Introducing his raw and melodic sound to Purified Records, Dutch producer Rob Hes delivers his two-track ‘Your Heart’ EP. Setting a melancholic soundscape, the title track paves the way for Jordan Grace’s touching vocals with mystical pads and guiding percussion. Diving deeper into his collaboration with Joey White, ‘Interception’ enters a club dimension with raw bass and entrancing synths.
You can now listen to the full premiere of ‘Interception’ exclusively on our sister channel Dancefloor Romancer while reading the great interview we had with Rob. Enjoy!
WWD: Welcome to When We Dip! Where are we speaking to you from today?
Hey guys, I’m back home again in my city Hoorn in the Netherlands. It’s near Amsterdam.
WWD: How has 2023 been for you so far?
I feel really good at the moment. I spent some time in Peru and Mexico and I’m just back in the studio again. I took a little break and feel really motivated again to make new music.
I am preparing for my label Showcase in Amsterdam, which is on the same date as this release on Purified. March 3! So another reason to celebrate this night. We invited Fedele, 2088 b2b Elusive mind and Connaisseur Collective.
WWD: Congratulations on the release of your new EP – Your Heart – on Purified Records! Can you tell us about this release and how you came to collaborate with 2088, Jordan Grace and Joey White?
Thanks! Really happy with this new release! Last year I decided to work more with vocalists, and Jordan Grace was the first. I knew him from releases from fellow Dutchmen Martin Garrix and Armin van Buuren. I was thinking a bit outside the box and thought this maybe works really well. And it did 🙂
2088 and Joey White I discovered a long time ago for my label Pursuit. Both are really talented producers and we also became friends. And these days I like to do a lot of collaborations with my label artists. It’s more fun and I have the feeling the productions go to a new level.
WWD: How has your experience been working with Purified Records?
Really good! We all know it’s the label from Nora En Pure, but what people don’t know is that there is a team behind it. They take things really serious, and this is the way I like to work.
WWD: The EP tracks have been supported by the likes of Nora En Pure and Eelke Kleijn, how does it feel hearing your creations being played back to you by such incredible artists?
Of course this feels really good. Especially when I was at ADE when Nora was playing the track. And last weekend I was there to support Eelke Kleijn with his 10 hour set, and he gave me some support back, by playing the track. Yes this feeling never gets old.
Also we got support on ‘Interception’ from 8Kays on her Afterlife shows, and the promo is running at the moment. So every day we see some more support coming what gives a lot of energy.
WWD: When did you decide to dedicate yourself to making music and DJing? Was there a certain moment you can link it back to?
That was a really long time ago. I started DJing 25 years ago and producing music followed slowly. But back than there was no YouTube to help me. I didn’t have friends who made music and you needed to buy hardware to start somewhere… so things where going slow haha!
But around 8 years ago I decided to go work full-time on music, so let’s link it back to this moment. Otherwise I’m going to feel old 😉 At this moment I was signing with big labels like Bedrock, Ovum and a couple more for the first time. I saved some money and stopped working in security, which I did for almost 15 years. From that moment production wise I made so many big steps. Hours are the key!
WWD: You founded your own label, Pursuit Recordings in 2018. What has been the journey like so far with your imprint?
I started the label with a release of my own with Reinier Zonneveld on remix duties. What a perfect start. In the beginning it was more techno orientated. We had a lot of cool releases and did well. But from the end of 2019 we went to the more Melodic Techno sound that we still do today.
WWD: What are some of the best parts of running your own label?
Best thing is discovering new talented artists who have the same passion. Try to make a connection, help them, and have a long work relationship with them. And a lot of them I can call my friends now.
WWD: How do you stay inspired in the studio?
I had a lot of problems with this the last couple years. Covid, writer’s blocks, and last but not least RSI. That basically means pain in my arm when I overdo working. And all the work is on your phone or with the computer, which does not help.
As I mentioned before, I do a lot of collaborations now. Especially with Joey White. Together we are on fire! I think we have laying around 10 new tracks here. And working with vocals is pretty new for me which gives me so much inspiration.
WWD: Out of all the places you have played, where did you find the best crowds?
Tomorrowland was really special for me. But the best crowds are maybe the places where you don’t expect it. Like that one time I played in Tunis… that was really sick!
WWD: What are some recent records that have been really going off in your recent sets?
AGAP – Tayga (Release March 10)
Numeric Space – Attention
Sahar – Soulwork
WWD: And on the flip side, what is one of your favourite tracks to close your sets with?
This recent remix from Naeiiv works really well as a closer track. It’s a kind of break beat’ish track
Rob Hes, Joey White – I Want Out (Naeiiv Remix)
WWD: Outside of music, what are your main passions or hobbies?
I really enjoy traveling, going to the gym and watching TV to relax.
WWD: What were the highlights for you in 2022?
I did a release on Joris Voorn’s label Spectrum which did really well. Started my Pursuit Showcases again and made so much new music.
WWD: Any final words for our readers?
Thanks for your time and hope to see you on the dancefloors again.