| Interview with Elsa Hill ( 12.02.2007 - 20:10 GMT UTC )
1. For the people that might be unaware, tell them who you are and what you do.
Elsa Hill: I am Elsa Hill, a vocalist, producer, remixer and DJ. Some might recognize my voice on “Close Your Eyes” with Robert Nickson, and “No Need to Come Back” with Leon Bolier (Bo-leer). Earlier last year, Leon Bolier and I were featured on Armin van Buuren’s highly respected compilation, A State of Trance 2006, which was a great surprise for both of us. Also in 2006, Robert Nickson and I have had “Close Your Eyes” featured on countless compilations including Dream Trance, and Armin van Buuren’s 2006 Yearmix, among others.
2. How many years have you been making music and singing as a vocalist ?
Elsa Hill: I started with music when I was 8, playing on my child sized keyboard that I had gotten for Christmas one year. My mom taught me how to play Fur Elise, except the “hard part” that she had never learned. I started singing my freshman year in High School. When I was 13, I had randomly decided to join up with the school choir. Since then, I have been singing for ten years now. At first I didn’t know what to expect, but my choir teacher showed us how to read music which came to be a very powerful tool. Through learning how to read music in choir, I took that home and taught myself how to play and read music on the piano. Eventually I learned how to play all of Fur Elise as I dreamed of finishing that piece for many years.
3. How did you get involved into music ?
Elsa Hill: Like I mentioned before, I had been involved with music for many years, but hadn’t discovered Electronic music until I was 19. Where I live in the US, electronic music is almost non-existent, but when I started visiting the record store and started buying imports I was surprised by what I was missing. I had started buying House records, but quickly moved to Trance hearing the lovely melodies that artists and vocalists created. After a year of DJ’ing and with memorable at gigs in Seattle, Nevada and Portland, I decided to start producing. I remember opening up Reason for the first time, and being so confused. I had no idea what to do, and about three months I had given up, because I tried and tried but would throw my hands up thinking, “I can’t do this.” Six months later, I was at a friend’s house. He opened up a demo song in Fruity Loops. From there it just clicked and straight away I went home and downloaded the demo version. I started learning on my poor 256 RAM laptop, with Fruity always abruptly quitting on me because my laptop was so slow. When I think about those days, I really put my laptop through hell! After Fruity Loops kept on abruptly ending without warning, I decided to try something that would cling onto my system more. I switched to Cubase, and haven’t gone back. Ironically now I rewire Cubase and Reason together on my new computer. I pretty much have gotten the hang of both applications now, but it defiantly didn’t happen overnight.
4. What artists and crews are you affiliated with ?
Elsa Hill: My main affiliation is with Evolution Music who has helped me team up with other trance DJ’s such as Kara Sun. She is so sweet! I’m really happy to be working with this team as I have gotten some pretty scary calls from other agencies. Evolution Music is pretty cool and also have impressive DJ’s on their roster.
Then there is the crew I have with a few other buddies. I remember one night, my producer buddies and I were chatting late when we all agreed that we all missed trance from the good old days (1999). We started the “99 Trance Alliance” and had a competition going for a while on who could make the best 99 trance tune. The 99 Trance Alliance included Carl B, Airbase, Sonicvibe, Nick Thompson, 8 Wonders, and me. My poor laptop unfortunately couldn’t handle 99 Trance though, and wasn’t able to finish it. I should open up my 99 trance tune now that I think of it. Hopefully it’s still around somewhere. Today the 99 Trance today isn’t active anymore but it’s a fun story, hehe
5. How would you describe your music ?
Elsa Hill: I would describe my music as purely melodic and passionate. I always put 100% emotion into what I create, whether it is through singing, producing, DJ’ing and playing piano. I also explain to people who aren’t sure what Trance is as “Music that has a lot of energy and makes you want to drive fast!”
6. As an artist, what do you feel you bring into electronic dance music that’s not already there ?
Elsa Hill: I believe I bring a new outlook to dance music through different progressions and melodies that aren’t the traditional I, IV and V chord changes. Since I’ve been told my voice sounds unique, I think that helps bring a new trait to the genre. One of the things I always think so much about is how I’m going to write the lyrics. I try to deeply express what hasn’t completely been shown before.
7. What are you working on presently ?
Elsa Hill: Recently I have started new projects with different producers from all over the world which are sounding very exciting. I'm also doing a set for DI.fm on March 3rd (7pm GMT, 11am PST)!
8. Who would you like to work with the most ?
Elsa Hill: One of my dreams is to work with Armin van Buuren, as a vocalist and a producer. That would be absolutely amazing!
9. What were your thoughts during the making of "Close Your Eyes" with Robert Nickson ?
Elsa Hill: Having the opportunity to work with Robert Nickson is a dream come true. Before “Close Your Eyes,” I had worked on a track called “Exist” for an entire month in Fruity Loops. With my pathetic laptop, I couldn’t work on it any longer and decided to give up, as it was just too frustrating. I had shown the track to a few producers who expressed it sounded promising. The last producer I showed it to was Robert, and never thought in a million years he’d conclude it had potential. For the people who don’t really know Robert, he is particularly very picky, so anything he likes is surprising to me. That characteristic is what makes him Robert Nickson. When I gave him the parts to “Exist,” I couldn’t believe what he did in just two hours, my mouth dropped and all I could say was “Wow, this is going to be huge!” He is such a talented producer. How we eventually changed the name to “Close Your Eyes” was when he told me he really liked how I sang the "close your eyes" part and suggested calling it that. I agreed, and the title stuck.
10. Which is your best way to write songs/music? How can you work most efficiently ?
Elsa Hill: How I write my songs is first I start from the lyrics. I basically get a main idea written up, with a key phrase or chorus in mind. Once I have that down, I then go to the piano and think of some chords that might flow with the mood. From there I record those chords and start putting a vocal melody to it. With Trance tracks, I almost always start producing at the break because that’s the part everyone pays attention to. That’s the part where everyone really feels it is there I think; at least for me. I don’t know if I am the most “efficient” producer because I take so long unlike my other colleagues. Sometimes I think I’m making it too hard on myself, wondering “Does that work?” I make so many edits to tracks, it’s unbelievable. Eventually I struggle through and if it’s good, I keep going with it.
11. What do you think of electronic dance music today and its direction ?
Elsa Hill: The funny part about this question is when I started DJ’ing in late 2002, I would tell local DJ’s what genre I was spinning. They would reply, “Trance is dying! You should switch genres, like breaks or house!” Four and a half years later, trance is still going strong and I’m still DJ’ing with it! I don’t think trance is not going to die soon, especially with all the types of people I meet who have just started listening to it. However right now I think House music is the most popular with the “regular” crowd at the moment from the help of Madonna. Her last album was all House music, which has helped getting Electronica music into many households. My hope is that this will open the door to other genres for people, including trance.
12. So what kind of music does Elsa Hill listen to beside electronic ?
Elsa Hill: I really like listening to Happy Hard Core. I know, it’s a bit random, but I’ve had the biggest urge to try and produce it lately. I also like listening to rock music, like U2 and The Verve. I really would like to get into producing rock with drums, vocals and the whole bit, it’s very exciting to think about. On the side, I do piano songs with vocals. These songs I don’t put anywhere as I’m not sure what can be done with those. If I like it enough I try to convert it into a dance track. Those are interesting to listen to from time to time as well.
13. Please share with us the feeling of hearing your own track on a big sound system being heard throughout the entire dance floor.
Elsa Hill: When I played "Close Your Eyes" in San Francisco at an event called Space Girls, it was too much! The feeling I got when I saw how people reacted to it hasn't left my mind. Someone actually caught that footage, which is wonderful. I have it posted on my myspace, be sure to check it out if you get a chance…it’s pretty neat.
14. You produce and sing for artists, feature on a variety of projects, DJ for audiences and perform a great live show, how do you have the time and energy for all that ?
Elsa Hill: Actually I don’t have time; I also go to school and work a full time job. I’m just glad to have some weekends to myself! It takes a lot of energy trying to maintain everything, but if I don’t continue with music, my ambitions about life are lost. It has taken a lot to have gotten where I am, and I believe I have so much more to do! I feel like I’ve just barely touched the surface. Over the past few months preparations have been underway organizing special live acts. I also would like to release my own production on an LP with my vocals some day. Maybe even releasing an LP with another person’s voice; working with other vocalists is too fun to imagine! The thing that I am really grateful for is my new computer. To think I sang “Close Your Eyes” and “No Need to Come Back” on my 256 RAM laptop that picked up radio signals still amazes me. I can’t wait to see what my new computer will help me do. I’m really glad that I record at my house, because when I’m alone I can really think without distractions. This takes a lot of energy, but I can’t help doing what I love.
15. Any other last words for our TranceSound.net community ?
Elsa Hill: If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, feel free to check out my official website, however I would like to share with everyone that I actually update myspace more frequently. Any news I have will show up first on myspace. Be sure to keep checking back for more as I will post any news as soon as I can! Thanks for having me here today!
Interview made by Cosmin Lukacs aka Dj K8oard (TranceSound.net admin/founder)
Links:
http://www.elsahill.com
http://www.myspace.com/elsahill
http://www.evolutionmusic.net
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