Helix With The Jams!!!

Our buddy Helix has been pushing out a steady stream of hot jams and we've compiled them all for you just in time for your summertime galabanting. We spoke with Sean recently to figure out what's going on in the mind behind the bangers. After the rap, check out (and play out!) these raging choons Helix has so graciously let us give away to you all. 3 are remixes of classics and one is an original banger that absolutely destroyed the last LMR dance party we had. Get on this shit before anyone else does.

What inspired you to get into writing and producing music?
To be completely honest it had 2 parts to it. The first was to help getting bookings with drum and bass (the music I started dj'ing/producing) because it's incredibly hard to get dj bookings as a DnB dj if you don't also produce. The other part was because since music has always been a part of my life I've always had ideas in my head of what I thought could be "good songs". The challenge then was to be able to take those ideas in my head and try to create them.

What is your goal when creating music? Do you do it for your audience or for yourself?
It really depends on the genre of music I'm working with. I have to think that with all of the music I make that I'm subconsciously working with "what works on the dance floor". Especially with my baltimore club beats - "Will this make people shake their asses?". When it's something like Drum and Bass though, It's more for me. With all of it though, I have to actually enjoy the music that I make or it just won't sound good at all.

Do you have an formal musical training or play any instruments?
The only real music instrument that I ever played was the guitar in 6th grade for about 5-6 months. Other than that it's a lot of seeing what works and what doesn't (read: trial and error haha) with the other elements of the songs I'm working on.

Name some bands or artists you grew up listening to.
Tool, Timbaland, Nine Inch Nails (Reznor in general), Radiohead, Korn, 2Pac, Snoop and Dre, Biggie Smalls, Kurrupt, Canibus, Ghostface, RZA, DJ Shadow, UNKLE (just Psyence Fiction), The Crystal Method, Fatboy Slim, Pete Rock, RJD2, The Alchemist, The Prodigy.

Where can people hear you play or hear your music?
I've got a slammin blog that I have up as well as a myspace page. The myspace is at: http://www.myspace.com/djhelix17
The blog, where I keep all of my dj mixes at:
http://www.1217design.com/blog
I've also got a bunch of mixes on the Vuze network as well.

Name some artists or tracks that you're into right now.
DnB: Gridlok, Telemetrik, Dom, Skynet, The Upbeats, Quadrant
Electro: MSTRKRFT, Designer Drugs, The Bag Raiders, Fischerspooner, VanShe, Hot Pink DeLorean, Boys Noize, Simian Mobile Disco, The Presets, The Faint
B'more: Tittsworth, DJ Sega, Technics, Diplo
Tracks: Jamtech Foundation Feat. King Kong - Rumble Jumble Life, MIA - Boyz (Hot Pink DeLorean Remix), Super Mal - Bigger Than Big (Bag Raiders Remix), Fischerspooner - Danse En France (D.I.M. Remix), Tittsworth - September, Helix - No Can Do, DJ Sega - Bodies Hit The Floor, DJ Blaqstarr - Shake It To The Ground (Claude Von Stroke Remix)

Who are some of your favorite DJ's?
Diplo, Tittsworth, Blaqstarr, Cyanide, Goldie, Upbeats, The LMR Boys, Z Trip, Q Bert, DJ Shadow, Boys Noize, A Trak, Craze, MSTRKRFT, Fischerspooner, DJ Technics

What are your plans for production in the near future? Any releases in the pipeline? Collaborations?
I've got my first DnB 12" coming out on Skynet's label NVision later this year as NVR004 with Ashes and The Nephilim. Clips for those two: http://www.1217design.com/clips/ashes.mp3 - Ashes
http://www.1217design.com/clips/nephilim.mp3 - The Nephilim
I've also got some hip hop which should hopefully be going to some major players in the game (as of right now I can't say who, for obvious reasons), a baltimore beat that I did for Mental Sharp, as well as other hip hop that I've been doing for a few dudes in Philly who are about to blow up huge as well. On the collab side, I've been working with LMR's own Illy to do some slammin Electro Rave House, as well as a guy Incision to do some storming DnB.

What do you get into outside of music?
Mainly training in Mixed Martial Arts, and I've been doing that for close to a year already. It's hardcore but I love it - who knows, maybe we'll see DJ Helix in the UFC in a few years.

Favorite club nights?
Anything Kevin Gimble throws is always a slammin time, Making Time is a lot of fun, the Mad Pussy parties were a great time, plus I've also got to give it to Keven Concept for running nights at Liquid Charm.

Heard any good jokes lately?
What do you call a black guy that flies a plane? A pilot you fucking racist!

Helix - Get The Fuck Up [LMR VIP]

Helix - Kryptonite

Helix vs Hall & Oates - No Can Do

Helix vs RHCP - By The Way