Electronic Dance Music hasn’t been the same since Different Heaven came on the scene. Effortlessly producing dance floor bangers with fun and grace, Different Heaven is one of the most talented artists out there. The pure formality and compositional qualities in his creations are the stuff that dreams are made of. With hundreds of millions of views on YouTube and collaborations with names like Alan Walker and The Chainsmokers, Different Heaven doesn’t limit his work to music. A collaborator and champion in the video gaming community, specifically with the game Fortnite, Different Heaven is a dynamo and one of the most successful professional gamers managing to build a bridge between the Electronic Dance Music and gaming communities. I had the pleasure of interviewing Different Heaven before the release of his new EP Colors and here’s how it turned out.
Hello, it’s RiMo here from Fresh Music Freaks. I’m here speaking with music producer, DJ, and gamer Different Heaven. How are you doing today?
Hey! Really good! Very excited for this interview 🙂
Your collaborations and accomplishments in the music and gaming world are impressive. Please tell me about your music set up and gear and how you integrate your gaming gear?
To be honest, I do not have expensive, big gear. I have a nice PC, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, and speakers; all of that wouldn’t surpass €500 for each one. Actually, the software is the key. Since the very beginning of my musical career, I started using FL Studio and I use plugins like Nexus, Avenger, Serum, Izotope Ozone 8, T-RackS, and the default FL Studio plugins. Concerning my gaming gear, with my keyboard, my mouse, and a 144Hz monitor I can perfectly complete.
You have taken a lead in showing how important music is to the gaming community. How did you become interested in music?
When I was six years old my sister bought a PC. She installed videogames in it, and I spent my early years (from six to 15/16) playing videogames. I became interested in music thanks to videogame OSTs; for me, they sounded incredibly well. Later on, when I was around 15 years old (also when I became more interested in music) I started to focus more on electronic music. I listened to artists like Cascada and some other producers from my area, that’s how I fell in love with electronic music. Also, concerning the relationship between videogames and music, when it comes to produce music and to play videogames, I feel as if I were involved in the same process. All I have to do is to press the specific keys to obtain the best, perfect result. In this respect, electronic music is quite similar to videogames. I just needed to extrapolate my gaming skills, since I’ve never been familiarized with musical theory, and apply the trial-and-error method. If you invest the required effort and energies, you can create music even though you initially may not manage the abstract concepts related to musical theory.
How would you describe your music?
I would say that it is quite playful and energetic, I try to encapsulate all my imagination and effort in the creation of tunes that contain positive emotions and strength.
I love your tutorials/music creation videos on Twitch. You maintain a relationship with the platform with music, and fans get to see how amazing your music creation process is. How and when did you decide to start sharing this with the world?
Since the very beginning of my musical career, I’ve always been asked how I created some sounds, my melodies, how I mixed, how I mastered them, etc. I thought that the best way to share that knowledge was to do it live. When I decided to proceed, YouTube still did not offer streaming services nor platforms, so I recorded a pair of videos. However, it didn’t work as planned, since people still had doubts and commentaries that I would have loved to answer at that moment. Then, I discovered Twitch and it seemed to me to be a perfect platform to share that knowledge with the rest of the world. Also, if someday somebody has any doubt about any specific aspect, I’ll gladly answer their questions.
Can you please tell me about your label Galaxic Music? (I do watch gaming walkthroughs and I recall a few years ago the panic that spread throughout that community wondering what would happen to their work already online that contained music. Many streamers/performers were even wondering if they could still do walkthroughs and tutorials.)
Galaxic is a project I started so that people could use songs in their videos for free and without problems. I think it’s something necessary and that would be good on one hand because the content creators would be able to use that music, and, on the other hand, because such music would reach more people, opening up the possibility of discovering new artists as well. That’s how Galaxic Music was born, indeed a project in which I’ve put great enthusiasm. I believe that this kind of move is necessary for our current music industry.
Please tell me about “All We Are” featuring Rachel West? How did the creation of that song come about?
I go to L.A. quite often so as to meet artists at the Ultra Music studios. “All We Are” was born in a day like that. Rachel West came into the studio, and I instantly felt good vibes; I couldn’t wait to produce the song. It simply was as if we knew each other from a long time ago, we were so comfortable, that’s how the song was originated, thanks to those good vibes. I started an idea with the piano so that Rachel could compose something on it, and once she had the vocals and the concept of the song ready, I could start working on the production. It took us around six hours at the studio, then I would spend two more hours perfecting it.
You are a gifted producer who can create appealing bangers that are relatable and playable. What was your inspiration for the “History of Us”?
“History of Us” is a song that talks about the dark side of love. We all have been told that love is a permanently satisfying, perfect, idyllic feeling, but there are a few instances in which we are told about the end of a love story (for whatever reason), and how the two members of the couple end up as complete strangers. I felt that “History of Us” had to show some sad mood, but at the same time, an energetic, hopeful facet. That’s why I composed the melody and the production that way. When Sophie Simons listened to it, she incorporated the shape that the song should have. The design of the cover illustrates the goddess Amora, who belongs to the Different Heaven Lore. She fell in love with a human, but a god, feeling jealous before an unrequited love from Amora’s part, killed that human. Thus, Amora grew so sad that she would cry ad aeternum. That’s the reason why the flowers on her hair shine, making a reference to the idyllic love, whereas the teardrops, although they also shine, allude to the miserable fate she has to face after her beloved’s death.
The composition of your songs is extraordinary. How was your experience creating “Strangers” featuring Roseanna Brown?
During the creation of “Strangers”, it was like a game. One day I received an e-mail from Ultra Music with some of Rosa Brown’s vocals attached in it. I immediately fell in love with those. It was as simple as opening FL Studio, opening the vocals, and start composing on them. All the melodies were originated almost automatically, the process was so fluent and natural. Two days after the beginning of the production, the song was just finished.
How significant is the collaborative process in your work and would you recommend collaboration to other artists?
The collaborative process was so important, even necessary. It is funnier and more creative to build up a new song with several people. The ideas that two, three, four people can contribute can be quite interesting, the creative process improves drastically. One day, a singer can come and bring an idea and we can start working right away, or vice versa, that’s why I would say it’s so relevant in this type of songs actually. The combination of diverse thoughts, insightful comments, or out-of-the-blue epiphanies make possible the creation of songs that under other circumstances wouldn’t be possible.
With such an amazing 2019, what are you looking forward to in 2020?
During this year, I hope to release many more songs, and I expect to perform live more frequently since I’ve spent a lot of time making music and I feel that the time has come to get into some action!
Thank you, Different Heaven, for speaking with us.
Check out Different Heaven’s “Lost” from his upcoming EP “Colors” being released on March 13, 2020.
Different Heaven: Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud | Twitch
*Featured Image of Different Heaven Via Artist PR*
