Interview: Low Heat & Lina Nikol

You probably know a bunch of the fox team is Bulgarian and we've always tried to support the local scene since the launch of the project. But it's not for purely patriotic reasons, don't get us wrong - there are so many talented people around here and they truly deserve to be heard worldwide.

We've been following one of them, Low Heat, for quite some time and his super recognizable style of future beats, playful synths, and a pinch of g-funk has always made our heads nod - being them remixes or original songs.

Lina Nikol is also no stranger to our audience - you've certainly fallen in love with her silky voice from her collabs with Boyan & Trombobby.

Well, when put together, those two create absolute magic. And I'm really stoked that their lustful r&b piece "Good Together" is our first Bulgarian label release. The track is out on 12 May, make sure to pre-save it HERE.

In the meanwhile, they dropped for a double interview to share their background, artistic processes & inspirations.

How did you get involved with music in the first place?

Lina: I’ve been surrounded by music all my life. There was no beginning, it’s always been there, in different forms and I’m so thankful for that. Music shaped me as I am today and I love every second of it.

LH: Through DJ-ing when I was in high school and through friends giving me copies of music software on CD (internet was still very slow). The idea that you could make your own music with a computer was fascinating to me back then. Still is, actually.

What's the story behind the name Low Heat?

LH: The idea came from my girlfriend, as an opposition to what people call “microwave beats”, meaning beats where you just combine ready-made samples without much creativity. So I guess it’s a cooking metaphor, lol. But also mostly because the actual words sound good.

We're about to share your new sultry r&b track with the world in a week. How did you get together for "Good Together"?

Lina: As I remember, because honestly, it wasn’t recently, haha, Low Heat reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to collaborate on one of his tracks. The instrumental was catchy and during that time I was under a lot of influence from Sinead Harnett and something inspired me to write the melody which reminded me of her, as well.

LH: I posted the beat on social media, saying I was looking for a vocalist. So Lina hit me up saying she liked it a lot and was down for the collab. I sent her the beat and the vocals she sent me back were very impressive even from the demo recording. So I immediately knew it was going to turn out super cool. This was a while ago actually - the end of 2018.

What drives you artistically?

Lina: All the colours and shades of emotions and experiences we go through every single day. It’s a blessing that we, as artists can transform our inner world into beautiful melodies and tell our stories.

LH: Lots of stuff but mostly a good night’s sleep. Makes a huge difference to my artistic output.

Any artists that inspire you? Do they change over time?

Lina: Many artists and I always mention Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys. I should add new artists such as Jordan Rakei, Sinead Harnett, Kyle Dion, Anderson .Paak, right now I’m listening to Alex Isley, she has a really silky voice and I love it. Been listening to a lot of Moonchild lately.

LH: Flying Lotus, J Dilla, Dam Funk, Elаquent, too many to mention.

How important is consistency in style? Or is it better to experiment from time to time?

Lina: I don’t think there’s a rule here. It depends on what the artist goes through and what ignites them. If they feel like they need to do something new, then they should go for it.

LH: Depends on what your goal is. If pleasing the audience is the most important goal, you may do a consistent style, because that’s what they signed up for. If you do it for your own self-fulfillment, you’ll probably need to experiment to keep it fresh and enjoyable for yourself.

Passion or methodical work?

Lina: Both. Inspiration doesn’t always come at the right time and sometimes you have to work when you don’t feel like it.

LH: Both. Passion helps you create your most exciting work. But you should be working all the time, even when you don’t feel like it. So you need to be disciplined and work towards your goals even at times when passion and excitement aren’t there.

This is our first Bulgarian Stereofox Records release. Tell our audience - what's the local beat/r&b scene like?

Lina: The scene is evolving and there are some great beatmakers and artists such as Boyan Angelov, C-MO, Trombobby, Artone, and more.

LH: There are several dope producers but I wouldn’t say there is a “beat scene” in Bulgaria like they have it in the US, Germany, etc. Don’t know about r&b, but there are some amazingly talented r&b musicians and vocalists here, too.

Anything you'd like to add?

Lina: Smile, enjoy life, listen to great music and support artists.