LyonHart

Origin: None

Highly influenced by the captivating sounds as well as the composition of Film Scores and the euphoric sounds of Trance Music, this twenty year old producer/DJ from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, LyonHart, offers something new and exciting by projecting sounds that may deem familiar in the most unfamiliar ways.

As an artist, LyonHart has the Trance genre as his weapon of choice: “Trance isn’t just something I listen to and produce. It is something I will perpetually breathe, live and have a passion for. Trance isn’t biased. Trance isn’t pretentious. Trance is love and it’s that exact same love I want to share with the world and express through my music. I want to do something to the Trance sound that has yet to be done.”

Being recognized for his eclectic and eccentric remixes for artists such as Linkin Park, Serj Tankian, IAMEVE, MNDR, BT and more, LyonHart shows promise in the EDM community by showing that not only is he limitless in genre, but limitless in creativity as well, making all his upcoming productions highly anticipated.

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I began making music at the age of 16. I had gotten into electronic dance music (religiously) around 12/13 years old-specifically hardstyle. It was the first genre I had ever heard that was related to dance music. At a time when all I did was listen to metal. It was the perfect transition because hardstyle delivered that same dark, intense, adrenaline induced atmosphere that metal is known for. I watched video after video on YouTube of festivals such as Decibel, Sensation Black, Qlimax, Qontinent, and other Q-Dance events. Watching artists such as Technoboy, Headhunterz, Showtek, Luna, Pavo, Alpha Twins and Tatanka just rip it up. Since then I had ventured out to other styles of dance music. I also found a new love not too long after: trance. This overwhelming feeling of emotion and beauty was exactly what spoke to me. I remember watching Tiesto’s Elements of Life in Copenhagen DVD and after it was all over I realized right there and then, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Be able to play sets that are emotive and connect with others. I want others to feel the same feeling and just view life in a positive matter as trance has helped me so much through the years. Trance isn’t just something I listen to and produce. It is something I will perpetually breathe, live and have a passion for. I want to be able to give back to that community. That’s all that I want. To love, to give and to inspire. Music is love and love is music. Whenever my life isn’t surrounded by music, I’m usually playing/reading up on video games, watching movies, or studying things recreationally like psychology, sociology, and epistemology. I like to immerse myself in things that give me a sense of escape in an artistic way. This includes photography, paintings, among other creative outlets. I’m not much for roller coasters and mountain hikes, as other people are when they want to have fun and escape. I need things that perpetually inspire to be a part of my life. That is my fuel.

 

Interview

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Home Town: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Currently Living: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Origin Of Name: I remember just sitting down one day and about 10 minutes in, LyonHart popped into my head. I didn’t really question it. That’s what the universe gave me and it just felt right. I didn’t want to use my name, and I wanted to embrace an alias or alter ego that would represent my creative side, similar to a superhero.
Weapon of Choice: Trance with an orchestral influence and a dark aggressive tone.
Source of Power: BT, Serj Tankian, Akira Yamaoka, Films and video games.

Was there one particular moment in the recording or mixing process for your Discovery Project entry that made you feel like you were creating something pretty damn special?
All my tracks hold a special place in my heart. I spend a good amount of time on my tracks and am a bit of a perfectionist, so every track is of equal value to me. If a track were to mean more to me than usual, it would have to have derived from something I experienced prior to the track.

Are there any dots to connect with where/how you grew up to your musical output?
Music has always been a big part of my life (I know that sounds extremely cliché but I think it’s safe to say that’s the case with most musicians). I remember being in a choir when I was a child. Everyday when I would head to school and head back home I’d ask for the radio to be turned on and would always sing along to whatever was playing. As I grew older and began to be exposed to different genres, I couldn’t help but try to explore as much as possible. There are so many different sounds, each with their own feeling depending on the instrument, that intrigue me.

What do your parents think of what you are doing?
They’re supportive. They don’t quite understand the music, and honestly I don’t blame them. Not every musical style is for everyone, but they are supportive.

What’s the biggest misconception about being a DJ?
I think a misconception is how “easy” it is. If you don’t know shit about music, you won’t know shit about playing a good set.

What is your ultimate career dream?
I’d love to score, and do soundtracks for, films and video games. I’d also like to create an album working with artists I admire that aren’t in the realm of dance music. I have all this crazy stuff planned in my head about trance/metal/symphonic side projects that would all be performed live. The dream is really just to make some of the best music I can possibly make. Awards don’t mean anything to me. Grammys? I’ll pass. It’s just a piece of metal with your name on it. I don’t need that as a source of recognition that I’ve done well. Getting on stage night after night and seeing people with a smile on their face and them leaving the venue thinking it was amazing or the best night of their life is a reward in itself. That means more to me than any trophy will ever do.

Are you impulsive with your work or do you have a sketch in mind before you start?
It goes both ways. When I’m working on originals it’s about half and half. When I’m working on remixes, however, I study the original track for a while; write down notes, and layout a melody, tone, and atmosphere in my head. I tend to work on my music in sections, and once I’m done I just piece them together.

How, if at all, does listening to music figure into your creative process?
It has a gigantic influence. If I’m listening to a certain genre for a lengthy period, the next track I work on will have massive inspiration from that, and elements deriving from it. I remember during the earlier part of 2012 I was delving into the Spanish side of music and the track that followed during that venture was a Latin trance hybrid called “Aqui Contigo” with flamenco guitars in the builds. It was nuts.

What’s the most important piece of gear in your studio and why?
I think a lot of people forget to mention their mouse. Can’t do a damn thing without it. Unless you have a touchscreen monitor, then more power to you.

How important is it for you to experiment and take on the risk of failure?
It’s very important. Experimenting gives me a chance to learn new techniques that I can use in the future—even if the genre traditionally doesn’t use or accept it. It makes for exciting new music and development of sound.

Do you have a list of people you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
There are a lot of people in the rock and metal community that I would love to work with. Amy Lee from Evanescence is one of them. I think her voice would go beautiful with a nice orchestral trance piece. I’d also love to work with Serj Tankian, though I don’t know if I could handle it. He has such a great sense of sound and musicianship and is so open minded when it comes to music. I love his eccentricity.

If we pressed Shuffle on your iPod while you went to the bathroom, what would you be embarrassed to come back to us listening to?
Honestly, I wouldn’t be embarrassed about anything. I have a legitimate reason why everything is on there—even things that would make you go “you listen to this?” I got stuff from Tony Bennett to Frédéric Chopin to As I Lay Dying to Eminem to Adele and Katy Perry. Genre doesn’t really mean a damn thing to me. Sure, I prefer some over others, but as long as the song is composed beautifully and isn’t some shit that sounded like it was put together in five minutes, I couldn’t care less what genre it is. If it’s good, it’s good.

What sound or noise do you love?
Nails on a chalkboard tend to get me off.

When you look at electronic music and the surrounding culture, what worries you about the future?
Electronic music needs to be looked at as a form of music, just like any other thing that emits harmonious sounds. These “artists” need to start treating this scene with respect and actually go for some fucking melody and passion in their music. I’m tired of all these songs sounding like they just selected some note and ran with it. “We’re working in A today. Cool bro.” *holds A key down for five minutes* “Yo I think we really got something here.” Not just them but all these, “Where’s the drop brah?!” fucks walking around claiming they’re a fan of the music. You want a proper drop? Listen to some heavy fucking metal. That shit will blow your mind. I’m here for climaxes, emotional journeys and escape.

What are your weaknesses?
Good weaknesses: Animals. I love animals. Cats especially. I’ll stop everything I’m doing just to spend some time with them. Bad weaknesses: Tomato fruits. Get that shit out of my face.

How would you describe your sound to a deaf person?
(✌ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞

What advice would you offer someone thinking about entering the Discovery Project competition?
Give it all you got and give them a reason to consider you. Show them your worth and why you deserve a shot. Your passion needs to exude from your productions and mixes.

What’s the hardest professional lesson you’ve learned thus far?
Be the absolute best you can in whatever craft you commit to. Study as much as possible and always be curious. Curiosity will introduce a lot of new things. You’d be surprised how every thing you encounter will affect you in some way shape or form. It may not be right away, but it’ll show eventually.

Any final words?
I really, really hate Call of Duty and all the brainwashed fan boys with it.

Winning Track:

 

Winning Mix:

 

Soundcloud:

 

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