Boyan Boychev, better known as Low Heat, is a producer/ beatmaker born in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv and currently based in the capital of Sofia.
His sound meets at the intersection of intersection between abstract hip hop and west coast funk, with a strong experimental edge. Having taken the Sofia scene by storm, the Sound Ninja Music Academy teacher is also garnering popularity through his music production videos and tutorials
He sat down with us for a chat, where we gained some insight into his inspirations and processes
Tell us about the first time you decided to become a musician
I don’t remember when and if I consciously decided that. My first experience with making music was in high school with a program I had on my PC called Rebirth. You could make and combine patterns to make basic loops. You couldn’t load your own samples though.
After a while a classmate gave me a copy of Fruity Loops (now called FL Studio). I was blown away by the fact that I can load my own sounds into it and make beats with them.
I was so excited that I could barely sleep that night.
When performing a live set, do you allow your music to change to the tone of the room or do you rather use your music as a tool to change the tone?
Haven’t performed a set for years (even before the pandemic) but when I did I used my music as a way to change the vibe of the room.
If you were told that today was your last day on earth, what would you do?
Sorry, no clever answer here, I will legitimately freak out and panic, so I prefer not to think about this.
Describe a typical day in your studio space.
I start by answering emails, messages and comments on my socials and YouTube channel. Then I work on content for YouTube – planning, shooting, editing videos or I teach lessons through Zoom. My creative time when I actually make music is usually in the evening when there are no distractions, messages, stress, etc.
How do you find inspiration for your sound?
Visuals like photos and video with a certain vibe inspire me a lot. Also, listening to artists who have a vibe of their own and don’t cater to what’s popular and trendy. But ultimately I just sit down and work, inspiration comes when you work for it, so I don’t wait to be inspired. Lack of inspiration for me usually means that I’m just tired or stressed, didn’t sleep well, etc.
What is your favourite part of being a musician?
Being able to create your own world through sounds and textures. Having your own creative outlet in this somewhat crazy world we live in.
Share your favourite quote/s
It’s an old quote from Flying Lotus (excuse profanity but that’s the actual quote):
“People get caught up in gear, but it gets in the way of making the music. When I need to find something new, I don’t have to update my shit; I just have to update my brain.”
What can we expect from you in the near future?
I already have a ton of new music that I can’t wait to release. A lot of beat making videos and tutorials on my YouTube channel, where people can see how I work. New sample packs as well.
Complete the sentence: Music is…
an escape from reality for me.
Follow Low Heat
Instagram / Youtube / Spotify / Apple Music / Facebook / Soundcloud
Image credit: Georgi Panchev
