Having only made his debut EDM release in early 2022, emerging electronic artist ZHANGYE has already turned the heads of industry leaders Dimitri Vegas and Quintino with his finesse production style and ear for a grooving beat. Now, ZHANGYE has teamed up with vocalist KARRA to deliver his fresh new single ‘Wherever The Wind Blows’ and he stopped by to give us the full scoop on how the track came to be and his early career in dance music so far.

 

Hi ZHANGYE, thanks for joining us. What have you been up to lately? 

I am working on a new song, working with a very talented male artist, it is quite delightful. On the other hand, the EDM scene is revitalising in China, I consider attending some of the festivals selectively this year.  

 

How did you first get into dance music? And which artists influenced you? 

Some random questions once came to me; who were the first human beings that ever sang? Why were they singing?  

I thought about it for quite some time, and actually tried to do research to the find answers. Unfortunately, this happened at least a hundred-thousand years ago so it’s hard to draw any conclusion. However, I did learn something new. Compared to singing, humans actually started dancing first. You could imagine a group of cavemen dancing around a bonfire while making sounds using Stone-age tools as rhythms. Perhaps, dancing and moving along the rhythms is a natural instinct of humans, a basic underlying need to address joy and happiness. In today’s busy world joy is compressed by too many other matters around us, and we receive less and less of it. I think music shoulders the duty to keep joy among us. Dance music preserves that purpose and it got me interested in trying to produce myself. 

  

For any new listeners, how would you describe your sound? 

With a classical music composing background, I pay more attention to the melody I create, focus more on what the music is trying to express. From that perspective, maybe I am not a typical EDM producer.  

 

What’s the inspiration behind your new single ‘Wherever The Wind Blows?’ 

This song was inspired by the ‘uncertainty presented in investment industry,’ it is also related to the majority’s common desire to chase the ‘wind tunnel,’ a phrase commonly used in venture capital which refers to short term, periodic opportunities. What I want to share is that, no matter where the ‘wind tunnel’ is at, we shall all focus on the things we love to do. Believe in the matter itself, and not influenced by the environment. This is the inspiration for the lyrics of the song. 

In the arrangement, in the verse part, there are lows and highs, just like the ups and downs in the wind. The drop part is more like humming a song after figuring it out and moving forward worry-free. 

 

How did you come to collaborate with vocalist KARRA for the single? 

We were introduced by a common friend. She liked the song and I also adore her voice and professionalism. We chimed in with each other easily. 

 

Your debut release was the ‘When I Was Young’ EP which came out earlier in 2022. How did it feel sharing your music with the world for the first time? 

 I was somewhat nervous during the release of the first song, I was monitoring the views and hits of the songs every day. It was obviously very different from music composing. Back then, it was more like scientific research, you care less about the audiences’ preference, more so on if you have had any technical breakthroughs. Now I really hope that people will enjoy my songs.  

 

When you’re not making music or DJing, what do you enjoy doing?  

I enjoy making venture capital investments. It is my career and profession. I like the perspective that this job allows me to view the world.  

 

In a few years, where do you hope to see your music career? Are there any specific goals you hope to achieve? 

I come from the background of classical music composing; I love music dearly.  In time, I would like to answer to my born duty to music, which I often felt to have after studying music for my entire student life. I am grateful for the professor at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory who taught me for 10 years and treated me like his own. To me, the best way to address this duty, is to write more good songs, and be heard and liked by more people in the world.  

 

What are your plans for the rest of 2022? 

Write a few more songs and have the opportunity to work with more talented music professionals.  

 

Download/Stream ‘Wherever The Wind Blows’ from ZHANGYE feat. KARRA: https://orcd.co/whereverthewindblows