There is a rare fierceness in HELENA’s eyes that conveys her love for her work, and it isn’t going unnoticed. In the upward trend of female DJs in the mainstream dance movement, HELENA is making noise. With a sound that combines the EDM punch of Knife Party and Trance-contagiousness of Paul Oakenfold, HELENA is attracting attention globally. After being the first female asked to perform at Miami’s Ultra music festival in 2013, the popular producer has skyrocketed in popularity, earning a residence at one of Vegas’s top nightclubs, before going on tour around the world. Now Z!NK has gotten a chance to catch up with the star:
Q: You’re one of the few female DJs big on the scene right now. Was it difficult to make it to this point?
A: It has been difficult to make it to this point. I have been working solid, building and battling my way through for years to get this far. I have put so much into my music and work, even moving continents twice to chase the dream. It has certainly not been an easy ride by any means — I have had a lot of ups and downs. I still have a way to go, but I finally feel like I am on the path. It’s an exciting time.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge producing?
A: I think nailing my ‘sound’ (seeing as my sets are so varied), I battle with myself in the studio on which way to go. I love playing tough but I am also a big fan of the melodic house stuff. My biggest challenge has been to find the most suitable direction musically. I have come to the conclusion to stop fighting it and to just make music I love. No matter whether it turns out to be a smashing big room monster. Or a groovy house track. There are no rules saying you must stick to the one sound.
Q: Would you consider yourself a part of the general EDM movement, or do you strive for a specific sub-genre i.e. house or trance?
A: I would consider myself part of the general EDM Movement. My sound is big room and I am a part of the circuit of the DJs and nights generally associated with EDM. I hate tags though. The word EDM is all dance music at the end of the day and the less specific and genre focus we are about it the bigger and more varied the market will be for all of us.
Q: What has been your most memorable performance and why?
A: Tomorrowland was most memorable, as that was my dream festival to play. I was beyond stoked to make it onto the line up this year. it was so special for me. Hopefully i’ll be back again next year on main stage!
Q: You were born in the UK, one of the world’s best breeding spots for DJs. Did the scene inspire the way you produce music? How?
A: The UK is what triggered my love of music, deejaying and the scene. Growing up in the UK, it was the only real culture I knew. I was surrounded by it for as far back as I can remember. My brother was a DJ and all my friends were DJs. I was obsessed by the music, the clubs and the scene. There was no doubt I was going to be working in music in some form. It was my life.
Q: Did you always know you wanted to deejay?
A: I didn’t always know I wanted to be a professional DJ. I started out by running club nights, and deejaying on the side purely for fun. I didn’t think I would actually end up making it my profession — it happened so naturally. My passion became more serious and took over my life, which I feel very blessed about. To be doing something you truly love as a career is rare, and I feel very lucky I was actually able to make something of it.
Q: Who are your biggest musical influences?
A: I can’t say I have one musical influence. I take inspiration from various artists for different reasons: Steve Angello, Dannic, Tiesto, Bassjackers, W&W, Showtek, Kryder, Tom Staar, Thomas Gold, Calvin Harris, Ummet Ozcan are all some of my influences.
Q: What would be your dream music collaboration?
A: A collaboration with Tiesto would be pretty cool. Maybe I’ll send my next track to him see if he wants to collab on it!
Listen to her Soundcloud here, or learn more at DJHelena.com. ALINA HEIM
