Jul 04, 2022
On The Rise: ZEHV
 600 400.jpg)
Today we're joined by American DJ and producer ZEHV, who's found a perfect home for his music on Fehrplay's Mood Of Mind imprint. He joins us to discuss 'Ōkami,' his latest EP on the label, as well as his relationship with Fehrplay and more!
Hey ZEHV, thanks for joining us today! How is your year going so far? What have been some of your favorite moments from 2022 to date?
Hey guys! Thanks for having me, it’s going great. I got to play the Concourse Project in Austin on my birthday back in February this year opening for Paul Woodford. Definitely a big highlight for me! That venue is amazing.
Can you tell us about your style and taste, both in the studio as a producer and when you're DJing?
My taste is pretty eclectic. I grew up listening to lots of classic rock and blues, hip hop, drum n bass. Little bit of everything! In the studio I love exploring and making things that might not be made for a dance floor, but sometimes it sparks ideas I bring to my progressive tracks. I attribute a lot of my production to "happy accidents." When I’m DJing I always gravitate towards fun, emotional, or high energy tracks. I’m a sucker for a good upbeat bouncy progressive track. I do love finding songs with a bit of weirdness too, like sneaking some Red Axes into my sets.
You're back with a brand new EP named Ōkami on Fehrplay's Mood Of Mind imprint. Tell us about the title track – where did the idea come from and how did you take this track to the final track that we hear today?
"Ōkami" started out just with that fun little pluck groove and the bassline. It was spring time last year and I was just inspired by the weather warming up and coming out of winter hibernation. I kind of accidentally found the vocal and the track just came together. There actually used to be a lot more vocal in the track, however after some revisions it ended up sounding better the way it is and luckily Fehrplay picked it up!
Let's dive into the second track on the EP, "It's So Simple." Take us through this one.
Hah, this one always puts a smile on my face. It’s one of those tracks that is hard to grasp until you’re standing in front of some Funktion-One speakers with it dropping. I wanted to try something different and make something a bit closer to techno, so I spent the majority of my time making this song designing that bassline. The vocal comes from an instructional video I found from the 1950s. I love how it turned out, it is a fun one to play.
What does the name "Ōkami" mean? And what do you think made these two tracks a good fit together to release them on one EP?
Ōkami means wolf in Japanese! My name, Zehv, also means wolf, but in Hebrew and it is my birth name in Hebrew. I felt a pretty strong connection to "Ōkami" after I made it and this felt like a good fit. My last EP on Mood of Mind, Stella, featured one very melodic track and one very dark and driving club track. The juxtaposition felt appropriate for this release as well.
Can you talk to us about your relationship with Fehrplay? What makes working with him and Mood Of Mind a good fit for your music?
I fell in love with Fehrplay’s music during his Pryda Friends days. I would go to every show when he was in town and as I started producing we were able to connect after shows and he became a mentor to me as I was learning. I’ve never produced with a specific label in mind, I truly just sit in the studio and have fun with whatever I’m feeling inspired by. Mood Of Mind holds a special meaning to me because of my friendship with Fehrplay over the years and watching his sound evolve, and it felt like a perfect place to release two tracks of mine that were pretty unique as my sound evolves.
Do you have any new tracks in the pipeline that you can tell us about?
I have a few releases planned for the second half of this year! One is a driving progressive track with a fun breakbeat section, and the other is a dark driving progressive tune. Can’t say much more, but I'm excited to share them.
And lastly, as we look ahead, what has you most excited for the summer months and the remainder of this year?
Summertime in NYC is the best! So many great events are happening around here. I’m really looking forward to seeing Guy J for the first time since 2019. He’s one of my favorite artists and supported my music during the pandemic. Other than that, lots more music production!
You can stream or download ZEHV's 'Ōkami' EP on your platform of choice today! moodofmind.com/okamiep
short link 1001.tl/f61tlu
