Barring a few notable acts, 2013 seemed to underwhelm with regards to the new crop of artists taking the helm. Generic sounds and overly hyped releases continued to dominate in the saturated landscape of electronic music we find ourselves in today - Yet it took just a couple of minutes listening to Drew Hill’s debut EP ‘Solitude’ to change that perception and reignite the flame that was fast diminishing.
Crossing paths at Music College in London, Danish born Michelle Drew and German born Philipp Hill started making music together in their second year of studying. A mutual consent of music genres, and with strong opinions of what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go, Michelle and Philipp found a bond on both a musical and personal level – Something that comes across clearly in the music they make together. Philipp’s background and interest in complex and understated house music (think Stimming) along with Michelle’s unashamed upbringing on pop music has resulted in a sophisticated brand of electronic music with a certain ‘pop sensibility’. Something that blurs genres and could quite as easily be heard on the radio at 3pm or in a nightclub at 3am.
With obvious talent and an already distinct sound, it didn’t take long for the duo’s productions to spike interest amongst A&R’s, eventually signing to the Born Electric imprint. Thrown into the public eye for the first time with a commissioned remix of Maribou State’s ‘Tongue’, it was 6 months later that their first original content was released on Born Electric.
With Michelle’s haunting vocals laid over ambient and sultry tones it’s no surprise that the title track from their debut EP has already amassed 500,000 views on YouTube and picked up plays by both Pete Tong and Annie Mac. Not to be outdone, ‘In The End’ - the second piece of original music off Solitude - lent itself more to the dance floor with a bass driven composition once again complimented by Michelle’s outstanding vocals and fast received support from the likes of Eats Everything and Midland.
Instilling a supportive and family like vibe for their artists, Born Electric must be credited for helping bring Drew Hill to where they find themselves today. As explained by Michelle, “Born Electric has been a constant pillar of support and guidance, and has opened up many seemingly impossible doors in our short relationship.” The culmination being a recent tour of Australia with label boss James Zabiela, seeing them visit and performing in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth as well as attending and performing at Snowbombing Festival with the rest of the Born Electric family. Self-confessed producers before DJ’s, the two have had to bring a new dynamic into their skill set as their touring schedule picks up. That being said, there are plans to take this even further as they intend to incorporate a live aspect into their DJ sets.
When quizzed about the future, Drew Hill keeps their cards close to their chest. Since the completion of Solitude, the two have completed a host more tracks, and are confident in what will be released. Reading between the lines, it seems that the second EP (no confirmed release date yet) may stray a little further from the dance floor as they start to explore new sounds and influences. What we do know is that the second EP will consist of 2 tracks, and will be released off Danse Club Records. The imprints close ties with the legendary Groove Armada, and also means that they’ll be getting remixed by the legends themselves. Tom Findlay of Groove Armada had this to say: “I absolutely love it! Super, super cool, ‘90s vibe, a touch of Janet Jackson on the vocal almost. Build ’em right and you can do another Azari and III vibe. House acts with real live presence such a godsend!” [sic] Not too shabby…
Now slightly wiser and more familiar with the game that is the music industry, the two are under no illusions of the hard work and dedication it takes to make it. Both Michelle and Philipp are currently studying additional degrees outside of the music world, and it is this calculated and mature approach that comes across in their music. ‘Calculated and mature’ can easily be interpreted as boring, yet this is not the case with Drew Hill – more a sense of sophistication, and a calm that exudes both in person, and in their sound, a sound that goes well beyond their years.
It’s been a while since I was genuinely excited about a new act breaking through, and if you had told me it would have been a pop-vocal act, we’d have had a few words. However, he remainder of 2014 will be an interesting time for the two, as they juggle obtaining master’s degrees with a developing musical career, but I can only hope that it’s music they choose at the end of the day, as it would be a shame for these two to be doing anything else.