It isn’t easy making it as an artist, but if you’re a young powerhouse producer from the Netherlands, perhaps you would think differently. While most people his age are putting themselves through college, Oliver Heldens has been placing himself among the ranks of the biggest names in EDM, exceeding many producers in both talent and accolades.
At the age of 17, Oliver Heldens began his professional music career by signing to Spinnin’ Records, gaining favorable glances from long-time pros. The release of his breakout single “Gecko” in 2013 caught the attention of dance music don Tiesto and resulted in chart-topping positions such as the #1 spot in the UK Dance chart, a #2 spot in Beatport’s top 100 and a month-long #1 spot on the Beatport Deep House chart. Following this serious momentum in the EDM sphere, Pete Tong named the track an “Essential New Tune” on his BBC Radio 1 show in January 2014, and its Becky Hill vocal revamp “Gecko (Overdrive)” was featured in the summer festival sets of almost every top DJ in the world. The young producer’s unique future house sound was a refreshing, deeper take on the main stage anthems of the time, and the support from fans and mega producers alike was overwhelming. For Oliver Heldens, this was only the beginning.
Today, the 21-year-old producer holds a roster of accomplishments that never seems to slow down. Just this week he received 4 nominations for the IDMAs and will be playing an exclusive set at the Mixmag Lab in Los Angeles. Alongside high-profile residences at Omnia in Las Vegas and Ushuaïa in Ibiza, Heldens has also played on the main stages of numerous festivals such as Ultra Miami, EDC Vegas, and Tomorrowland, and wrapped up a sold-out UK tour in 2015. With eight Beatport No. 1’s and recent collaborations with Zeds Dead, Shaun Frank, and Tiesto, he continues to conquer the charts with his groovy future house tunes and one can only wonder what else this guy has in store.
Oliver Heldens stands out among the vast field of talent with his tenacity to explore the complexities of electronic music and filter his understanding of sound into a full-blown creative operation. With the launch of Heldeep Records, and his own weekly SiriusXM radio show Heldeep Radio, he has yet again positioned himself as an EDM tastemaker. His label’s first single “Renegade Mastah” comes courtesy of his formerly anonymous moniker HI-LO, a new project showcasing his even deeper, techier side. Follow-up label singles from names like Chocolate Puma and Tommie Sunshine further prove that Heldens’ ability to curate the sounds of tomorrow is unmatched. What Oliver Heldens has accomplished in just the past three years is monumental, and when coupled with his drive to reform and bring out a new face to house music, you can expect this guru’s impeccable style to be on full display this upcoming year and beyond.
Catch Oliver Heldens live on his North American bus tour and buy tickets here.
