Obi Michels, aka Hijmer, is an emerging producer from Nijmegen, Netherlands. “Hijmer”, as the artist explained to us, “is an old Dutch word used to represent thoughts and feelings about all facets of life that are unfinished or imperfect, paired with a yearning for ideal alternative experiences.”
‘Show Me’, although a slight shift from his typical sound, is a characteristically deep, dark and downtempo track, featuring eerie manipulated vocal and guitar recordings against an organic, rolling percussive backdrop.
As one of the ten musical projects selected by Nieuwe Electronische Waar (New Electronic Goods), a developmental platform for producers of electronic music from the Eastern Netherlands, Hijmer is set for a busy and exciting year!
Hit the play button and get to know Hijmer:
Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
Well hello, got a day off from work but it’s a bit rainy outside so loungin’ at home.
Tell us about your journey in music, how long have you been producing? What inspired you to start?
Like a lot of people I got my first taste of FL studio from a good friend I lived with at that time, about 7 years ago.
Started out making a lot of minimal house, DnB and ambient music which evolved into what my music sounds like today, trying to find my own little niche.
What inspired me was the freedom you have making electronic music in a DAW.
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies you.
Well, I mainly use my laptop with FLstudio 12 on it, I play guitar as well which I sometimes record for songs and I use a small midi keyboard.
You experiment with a diverse range of sounds and styles, yet you seem to have a particular interest in producing slower, downtempo tracks. Why is this?
I’ve always been fond of more deep and slow music, gives it a bit of a sexy vibe.
Give us an idea of the culture around electronic music in your city.
I would say the culture is pretty diverse. Almost all genres get covered but techno/house is probably the biggest here.
What’s the best gig you have ever done?
Never done any gigs yet, still working on my sound.
What are the biggest challenges you face in pursuit of your creative projects?
I think the biggest challenge is definitely my own mental state, finding that balance between being realistic how much luck you need to get somewhere and being as determined as possible.
How are you spending your free time when you are not working on music?
Besides music I do a lot of painting, and having a good time outside of my hermit kingdom at home.
How do you think your visual art feeds into your music, if at all?
For me it works the other way around mostly, the music gets created in an impulse, after that, I’ll make the artwork that fits the feeling the song gives me.
Please recommend an album that you have enjoyed recently.
Definitely gonna be RARITIES by Lorn.
Do you have any information regarding upcoming releases, projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
Well, I have a whole stack of songs that are coming out over the coming weeks as well as an EP that will only be available on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. And I’ll probably be working on getting my first gig through a small competition I won here in the Netherlands you can check that out here:
Follow hijmer:
Facebook – Soundcloud – Spotify – Instagram – Apple Music
By Alaric Hobbs
