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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ARMAND VAN HELDEN
avh
New York’s Armand Van Helden is the man responsible for such dancefloor faves as “My My My,” “Professional Widow,” “Funk Phenomena,” “Flowerz,” “I Want Your Soul,” and now … a hip hop track called “New Era” for the Retro Kidz. So I wanted to know how one of the world’s most prolific O.G. dance music producers felt about finally producing beats outside the house/garage realm (anyone who knows Armand is well aware he’s been trying to get into the hip-hop thing for a while), and I also heard rumors of a new hip-house album on the horizon so I asked him about that and just where his loyalties lie.
You’ve always wanted to get your foot in the door as far as hip-hop is concerned - do you feel that’s finally coming around now?
Yeah - I was out recently trying to get into a Kanye party and Premier was there and someone asked me, ‘How do YOU know Premier?’ I thought that was kind of funny because I did get my little hip-hop love but it was so indie and so underground. But I never really did a project where I’m getting rotated on Hot 97 (by Funkmaster Flex) which I always kinda wanted to see what that’s about! I know the dance thing, but in terms of real crossover, I’ve never achieved that.
So how did your relationship with the Retro Kidz form? Did you just see them on the street or what?
The Retro Kidz had been doing their thing for a while, and I was just looking for something old school for the dance world, and I always wanted to do hip-hop. The fashion thing with the retro kids was huge. And I’m a music guy so I was like, I have to find these types and we have to get together. Originally I had an idea and I told Aahmek (Richards of TriggerHappy studios and Brobot label) that I want to have a bunch of rappers with hi-top fades in my new video. At the time, I didn’t even know the Retro Kidz existed. Basically, he was like ‘Well, there are these kids …’ .We hung out at Marquis in New York and the Retro Kidz are pretty well known in that scene. The DJ played Snap! “The Power’ and I saw them dancing to it and it was awesome. So I came up with a quick storyline for “I Want Your Soul” and the basic idea was Retro Kidz all over the video as much as possible.
avh and retro kidz
Talk about the video for “I Want Your Soul” — it’s so fun to watch.
I wanted to do a story where a boombox that transports somebody back in time. They buy a boombox in the now, they push the play button and they get transported back in to the late 80s. And then the Retro Kidz pop up in that scene and from that point on. I’ve had people ask me, ‘Where did you get the old school footage?’ That’s how heavy duty that video was. I was on the shoot and I had some friends there that have known me for ages. And they all had huge smiles and were like, ‘Wow, when you see them, when they’re right next to you, it just brings you back.’
So are you going to be showing up in the hip-hop world more often then?
Well, when they get invited to go on special things, of course I’ll show up. I’m not really a stage guy, even though I do it in the dance world.
I heard through the grapevine that you’re making a hip-house record.
I’m tryin’! I have a few things I have to finish. I’m going back to freestyle a bit, and those two don’t really match, but the UK people like the idea of revisiting genres from the past.
Do you ever regret not doing hip-hop music first?
I don’t know .. I’ve done dance music for over 15 years or so now. I was always surrounded by that whole game but for me, I’m hip-hop. I choose to make this my career because the house thing took off for me first. If the rap thing would have taken off for me first, we’d be talking something totally different right now. The house thing was paying the bills. I’ve been successful with riding the edge of that blade — that’s what I like to call it.
Would you say producing for both hip-hop and dance is similar?
Yeah, hip-hop has always had an electronic element. Sometimes it wavers back and forth; sometimes its real jazzy and funky and sometimes it goes back to rock.
What do you think has been the key to your success?
I make the heads and the pop girlies happy. 😉
avh
New York’s Armand Van Helden is the man responsible for such dancefloor faves as “My My My,” “Professional Widow,” “Funk Phenomena,” “Flowerz,” “I Want Your Soul,” and now … a hip hop track called “New Era” for the Retro Kidz. So I wanted to know how one of the world’s most prolific O.G. dance music producers felt about finally producing beats outside the house/garage realm (anyone who knows Armand is well aware he’s been trying to get into the hip-hop thing for a while), and I also heard rumors of a new hip-house album on the horizon so I asked him about that and just where his loyalties lie.
You’ve always wanted to get your foot in the door as far as hip-hop is concerned - do you feel that’s finally coming around now?
Yeah - I was out recently trying to get into a Kanye party and Premier was there and someone asked me, ‘How do YOU know Premier?’ I thought that was kind of funny because I did get my little hip-hop love but it was so indie and so underground. But I never really did a project where I’m getting rotated on Hot 97 (by Funkmaster Flex) which I always kinda wanted to see what that’s about! I know the dance thing, but in terms of real crossover, I’ve never achieved that.
So how did your relationship with the Retro Kidz form? Did you just see them on the street or what?
The Retro Kidz had been doing their thing for a while, and I was just looking for something old school for the dance world, and I always wanted to do hip-hop. The fashion thing with the retro kids was huge. And I’m a music guy so I was like, I have to find these types and we have to get together. Originally I had an idea and I told Aahmek (Richards of TriggerHappy studios and Brobot label) that I want to have a bunch of rappers with hi-top fades in my new video. At the time, I didn’t even know the Retro Kidz existed. Basically, he was like ‘Well, there are these kids …’ .We hung out at Marquis in New York and the Retro Kidz are pretty well known in that scene. The DJ played Snap! “The Power’ and I saw them dancing to it and it was awesome. So I came up with a quick storyline for “I Want Your Soul” and the basic idea was Retro Kidz all over the video as much as possible.
avh and retro kidz
Talk about the video for “I Want Your Soul” — it’s so fun to watch.
I wanted to do a story where a boombox that transports somebody back in time. They buy a boombox in the now, they push the play button and they get transported back in to the late 80s. And then the Retro Kidz pop up in that scene and from that point on. I’ve had people ask me, ‘Where did you get the old school footage?’ That’s how heavy duty that video was. I was on the shoot and I had some friends there that have known me for ages. And they all had huge smiles and were like, ‘Wow, when you see them, when they’re right next to you, it just brings you back.’
So are you going to be showing up in the hip-hop world more often then?
Well, when they get invited to go on special things, of course I’ll show up. I’m not really a stage guy, even though I do it in the dance world.
I heard through the grapevine that you’re making a hip-house record.
I’m tryin’! I have a few things I have to finish. I’m going back to freestyle a bit, and those two don’t really match, but the UK people like the idea of revisiting genres from the past.
Do you ever regret not doing hip-hop music first?
I don’t know .. I’ve done dance music for over 15 years or so now. I was always surrounded by that whole game but for me, I’m hip-hop. I choose to make this my career because the house thing took off for me first. If the rap thing would have taken off for me first, we’d be talking something totally different right now. The house thing was paying the bills. I’ve been successful with riding the edge of that blade — that’s what I like to call it.
Would you say producing for both hip-hop and dance is similar?
Yeah, hip-hop has always had an electronic element. Sometimes it wavers back and forth; sometimes its real jazzy and funky and sometimes it goes back to rock.
What do you think has been the key to your success?
I make the heads and the pop girlies happy. 😉
