Just weeks after making his debut on Tommy Boy Records with his remix of ‘Go’, US teen producer H3nry Thr!ll is back again with new single ‘Down’, out today on Spotify and YouTube.
Bristling with bass from the second the needle drops, ‘Down’ is a confident production from 17-year-old Thr!ll and a clear sign of things to come as his sound starts to cement itself. Swinging rhythms in the lower parts of the track loiter with intent, jostling up to rolling, percussive licks and trap-style synths. Halfway through ‘Down’ Thr!ll slips in a momentary change of pace, just the right amount to give the track an added air of youthful swagger.
Listen to ‘Down’ on Spotify!
Thr!ll is beginning to make an impact on the global circuit with some of the planet’s biggest stars showing support; his tracks have found their way through to the likes of Alesso, Don Diablo, Oliver Heldens, Zonderling, Blasterjaxx, DJ Scratch and the Italian Allstars. Promising more new original productions over the coming months, this exciting young producer is definitely one for dance music fans to keep an eye – and both ears – on.
Exclusive Interview
Tell us about that first track that put you on the map in the electronic scene and the journey since. How did you get started?
When I was first starting out, I was using GarageBand and I was just making real basic music and putting it on SoundCloud. I kept doing this for a couple years until I got FL Studio and everything changed. FL Studio opened my eyes to whole new set of “what’s possible” with music, and it enabled me to explore and evolve my music in dramatic ways. About a year ago, I started to find my signature sound, and that’s when my music hit a different level. This really helped give me confidence that I might be able to make this a career for myself. I’m still learning and exploring, but the journey is exciting.
What single night out has been the most memorable for you as a DJ and producer?
It definitely has to be my track “How Does It Feel”. It was my first track to cross 50,000 streams on Spotify and it got support from big DJs like Zonderling. This track is a bit different from my prior releases, and it was a fun experience releasing a new type of song and seeing such positive reactions from listeners.
Tell us about your latest release?
My latest release is called “Down”. It is a very high energy track and a great reflection of the H3nry Thr!ll sound. The sound design in the drop and the melodic break really gives it that certain Thr!ll vibe. It’s going to make people want to dance.
How do you get a track started? Tell us a bit about your production process. How long does it take you to complete a track on average and do you ever get writer’s block?
When I start a track, I always start with the 808, bass and drums and just layer and layer. For me, if the bass and drums don’t knock the right way then I am just not inspired to continue working. And I don’t feel like I have a production process after those first elements – it is a bit different song by song – sometimes I will then work on a lead after or I will make a rough outline for the break to give the entire song a layout before I start working. All this happens fairly quickly though. I complete most tracks in under 10 hours. And, yes, I get writers’ block and it is an awful feeling. To overcome it, I either just change genres altogether and make something out of my wheelhouse, or I just commit to pushing through and finishing a track knowing that it won’t be one that’ll see the light of day – but those two approaches help me more quickly get past the blocks.
The relationship between the audience and the DJ is crucial, and yet it seems to be a fragile one – how do you see the balance between giving the crowd what they want and treating them to something new?
I think it’s all about being able to read a crowd and how they react with different types of music. The way I like to introduce something new is by mixing it with a song that everyone knows the words to. This helps to just be able to play something that the crowd might not be expecting but still giving some refreshment to it.
H3NRY THR!LL
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