Issue 001 – Onhell – AGHQ Magazine

001 Interviews

Issue 001 – Onhell

AGHQ April 14, 2023 0

Onhell

I feel stretched between lots of influences.

In my music, I embrace these contrasts, the light and the dark, the feminine and the masculine, the melody and the dissonance. In my live sets, I enjoy building a bridge between different sounds by merging together bass, rap, and experimentally anomalous music. That way, people experience an atmosphere that both broadens perspectives and encourages everyone to turn up and party.

At First Glance

By Calvin Cyrus

Bringing Onhell to Miami was a treat, both as a fan of music, and as a promoter. his dip into grime and other complex beats intertwined with heavy bangers that rattled your chest and invited you deep into the dancefloor.

His set during the nye event at the middle east in Boston delivered the same mix of high energy and low bass. After the event, I was able to catch up with him and ask a few questions about his goals for the new year.

The Interview
By Calvin Cyrus

So starting from the top… what is ONHELL?
Is me

How do you think your upbringing, both culturally, but also location-wise in SoCal, has shaped your sound?
West coast bass music. It’s where it began and it’s where a lot of the originators still live.

You had iconic hair and you decided to cut it all off? What was going on for you during that time period? What did that do for your music?
A friend of mine died, so It felt right to shave my head and regrow from the ashes.

You gave out avocados to the crowd mid-set and also played some awesome Latin music. What goes into planning a set for you?
I wrapped avocados as gifts for a Christmas party. I had extra so I thought it’d be good to give them away to people. I like giving gifts during my sets. Even if it’s just fruit or mushrooms or weed or merch. I’m Mexican, we like to feed people and give.

We have to talk about the salsa! Tell our audience how that even came about and what you hope it brings to the scene.
I grew up eating salsa everyday. But then I decided to just make my own instead of buying. I sold my first salsa at a show and the idea developed from there: salsa merch. Now I’m pushing a full on food company and expanding to hot sauce, spice rubs and chocolates. Something special for Valentine’s Day.

Your productions have spanned genres and you’ve found a way to stay up to date or even ahead of the curve. Tell us about some of the sounds and genres you’ve been exploring.
I try to stay open to all music as to soak in as much inspiration as possible from different areas of music and the world. Right now. I’ve been very into hardcore and soft core. Turnstile and Fugazi vs Blood Orange and Lil Peep. Also been into Baile funk. The rhythm.

Do you have any new projects coming up?
Yeah. I have probably 100 songs that need releasing. So right now. Everything is getting released in 2023 starting with a Deadcrow collab and slaps.

Are there any artists that you’d be excited to work with?
I would love to work with young thug. And I would love if he was released from those shameful shackles. It’s horrible that they’re using his lyrics against him. It would set a terrible precedent in modern music and art to be able to be arrested from your art.

What label are you most closely associated with? Are there any dream labels for your future releases?
Right now I’m rocking with DDD, 1985, and 20/20.

Best performance you saw in 2022?
Shit. Idk. Maybe My Chemical Romance.

If you could go back in time and tell the younger you anything, what would it be?
Let it go and be free. Don’t try to be or sound like other people. Just express yourself. Think less.

Any plans for 2023?
Dropping music. Dropping foods. Playing shows. Having fun. Being good.

Anyone you wanna shout out?
I wanna shout out Julia.