Hellove is an Estonian electronic dance music producer based in Los Angeles. Since 2020, he has released a set of unique songs that combine electronics with dance. Initial tracks, such as 'Lie' featuring Trove and 'I Got You' featuring Gloria Kim, marked his first slew of singles, which eventually led to the full-fledged 'Off The Edge' song and campaign with Zack Gray. Over 36k streams have been combined across all platforms for their joint effort, setting an exciting precedent for what's to come with their official music video.
THE INTERVIEW
CR: Hello Hellove and Zack Gray. Glad to have you on Canadianravers, how are you guys doing?
Z: doing great, can’t complain. Thanks for asking.
I: am doing great, thank you for asking! Loving the hot summer weather in Estonia, going on lots of adventures and making awesome music. What else there is to want?
CR: This is for Hellove, where did the name Hellove come from? Any story behind that?
I: It’s a funny story actually. I was searching for a name for a while. Then my songwriter/best friend Claus came up with the name Hellove. I immediately loved it! It perfectly described the emotion our tracks convey. Both the good and bad(hell & love). But the funny part was that it was actually his character name in Runescape, the MMORPG, hah! I was already sold on the idea. Makes a good story tho!
CR: What approach did you and your team take when creating such an emotionally charged track?
Z: When Igor and I originally spoke about the track we knew we wanted it to be about mental health.
I: It was a hot summer day in July last year when we stumbled upon this emotion. We immediately knew that the instrumental had a very dark meaning to it. When we sent it to Zack we both knew that this emotion would describe the hardships we have had in our lives…. And so it became to be.
CR: Since the track is so emotional and the video even more so, how long did it take to come up with the concept for the video?
Z: Traiana Nescheva and Ryan Galvan, my amazing director/cinematography team came up with the concept in about a week or two. I have worked with them many times before and they always do a great job. I knew I was working with people I trusted, so It made the process a lot easier.
I: Traiana the director who has worked with Zack previously caught our vision for the track perfectly. The movies Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan were as reference points. I guess it was about two Zoom calls when we had it all on paper. Really glad about how it came out!
CR: Producing is obviously your talent. Were you guys always passionate about it growing up or did that just come to you more recently?
Z: Igor and Claus did most of the production on this record. But since I started producing 10 years ago, I have fallen in love with it.
I: I started my musical journey as a guitarist. In the beginning, I was just recording my stuff and slowly adding other elements/instruments like drums, piano etc. I had to start producing to listen to my own music. At some point, I replaced my guitar practice with learning production techniques on my computer.
CR: I have a question for both of you, who helped you get over your depression? Was it a person or was it an event?
Z: Myself, my Dreams, my faith in God and my Purpose have always gotten me over any depression.
I: Friends and Family were key to the process. I didn’t have a strong connection to myself, so connecting with other people was vital. But I started seeing a lot of stuff on the internet about mental health, that was what hit the lightbulb for me.
CR: Is it important for producers/DJs in the music industry to talk more about mental health considering it is a major factor in their lives?
Z: Yes
I: I think everyone should be more aware of their mental health. It’s okay to feel down sometimes and ask a friend for help. It’s just when people keep their feelings bottled up for too long, that’s when things take a toll.
CR: Where do you guys see the campaign 'off the edge' taking you all individually as well as a team?
Z: I hope to use it as a tool and possibly interview/podcast series to interview other artists to talk about their stories with dealing with mental health issues.
I: I think most importantly the campaign showed us how we can deal with our personal struggles and how we can turn it from art into a movement. I always love seeing a much deeper meaning behind creativity.
CR: As a DJ/Producer, who has been the biggest supporter of your career?
Z: My mom
I: A bit cliché but it has to be my mother. Wouldn’t have gotten my first guitar without her.
CR: This question is for every DJ/Producer we interview, what is the one must-have item on your rider in the green room?
Z: Claws for the boys!!! (White claws if you were lost) Lol, actually haven’t thought about that too much recently with shows just coming back but I’d say high-quality water I guess at the moment. I need to think about that more! Hah!
I: I think an awesome gin and tonic cocktail would do the trick!
CR: As things are starting to open again, are there any projects that our followers should know about that you are working on?
Z: I’m personally gonna be coming out with more solo / EDM-based music in addition to my more recent vocal work. I’m starting to perform as a DJ as well so I’m very excited about that!
I: I’ve recently started working on a lot of house tracks… so stay tuned for the sunset sets to come!
Lighting Round
IGOR (HELLOVE)
Texting or talking? Talking
Coffee or tea? uuuh, tough one! Coffee!
Hard liquor or Beer? Gin & Tonic!
Cake or pie? Cake
Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers.
Xbox or PlayStation? Def Xbox!
Movie theatre or arcade? Movie Theatre
Guitar or piano? The guitar!
Marvel or DC Comics? Damn… Loved The Joker… So DC!
Dog or cat? Love both but would take a cat.
Hot weather or cold weather? Hot weather ofc!
Outdoor or indoor events? Outdoor.
ZACK
Texting or talking? Talking
Coffee or tea? COFFEE
Hard liquor or Beer? HL
Cake or pie? Ice cream cake
Hot dogs or hamburgers? Burgers
Xbox or PlayStation? Xbox
Movie theatre or arcade? Movie
Guitar or piano? Piano
Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel
Dog or cat? Cat
Hot weather or cold weather? Hot
Outdoor or indoor events? Indoor
CONNECT WITH HELLOVE
CONNECT WITH ZACK GRAY