Brainheart discusses main influences, debut single ‘Explore The World’ and more: Interview

Constantly on the rise, Brainheart is more than set on leaving a lasting impact within the electronic dance industry. A true advocate of our community, this is one interview that you most definitely don’t want to miss out on.

Looking to leave his own mark within the electronic dance industry, Brainheart (real name Roi Zohar) is the epitome of an artist that has been mastering his craft to the utmost of perfection. Leaving no doubt to the imagination, each of his releases ensure nothing less than the most energetic and feel-good vibes, whilst his unique style of play, helps him stand out from all the rest. Incorporating an array of musical elements in each of his productions, Brainheart is well and truly on his way towards global dominance, with his versatile nature acting as a key aspect in the success that he is currently achieving. Having made a distinct impact with the release of ‘Explore The World,’ a track that also featured vocals by no other than his sister, Brainheart has continued in the most immersive of manners, and in turn, his rise to success comes to no surprise. With this in mind, we could not be any more thrilled to be joined by the man of the moment, as he discusses main inspirations and influences, maintaining a versatile nature, advocating an independent artist lifestyle, portraying a wider message through each of his releases, dealing with various mental health issues, his plans for the future within the dance scene, and so much more.

Hello and thank you for joining us! Could you give us an insight on the main inspirations/influences that led to your chosen career pathway in music? 

Hey, thank you for having me. My first exposure to music was at the age of four. That’s because my mom used to listen to classical and orchestral music. I fell in love with all the instruments, especially the piano, violin, and cello. What is fascinating about music is that it’s a universal language and connects people from all over the world. Over the years, I fell in love with more genres, especially EDM. I remember the first time I watched the Tomorrowland Festival, and I was hooked. I struggled severely in the school system and felt that I was wasting my time. I taught myself how to play piano at the age of 15, and honestly, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I still have a lot to learn, and I am getting better every day. Music started as a way to distract myself from struggles at school and social life, but it quickly became much more than that. A year later, I started creating music and knew I had found my purpose. Everything I have done in my life and chosen to do in my life has revolved around music and following my dreams. All I want to do is be an example of perseverance and strength.  I’m so grateful for everything I have been able to accomplish and know that this is just the very beginning for me still. I’ve had the privilege of touching millions of people’s hearts with my music, and I know that one day I’ll be extremely successful. Nothing makes my heart explode with love and light more than sharing my music with the world and having it accepted with open arms.

With music an influential aspect from an early age in your life, we would like to know how your multi-faceted nature has helped shape the artist that you are today, as well as your own view on electronic music in particular?

Music is my guardian angel; I suffered a lot in the past and music always saved me. Loneliness and emptiness are heavier than people can ever imagine. People couldn’t understand me or help me, and music was there for me in my darkest times. The genre that mainly helped me was EDM.Songs like “Wake Me Up” by Avicii, “Language” by Porter Robinson, and “Calling” by Alesso + Sebastian Ingrosso made me fall in love with EDM. There is something contagious about electronic music. The atmosphere, energy, and vibes are something else… I believe that the most important thing in life is to be happy, celebrate it, and create memories. This is exactly what EDM is all about. 

With versatility a key element in your repertoire, we would like to know how the variation of genres have been impacting your style of play, as well as the significance in adapting to different sound(s) as your career progresses? 

I think that being versatile as an artist is extremely important because you always want to evolve and be innovative. I find beauty in every genre, and I am not afraid to try new things. I can’t define my music by genre because I always love to experiment with different sounds and styles of music. I produce mainly EDM, but I love pop, soft-rock, and acoustic songs. My goal is to create a versatile and interesting catalog. I don’t want to create repetitive music with the same sounds and structure. In the past, I always created EDM, but now I am more open-minded to try different things, techniques, and genres. It’s difficult to learn those techniques but it’s so interesting and challenging, I just love it! I want to surprise myself and my listeners by taking them on an interesting musical journey. I do my best to create emotional music and interesting melodies with strong and meaningful lyrics (no matter the genre). I get inspiration from so many things, but I think the most powerful sources of inspiration come from traveling, movies, and music festivals/concerts. Music-wise, I listen to so many genres and am always open to new sounds. So many artists and bands inspire me. Artists and bands like Coldplay, ILLENIUM, The Script, Martin Garrix, Labrinth, Ed Sheeran, Bring Me The Horizon, Hans Zimmer, Said The Sky, Dabin, and more.

Advocating an independent artist lifestyle, could you give us an insight on how challenging this may be in terms of reaching your potential within the dance scene, as well as the knowledge that you have gained from taking this route towards success? 

Actually, Russ inspired me to be an independent musician. He is a fantastic human being and a hard worker; I absolutely admire his mindset. Being an independent artist is extremely hard and the industry hates you because of that. I prefer to be independent because I don’t want a label that will control my life and my music. Most labels take the masters and own your art (which doesn’t make sense to me because I create it. I believe that there’s nothing you can do as a major-label artist that you can’t do independently. The freedom of doing whatever you want, whenever you want is amazing. It takes more time, but it is worth it.

With mental health among yourself and your peers becoming an ever-so significant aspect within the dance scene, we would like to know how you deal with issues of such manner, and how impactful awareness can be for artists within the dance scene? 

I mean some days I am at rock bottom, and some days I feel on top of the world.  A lot of musicians have mental health issues. When I say “I need a break” it has never been and never will be from making music, it’s from all the things outside the creative process.  I am transparent with how I feel because I know that people need people. And in this world filled with so many emotions, circumstances, and experiences, it’s ok to feel everything at once or nothing at all. Luckily making music isn’t draining me or distracting me from working on my mental health, it’s guiding me. I always remind myself that right when you think that you’ve hit rock bottom, maybe look up & see that you were just falling in reverse this whole time. And everything plays out the way it should.Trust your instincts, trust the universe, and light will come. Today I feel good. I feel strong, motivated, hopeful, and grateful. But I also feel tired, my body is sore, I have a lot of things on my plate right now, and life feels like it’s just speeding right on by without any control. I’m always planning, anticipating, and preparing for the future sometimes I don’t even realize what I have been waiting for is here right in front of me.

Leaving no doubt to the imagination, each of your releases portray a wider message that help define your own path. Could you give us an insight on your favorite production to date, your ultimate collaboration, as well as a venue or event that you one day want to grace with your presence? 

My favorite production to date is “Keep Me From Falling Apart” and another unreleased track (more info… soon). This song is really special to me. I made it with one of my best friends Dorel. Such an amazing singer that will go places. This is the first time that I’ve combined pop-punk/rock and EDM together—genres that I extremely love. It was so fun creating it. I will create more pop-punk/rock EDM songs in the future. Even though I’m not a great guitarist, I forced myself to play as much as I can. That’s why this song contains a lot of guitar layers, something that I will do more in my future productions for sure!

Living in a social media day and age, we would like to know your own way of dealing with this subject, and in doing so, your own personal thoughts on how easy or not it may be to find peace of mind as an artist within our community? 

It’s really tough, actually, this is the biggest obstacle for me. I believe that every artist wants to concentrate on making music. I hate being bothered with it, but it’s a great tool to make more fans and spread my music.Social media is a huge part of being a successful musician these days and it can really mess with the mind and soul sometimes. All the numbers, likes, comments, and stuff… it’s not easy. Making art is a lonely path sometimes and the music industry is a very dark place. Most people don’t really understand how hard is to be an independent musician and social media doesn’t make it easier. It affects my mental health, but I learn to live with it day by day.

With 2023 in full flow and festival season upon us, could you give us an insight on any upcoming Brainheart projects and live performances that may be on the way, as well as an overview of the goals that you have set yourself for the imminent future?

Unfortunately, I can’t perform yet, the biggest goal for 2023 is to get an artist visa; I really want to move to the US. It’s very complicated, but I believe that one day I’ll get it. I believe that I will have many more opportunities there to develop my music career. So, the plan is to keep making music and touching people’s hearts and souls. My songs are a testament to my boundless creativity, with each track carefully crafted to explore the depths of my emotion and human experience. I take pride in being a passionate advocate for mental health and self-care, using my platform to promote positive messages and encourage my supporters to prioritize their own well being. I want to keep growing my socials and fanbase. I want to evolve and become a better version of myself – as a musician and as a person.

What is the first thing you’re going to do when you become a millionaire? 

I will surprise my parents with their dream home. I just can’t wait to change their lives and spoil them as much as I can.

Remarkable in every sense of the word, Brainheart is more than set on leaving a lasting impact within our community, and as you may have guessed, we are all for it. Having said this, we will be keeping a close eye on this artist to watch and all his future endeavours, but for the time being, you can stay fully up to date by following him on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

Featured Image Credit: David Goldshtein