’s fresh, it’s new, it’s one of those inspirational places where the music just flows out of your head. It’s me now. It’s HIIO.’
Nico reflects a sentiment shared by most South American artists saying, “People who aren’t from here, don’t really gauge just how difficult it is for South American’s to break and make it internationally. It’s literally a jungle down here and we’re just happy that both Ortzy and I are already getting some global recognition. It’s what drives us to work hard, get to the parties and make people go crazy for our music.”
Nico Hamuy and Ortzy are already stand-alone internationally-recognized artists. Between them, they have more than 20 tracks in the Beatport Top 100 and are regularly on tour with David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Erick Morillo, Tiesto and the list goes on. When they’re not in the studio they’re on the road with shows that span across the United States and through all South America. With residencies at the most prestigious clubs in the South East America – Madame in Punta Del Este and Crobar Buenos Aires to name a few, it’s fair to say both these guns already show the fire that’s putting them in the international spotlight.
All in all the new South American powerhouse HIIO are grabbing the attention of the international dance community at the speed of sound.
Here are a few #bangin tracks by HIIO which you could check out:
and their latest and most recently released track!
We also caught up with the duo for an interview. So skip ahead and read on to know more about these immensely talented, future stars from South America!
Hey Nico And Ortzy! Welcome to Bangin Beats (thebanginbeats.com)
Q). To begin with, tell us how did the two of you meet and decide to start producing music together?
Nico: Well, I used to go to Colombia to play shows, and a mutual friend out in California, where Ortzy used to live, introduced Ortzy and I. We became friends and decided to do a track together. We loved that track, and it is something very special for the both of us. It will actually be out this week, January 17, 2013. After we made that track, we made another one, and then we played some gigs together and finally decided to create a project together, now called HIIO.
Q). Recently the two of you had back-to-back collaborations with an internationally acclaimed producer like Chuckie. How was the experience of being in the studio with a talent like him? Does it also provide a basis for improving your knowledge and skills when you work with such an artist?
HIIO: Of course! Chuckie is one of the biggest names in EDM, but he is a person just like us, and is such a good man, and is very very funny! When we are in the studio, he has good ideas and is very fast working. Sometimes he’s a little bit crazy with synths and stuff, but in the end they sound amazing.
Q). Your track “CUBIC” with John Dish which released recently reached an exceptional 12,000 plays on 24 hours. Could you tell us a little about the track and the process of production followed?
HIIO: John Dish is a very good friend of ours, and he is a young Colombian producer who is very talented. He wanted to collaborate with us, so he started the project in Colombia and then sent it our way, and we finished it up in our studio in Buenos Aires. From the start, the base was a BOMB! We received amazing attention as we had full support from Fedde Le Grand, as he played it on his Radio Show Dark Light Sessions. Other DJs also included the track in their live sets before the release date.
Q). Tell us a little about how the “scene” is developing in South America? We understand that it is really tough for South American producers to get recognized globally, as Nico also quoted as saying recently?
HIIO: It’s true that the EDM scene is growing a lot in South America, a lot more in Brazil and Argentina. Why are there so many producers from Europe, USA, Australia and not South America? We don’t even know! – Hahaha. We believe this could be a coincidence for us!
Q). HIIO currently hold residencies at the most prestigious clubs in Argentina – PACHA and Crobar in Buenos Aires just to name a few. Could you tell us a little about how they came about?
HIIO: In the beginning of 2012 Crobar wanted a new season with progressive house and house music. Nico was a resident at Crobar a few years ago, when he used to play alone. The owner called him directly to invite him back. As for PACHA, our manager is the artistic director of the club, and he booked us there in March, 2012. We got a positive reaction from the people and now we play together 1 or 2 Saturdays each month.
Q). “Something About You” is another track of yours which is soon going to be released and we hope it proves to be an immensely successful release. Could you tell us a little about the track?
HIIO: As we mentioned in the beginning of the interview, this was our first track as HIIO. To be honest it was really difficult to find it a record label, as we had no management at the time. We used to do everything ourselves. We believed in this track and would play is every time we had a commercial gig and the reaction of the crowd always was amazing. We also made a video clip for this track in Buenos Aires because we felt it was so special to us. This is the only track we’ve made one for. It was such a nice experience for us, and a fun 3 days making it.
Q). Talking about your releases, tell us what it’s like having your tracks get supported by some great producers like Dirty Sout, Roger Sanchez, John Dalback, Otto Knows, Chuckie and more?
HIIO: In the beginning we were surprised to hear that Roger Sanchez made a Bootleg of our track “Loose Control.” Also, seeing it in many of the big name DJ track lists was very rewarding. The same goes with “CUBIC” – When the Fedde Le Grand crew wrote to us asking for the track for his Radio Show, we were very excited to hear this.
Q). Your remix of Chuckie’s track “Who Is Ready To Jump” has been a very successful release and has been played by a few big names and at possibly the biggest festivals. Could we probably call it your biggest track until now?
HIIO: YES SIR!!! The results of that remix were insane. The funny thing is, when Chuckie sent us the parts, we looked at each other and said “What the fuck are we going to do with this crazy man shouting like this?!” Ha Ha Ha! We guess magic came into the studio after that.
Q). Could you tell us a little bit about “Elements” – Your monthly radio show?
HIIO: We both actually used to have our own monthly podcasts. Ortzy had Blast The Speakers and Nico had Inspirations, each with a good number of listeners. When we formed HIIO, we decided to create a radio show for all of the people who have been supporting our careers up until now, calling it ELEMENTS. We believe it’s the best way to give the fans a gift, and an injection of our music.
Q). As we have now advanced into the New Year, what does 2013 hold for HIIO? Any future releases or collaborations we could expect?
HIIO: Yes, we have so many bombs coming out in the next 3 months. Some huge collaborations, some commercial stuff and a few Big Room tracks! So stay tuned!
Thank You for the interview! We hope the two of you have a fantastic year ahead!
It’s been a pleasure talking with you, and a big honour to be in The Bangin Beats! Thank You!
- HIIO (Ortzy and Nico Hamuy)
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HIIO Beatport
Upcoming Artist: D-wayne
It gives us immense pleasure to be launching a whole new section in which we’ll introduce you to a new, breakthrough, upcoming Producer/DJ and give you a complete in depth overview about him/her.
The first artist we introduce you to via this new category is a young dutch gun, D-wayne!
D-wayne has an exceptional awareness of music and diversity of musical styles. He is able to detect nuances in music that others do not hear and has a very strong feeling for rhythm. At a young age he began exploring various music styles that resulted in the strong preference for house music, which he plays through all its sub-genres.
In winter 2008 he had his first performance at a major event for more than a thousand teenagers at pop venue ‘De Effenaar’ in Eindhoven. Although still considered a ‘rookie’, he demonstrated to everyone the talent and potential that he has. It was obvious that he had developed a high level of musical maturity; the crowd reacted very positively to his DJ style and the numbers he chose to play.
In fall 2009 D-wayne was also able to gain exposure at several 18+ events. Since then he has performed in line-ups of big outdoor festivals in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Also in the summer of 2010 he played at well-known discotheques around Barcelona in Spain during the yearly summer tour of an internationally known Dutch DJ.
The Dutch popular radio station Radio Veronica has invited him to perform live in the studio in Hilversum for their Talent Academy on a number of occasions. He has also created his own show concept called “House music as Art” that is now being produced monthly for several internet radio stations and which is the theme of his periodic performances for his residencies.
D-wayne’s talent and passion for music also let him create music productions that are appealing to a large crowd and he has received contracts from various record labels including the labels of internationally famous deejays. His tracks have been released on imprints such as Afrojack’s label “Wall Recordings” and Steve Aoki’s record label “Dim Mak Records”. A track on that label came out in February 2011 at the Winter Music Conference in Miami and was in the BUZZ Chart top 30 among the thirty most important tracks in the dance industry at that moment. Besides Afrojack and Steve Aoki other A-list deejays also supporting his productions including DJ Tiesto, David Guetta and Armin van Buuren.
He won the national Big Break DJ Contest in 2009 (organized by TMF during In The Talent Mix Room) and D-wayne’s roots and development are now being compared.
Since his first live show in front of a large audience in winter 2008 it is fair to say that D-wayne has gained much respect and popularity in the entertainment circuit. He has residencies for 18+ clubs and is a ‘resident’ DJ for several event organizers.
His sense of what different aged audiences want to hear is highly developed. His ability and technical skills working with the DJ decks are becoming his calling card and he is being respected by an every growing group of fans.
His breadth of talent, marked both by his infectious choice of music and DJ style and also his music productions, have attracted the attention of many in the Netherlands as well as other countries in Europe and parts of the USA. Fellow deejays compliment his talent and many in the business foresee a big future for him on the DJ podium as well as a producer. It has often been said that at the rate he is developing, he will be a force to be reckoned with at the highest levels of the profession.
Here are a few tracks which you could check out by D-wayne himself!
#D-wayne has a sick official remix for the latest Enrique Iglesias ft Sammy Adams single ‘Finally Found You’ which was a straight top 10 hit in the USA last month. This surprisingly badass remix out on Universal Republic since November 27th takes a banging turn in about a minute.
#D-wayne’s remix of the track “One and Only” has come out on San Francisco based label Royal Pop Records on November 13th. The original mix is a project of Martin Kierszenbaum who used the moniker “Cherry Cherry Boom Boom”. Kierszenbaum is the Chairman of Cherrytree Records and Head of International for Interscope-Geffen-A&M. He handled A&R for Lady Gaga’s breakthrough album, The Fame, for which he co-wrote and produced four tracks.
#“REWIND” is out on Belgian label Wooha! and available exclusively for two weeks through Beatport as per November 12th ahead of other music portals. Bursting with energy, its crunching electro and relentless build-ups will get pulses racing as it booms and pounds, sweeping you up into one hell of a thrill ride.
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We also caught up with the man himself for a peak into his mind and how he has developed as an artist. Check out the interview where Dwayne Megens aka D-wayne tell us a bit about himself!
Hey D-wayne! Welcome to Bangin Beats (thebanginbeats.com), it’s a pleasure to be interviewing you!
Q) First up, Tell us your story, How did you get into producing music? What inspired you to take it up as a career?
D-wayne: I started out playing music just for fun, experimenting with Virtual DJ after a teacher at my school got me all excited about DJ’ing. I had always been interested in music and after a lot of practicing I managed to get my first gig in Eindhoven. After my first gigs, promoters told me they were really pleased with my energetic performances and shortly after more and more bookings came in. Yet during all these bookings I played music made by other producers. I felt like producing my own music because I had an idea that it would really give me goosebumps to see people go nuts on my own tracks. The months that followed were filled with producing in my bedroom studio and after a lot of practicing and hard work, I managed to get my first releases out there.
Q) We heard that Afrojack played a major role in helping you establish yourself; tell us about the relationship you share with him?
D-wayne: After sending Afrojack a mail I hoped to get a reply. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get one however, seen as he gets like hundreds of mails a day… Yet, he replied while I was on holiday in Mallorca. His message was that he wanted to sign my track “Distance”, which meant my first signing to a bigger and more professional label. It helped me to get connected with many people in the industry due to the exposure it brought me. Because of the fact Afrojack picked me up, I gained a lot of support from other who advised me every now and then with little tips/tricks. Nowadays he’s really busy so I don’t get to talk to him that much, but when I see him we have a chat and of course he’s the first that receives all my new tracks, just to hear what he thinks about it. It also helps that we both share the same manager.
Q) How has the journey been since ‘De Effenaar’ in Eindhoven, where you first played back in 2008? What would be you’re dream festival to play at?
D-wayne: It’s been quite a ride! After my first gig in De Effenaar in my hometown in Eindhoven, the gigs started piling up and I reached quite some achievements that were really worthy to me. I managed to be the youngest DJ ever on various outdoor-festivals in the Netherlands and I toured the Spanish costa in 2010 and 2011 with a good colleague. I actually feel blessed because this whole hobby thingy of playing music in front of crowds has brought me to beautiful places already and every single time I get on stage and see huge crowds waiting for my performance, I still get goosebumps.
Q) You’ve got supported by Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Tiesto, David Guetta and Armin van Buuren. What’s it like to get appreciated by ace producers like them?
D-wayne: I feel privileged really. When I started producing it was an honor for me already to have them listen to my music, and to have their support is just awesome. It’s also a way for me to check how my music does across the globe and it makes me think about ways to improve myself, because I believe there’s always room for growth. Yet, the support feels like a seal of approval for me, which confirms that I’m on the right track, motivating me to continue.
Q) We hear you have a new track called “Rewind”, which released recently, could you tell us something more about it?
D-wayne: I wanted to do something different with this track and thus I kinda locked myself up in my bedroom studio. I wanted the track to have a lot of energy and after quite a fight I actually ended up having a great result, yet I felt it needed a vocal. I managed to get hold of this awesome vocal shouting “Rewind Selecta”, edited a little and a new track was born. I chose to release it on Wooha records since I have an ever-growing fanbase in Belgium. This came about after my first performances at outdoor festivals there, so I wanted to do something for them. It ended up great and I am really happy with all the support the track has gained so far.
Q) DMC World Magazine added you’re track, “Mirroar” to their ADE Buzz Chart. Did it help you grow as an artist since it showcases the best unsigned and up-and-coming producers that are on show at the festival?
D-wayne: This happened only recently and it has indeed helped me to grow. I had many plays and reactions on the track and the track got signed straight after the chart was published. Just like the support of A-list deejays I feel that entering this ADE Buzz Chart is a way of telling me that I’m on the right path. See it as a sign, a lot more is coming up and I can’t wait to tell you guys what exactly!
Q) Do you reckon Swedes and Dutch producers are forming the cream of the dance music industry currently? How’s it being an upcoming producer in such scheme of things being a Dutch producer yourself?
D-wayne: The Swedish and Dutch producers are indeed doing really good and that’s funny to see! I think it’s great to be an upcoming producer in the Netherlands. Due to the fact that the Netherlands holds so many clubs and other producers and deejays around, I get in touch with a lot of opportunities to showcase myself and this has helped me to grow as an artist. I don’t feel it puts a certain pressure on my shoulders because there are so many dutchies out there doing a great job, I have to come with something really cool in order to get noticed. That really keeps you sharp and competitive. Also, the Dutch crowds are generally really lazy; they aren’t jumping around and going nuts on music like most Americans do (which is positive!). Therefore, if you can get a Dutch crowd moving you are actually quite a good DJ. Every single time you’re being put to the test, and I like that.
Q) Looking back at 2012, How do you feel the years been for you? That said, what does 2013 hold? We hear you have a track coming up with Nicky Romero, anymore releases on the cards?
D-wayne: After 2011 brought me a lot of success with f.e. Distance and “Eponym” (Which was one of the most important tracks of Miami WMC in 2011 by the Buzz Chart) I had steady support by a lot of deejays, including Steve Aoki, Gabriel&Dresden, Armin van Buuren, Dada Life, R3hab and many others. Therefore I wanted to work even harder in 2012 to release more and more and I can tell you, 2012 has been great! I actually feel it has brought me more recognition in the industry and 2013 is the year for myself to extend my network and the support of my own unique sound across the globe. With more international gigs coming up and currently 5 new (signed) tracks around that will be out at the end of 2012 / the beginning of 2013 (and indeed a track on Nicky Romero’s label), 2013 holds a lot more amazing things, which I want to happen straight away, haha. I also feel honored to have my third single release on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak in 2013, as well as releasing a collaboration with Gabriel&Dresden.
Thank you for the interview, we hope to see you in India soon!
D-wayne: Thanks for having me guys!!
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D-wayne Website
D-wayne Twitter
D-wayne Facebook
D-wayne Beatport
D-wayne Soundcloud