feeder insider w/ H.E.R.
When she’s not voraciously crate-digging, H.E.R. shares her musical findings to crowds in London, Ibiza and, more recently, Bușteni and Bucharest, spreading good vibes and dance fever with an easy-goingness fit for a veteran more than a greenhorn. Still tender in her twenties, H.E.R. packs groove, vocal samples and deep basslines in her productions, creating that nice twist in her already signature style. Today, she talks about her fortuitous conversion to vinyl, her admiration for the Romanian scene and, of course, pancakes. Enjoy!
keywords: fusion, goldies, wax, sampling
Curly hair… with blue eyes and usually a hat! I do love a hat haha.
I always make time for… record shopping.
My favourite record store… currently, Misbits, in Bucharest, Romania. I’ve literally spent hours, and all my money in there every time I’ve been to Bucharest.
If I could be a character in a book or film, I’d be… Harry Potter, the things he gets up to are crazy!
A random thought… mmmm, pancakes…
No party feels complete without… a wicked intimate afters with only turntables, candles and very comfy sofas!
A place in London where I like hanging out… the record shops haha.
One thing I could eat every day… salmon, bloody love the stuff!
10 years from now… I’ll have the best record collection EVER, in my own shop. Oh and really long hair (hopefully).
3 records I’d love to add to my collection…
Fugees’s – The Score
This track that Herodot always drops but I don’t know the name! Don’t worry, I’ll find it!
I can’t name one more, there’s too many!
Violeta Năzare: Hello, H.E.R.! It’s great to be having such a young and gifted lady join us on the insider series, and with a passion for vinyl to boot. How long have you been spinning records and what sparked this drive to play music?
H.E.R.: I’ve been playing records for about a year and a bit now, properly. Having always loved music I have collected the odd vinyl here and there for many years but they were just collectibles really. The main thing that pushed me over to the turntables is at the end of the Ibiza season in 2014 I had trouble getting all of my equipment back over to the UK, including my CDJs. Which left me with no choice but to dust off the turntables I brought but never used and there I went, I’ve been addicted ever since.
V.N.: Thank you for the wonderful mix – feeder sound 72 has all the ingredients for a tonic break in musical routine. How do you get in the mood before tackling a new set or playing in front of a crowd?
H.E.R.: I rarely get nervous because I’m always so eager to jump on, haha! Actually I really do love to play out to a crowd especially when they are up for it. Their cheers and enthusiasm pours from them into me whilst I play, it’s like petrol keeping me going!
V.N.: About a year ago you went into production. What gear did you use to bring your ideas to life and what other pieces of equipment would you like to experiment with?
H.E.R.: I think it’s been a couple of years now since I started producing, but I learnt with nothing but Ableton, a computer, a mouse, and a lot of samples and plugins to play around with. I’ve recently made the decision to take a new journey into the world of Logic to broaden my horizons, the programme seems awesome and I’m looking forward to being able to collaborate with anyone, not just Ableton users.
V.N.: Should we expect any new releases soon?
H.E.R.: Yes. Soon. Haha. 😉
V.N.: I really like how you integrate samples in your tracks and play around with vocal bits, where do you look for inspiration?
H.E.R.: Thanks! I’m a huge lover of Classical, Jazz, Orchestra, piano music, things like that.
It’s great being a vinyl collector because you can even go record shopping in charity shops and find hidden gems that are a million miles away from techno.
V.N.: It seems that vinyl is making quite a comeback worldwide, with record stores popping up in more and more cities and even new pressing plants being opened. What do you think caused this revival and where do you see it going?
H.E.R.: To be honest, I don’t know what’s caused the revival, or why it’s coming back about so much more than when I started DJ-ing, but I love it! Really, I love it. It’s amazing.
I love the whole idea of somebody writing a bit of music and making the effort to press it onto a vinyl for it to be stocked in record stores worldwide. Then someone like little old me goes digging and comes out with treasure.
Every country I go to, I always go record shopping when possible, and it intrigues me to see what different sounds I find there. It’s also super important to me to support artists for doing something I admire and what better way to do it than buy his or her record. It’s oldskool, just the type of skool I like!
V.N.: Having played at Villa Takeovers and Inside Bar, you caught a glimpse of the Romanian undergound club scene – what did you think of it? Is there anything that struck you as different compared to your other gigs?
H.E.R.: Haha, were do I start?
The biggest difference is the length of the parties in Romania, minimum 24 hours I’ve noticed. Maximum 5 days! It’s crazy. You can’t doubt the passion that the people have for the underground there.
Obviously people from anywhere in the world love music and have a huge passion for it, but I’ve been at a 3-day party in Bucharest, gone home for a nap, shower, a coffee and some food then returned to the club only to find the same people on the same dancefloor listening to the same DJ, having it just as much as they were when I left. That’s dedication, and that’s the difference. Apart from that, the music is the best! (Arguably of course!)
V.N.: And after DENEUITAT, what’s next on the agenda?
H.E.R.: I’ve been back and forth since November with bookings in Romania, it’s been pretty crazy. After DENEUITAT I have a lot of gigs in London, so it’s time to let the London gang hear my record bag for a bit!
V.N.: In its 12 years online, feeder has served as a platform for promoting established artists as well as a springboard for new talent. What’s your favourite section of the website? Did you fancy any article in particular?
H.E.R.: Favourite section, it’s hard to say, it’s a pretty sick website. I like the insider interviews and the polls. I always check out the EP reviews too.
V.N.: It’s been great talking to you! One last question though: what was playing in Ibiza like?
H.E.R.: Really great talking with you! Playing in Ibiza… would ‘naughty’ be the right word? Haha!
Words: Violeta Năzare
Photos: H.E.R. & URS
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