We had the distinctive pleasure of sitting down with Henry Land, a resident of Norway and a breakthrough producer/dj that I HIGHLY recommend you check out. Below you’ll find his single “Runaway” and our interview! Enjoy 😉
– First, would you mind giving our readers a little background on how you got started producing music?
Around 8 years ago, a buddy and i downloaded FL Studio and had a challange about making the coolest track in 1 week. I was instantly hooked and amazed by all the possibillities. Before i started to produce, i played the trumpet for around eight years. For me that was the main introduction to music. I learned so much from doing that, but i guess composing gave me alot more than just playing an instrument.
– You mostly began with remixes, was there a specific draw to remixing tracks over producing originals?
Remixing was great for practising composing and mixing skills. The topline and vocal was allready made, making more time available for producing. It also gained alot of attention on Soundcloud and social media, so it was a big win-win situation. When i started out, I didn’t have any connections in the music business at all, making it hard to work with great vocalists. Remixing other peoples tracks gave me the opportunity to work with amazing vocals.
– Now that we have your first original track, “Runaway” are we going to see plenty more?
The last half year, my main focus have been on making original music, and i have alot of sketches!! The trick is to find the right vocalist for the right beat, and write the right lyrics for the song. It takes alot of time, but it´s a really amazing feeling when everything is sorted out! So yes! More originals are in the making!
– What was the process like for you producing “Runaway” instead of a remix?
With Runaway, i started to produce the beat, but too see if the beat had any potentional as an original, i actually layered different acapellas over it. Around 7 different acapellas fitted very well with it, and they also boosted the creativity process, making it easier to produce a raw sketch. When i had a sketch for it, i got in the studio with ODA and the recording engineer Leif Inge, and we started to work out the topline and lyrics together. After recording the vocals, I made the song out of all the raw material.
– Who would you say some of your biggest influences are?
Alesso, David Guetta, Avicii, Matoma, Kygo, Chris Lake, SNBRN & Max Martin
– 2016 is about halfway over, do you have any other big plans for this year?
I´m planning to go to some festivals this summer too see my idols play!
– What advice would you give to aspiring Djs/producers?
There´s no shortcuts when it comes to mixing, no magic masterchains, it all lays in balancing the individual tracks right(eq, compression, volume, ffx etc) and arrangement. Fuck genres, produce in the style that fits you best at any given time. Play around with stuff and experiment! Nobody knows what the next big thing is. Music is very subjective, so listen to what others have to say, constructive critizism, but the way YOU feel about the result should matter the most.
– Outside of the studio, what could we find you doing to take a break from music?
Going to the gym is perfect! After all the hours sitting in a chair, bent forward in a crooked position, i need to exersice. Hanging out with friends, watching tv series is also great for clearing the mind.
-Any final thoughts?
Thank you so much for this interview!! Super excited that you wanted to write about my song!
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