Often referred to as the “pioneer of the future house genre,” Oliver Heldens is a Dutch DJ and electronic music producer best known for 2019 song “Turn Me On.” Active in the music industry for over 8 years now, the 26-year-old DJ has a number of international hits tucked under his belt. Here are 5 of his most memorable releases:
2014
Gecko (Overdrive)
The young artist experienced success early on in his career, with the release of “Gecko” in 2013 at the age of 18. He had signed onto Spinnin’ Records for his debut prior. “Gecko” charted in Belgium and the Netherlands, catching the attention of fellow Dutch DJ Tiësto.
Tiësto signed the song to his label Musical Freedom, and the following year a vocal version called “Gecko (Overdrive)” was released featuring British singer Becky Hill. The second version ended up surpassing its predecessor, debuting at number one on both the UK Dance Chart and the UK Singles Chart.
2015
Renegade Mastah
Originally released under the pseudonym “HI-LO,” “Renegade Mastah” was the first track to be released on Heldeep Records. Heldeep Records was a record label Heldens launched earlier that year to showcase the music of up-and-coming producers. The label would go on to sign artists like Alok, Chocolate Puma, and even Dada Life, and host stages at festivals such as Tomorrowland and Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).
Heldens revealed that he was HI-LO in an interview after the song’s release. He came up with the name as a palindrome for Oli-H, his own name, something that dedicated fans caught onto quick. However, before Heldens confirmed that he was behind “Renegade Mastah,” it was all speculations, as the song was described as having a deeper underground sound than Heldens’ previous work.
2016
The Right Song
Working with Tiësto once again, as well as Dutch singer Natalie La Rose, this song is the vocal version of “Wombass,” a track that Tiësto and Heldens had released the year prior.
The song’s accompanying music video was released on Tiësto’s Vevo account on YouTube. It reached number 10 on the UK Dance Chart and was certified silver.
2018
Fire in My Soul
Demonstrating Oliver Heldens’ musical versatility and exploration, this song is unlike anything Heldens had previously released as it takes its influence from African music, something that Heldens was listening to frequently at the time of producing the track. The song features vocals from American-born Zimbabwean singer Alexandra Govere.
It marks another milestone in Heldens’ career: it was his debut release with RCA Records, the label he had signed with earlier that year. The track reached top 10 on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart and Dance Club Songs Chart, peaking at number one on the latter.
2019
Turn Me On
Taking inspiration from the past, this song includes direct influences from Yazoo’s 1982 classic “Don’t Go,” with some lyrical references to First Choice’s 1977 song “Doctor Love.” It is one of Heldens’ most streamed songs to date, boasting hundreds of millions of streams across listening platforms.
This song was a collaboration with English DJ Riton and English-American singer Vula. It was released through Ministry of Sound Recordings, the record label for one of the UK’s largest superclubs.
The single made its way to the top of Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart, a new milestone for Heldens.
