That Drummer Guy interviews DJ heavygrinder

DJ Heavygrinder is an American/Japanese DJ and Producer known for her love of Metal and EDM and starting to help create a genre that blends both genres seamlessly. In this interview we discuss her new venture working with Metal For Hire and getting into her and her partner, Neko's background of heavy music!




TDG- So we are here today in part by Metal For Hire. How did you come about joining up with Metal Hire?

H- Our agent Alex at TKO linked us up with Metal for hire and we were very excited to be onboard as they have a great support system for artists and a great team onboard.

TDG- It is a very cool concept and especially with what you bring to table. What are the main services you are offering personally?

H- Most definitely! We are offering production, remixes, mixing and mastering for Bands.

TDG- With your background, it does include love of heavy music. What drew you to heavy music?

H- I went to my first Slayer concert when I was 15. Fell in love with Metal. Really loved the earlier Cradle Of Filth, Emperor, Deicide, Pantera, Cannibal Corpse etc. Those are the bands that first made me fall in love with Heavy Music. My partner Neko had been a huge fan of Metallica, Machine Head, Pantera, Fear Factory etc since he was a kid.

TDG- So it is quite an eclectic taste of music. With the nods to more of the Industrial side of Metal, what do bands such as Emperor and Cannibal Corpse bring you for inspiration in your original music?

H- They are both very visceral and that resonates with our taste very much. We do take some cues from melodic black metal such as Emperor.

TDG- It definitely makes sense in terms of the Melodic Black Metal and the use of Orchestration in terms of their latter material. Did that help you to combine heavier elements into your style?

H- Pretty much all of our sources of inspiration are heavy in one way or another! And so are we ;) So it definitely transpires onto our music.

TDG- It is very apparent when listening to your music with how everything flows together in the right spots. Bringing the heavy aspect with it, is a great touch! You are known for releasing some very popular remixes of songs as well. What make you want to remix classic Metal songs?

H- Part of it is a personal tribute to some of the most legendary songs of all time. And I guess it's also a way of introducing Metal to a new generation who would otherwise perhaps not be exposed to it.

TDG- It is a great way to bring the music to a new generation. Is there any heavy songs in the future that you would like to remix?

H- We are pondering a Metallica and a Lamb of God remix in the near future!

TDG- It would be really cool to hear your spin on both bands. Recently you teamed up with Jon Howard (Threat Signal, Vice Versa), How did that come to fruition?

H- We've been huge fans of Threat Signal so we decided to hit Jon up one day about a possible collaboration and he was down to do it. The rest is history.

TDG- It does feel like a very natural collaboration. His voice fits in right with everything that is going on. Is there any other artists that you would like to collaborate with in the future?

H- There are definitely some names out there that we wish to work with in the future but we'd rather keep that a secret for now. Fingers crossed!

TDG- You are known for crossing genres and making the whole process feel natural. What would you say the best aspects are of adding such an array of styles into your music?

H- I guess that the best aspect is being able to reach a wider demographic. Our fans are just as varied as our style. There's a lot of EDM people, Metalheads etc that follow us. So it's a cycle!

TDG- What are some other EDM artists you feel are pushing the genre into wider territories and making the genre stronger for artists like yourself?

H- The Metal-Electronica crossover is still in it's infancy. But there are some people out there doing great work. We are huge fans of Celldweller and Zardonic.

TDG- Sounds like some cool stuff worth checking out. Going back into your music, what new music is currently in the works?

H- We are working on an EP at the moment.

TDG- What ground will you be covering with the EP?

H- We are considering mixing electro and drum n bass with Metal and Industrial. But you'll have to wait to know more.

TDG- When can fans expect to see a release?

H- Coming this Fall!

TDG- Bringing the conversation back full circle. With working for Metal For Hire, what do you hope can be accomplished with what you bring to the table?

H- We hope to collaborate with some awesome bands out there and help push the Metal genre as a whole further.

TDG- It definitely sounds like you are. Metal is a genre that gets better the more expands and enters new territory. Thank you for taking the time to do this interivew. It's been a complete honor. Before we wrap things up, is there anything you would like to mention, plug, or bring up that I have not brought up yet?

H- We are super excited to be a part of the Metal for Hire family! Thank YOU for taking the time to interview us. It's been such a great pleasure and honor :) We would just like to plug our sound cloud page that is full of remixes and free downloads. www.soundcloud.com/djheavygrinder