Get To Know 5vel: 13 Questions With A Notable Up-and-Comer

It’s no secret that the internet is a significant way to promote yourself. It is amazing all of the new music we can discover all on our own; sometimes by accident, and sometimes by word of mouth, or should I say, “tweet.” As many of you know, most of the musicians that I write about on here are artists that I discovered randomly or by some strange coincidence…or is it? My main goal here on Buzznet is to share those artists with you; the bands/artists that fill up not only your iPod but your heart as well. I want to share their stories with you. I want their stories to inspire you to go out there and do great things. Speaking of inspiring people, allow me shut up and introduce you to one of my newest discoveries: 5vel. Trust me, you’ll be buzzing about him later.

I was browsing through Tumblr one night and I came across a remix of LIGHTS’ “…And Counting.” I clicked the play button and was immediately brought to a whole new dimension! I just had to know who remixed it. I was brought to the YouTube channel of 5vel (pronounced five-el) and found a bunch of other songs that he had remixed by artists such as Deadmau5, Empire Of The Sun and Justin Timberlake just to name a few.

Hailing from Orlando, FL, 5vel focuses on everything from trance to dubstep but he continues to push the bar with his own material. I think it’s safe to call him the next Armin van Buuren. He’s gotten an overwhelming response on YouTube, with encouraging comments such as:

Whoever disliked this doesn’t have electricity,”

“This is my favorite version of this song. Absolutely enthralling.

…this remix is absolutely euphoric.

Who knew people on YouTube were so kind?! The best part is that he always says “thank you.”

I had the pleasure of interviewing 5vel on a variety of things ranging from his passion for music, his dream collaborations, what he’s currently listening to at the moment, and where he got the name 5vel!

How did you begin making music?

That’s a good question. I began making music when I was about 15 and I was actually making hip hop haha.

What inspires you the most?

I would have to say people and being able to change someone’s mood by just music itself.

Who are your influences? Do they play any role in your music?

Yes, I love Apex, Deadmau5, Kaskade, Hans Zimmer, and many others. I definitely consider them as my influences.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of what you do?

The most challenging aspect is trying to get everything from your head into the computer. It’s hard sometimes when there is a sound or feel that you’re trying to create and you’re trying to get the computer to match that the best you can. It’s both fun and very frustrating at times but the result is worth it.

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

I actually have many. I would love to collaborate with Samantha James, Matthew Koma, and LIGHTS. I think it would be really interesting to see what we could come up with. They are all phenomenal writers and vocalists and I catch myself listening to their music most often.

Describe the response you’ve gotten on YouTube and how it has changed your life.

To be honest I had no idea that I would get a response from YouTube at all! It’s one of those things where you just run with it and see how far it takes you! When I saw that I had 10,000 views on my “Above and Beyond” remix within a couple of weeks I was ecstatic! YouTube has really been a great platform to share work and ideas and it’s a really great way to get people to connect socially and even professionally.

Tell us about your name (5vel) and how it came about.

Well growing up as a kid I used to watch Land Before Time, Aladdin, The Page Master; all of these were my favorite movies that I grew up with. I guess you could say I’m a kid at heart. Fievel Goes West is also on that list so when I was trying to think of a name I thought “hey why not Fievel?” So that’s what I chose. That little guy stopped at nothing till he got what he wanted, that says a lot haha. I basically changed the spelling to 5vel but kept the same pronunciation.

Have any of the artists you’ve remixed reached out to you?

Yes, I actually did a mashup of Deadmau5’s “Faxing Berlin” and Laurie Webb’s “Dance With Me.” I asked her if she would like to do some vocals for a progressive track I wrote called “Cloud 9” and she sent me some rough draft recordings but its still being worked on and I’m working with her producer to see where he wants us to take it.

I really love your remix of LIGHTS’s “And Counting.” What makes you decide what songs to remix?

Thank you I appreciate that! Sometimes when I hear a song I think “what if this song had a progressive house feel or a melodic dubstep feel?” and I go from there and start working to see what happens. Everything is very experimental.

What goes through your mind while you’re making music? Do you always have a specific idea in mind or do you just go with the flow?

Sometimes I have a specific idea and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I have no idea what the finished work is going to sound like until I get completely done with it!

We want to know what you are listening to right now! What are your top 5 favorite songs at the moment?

That’s a tough one. I would have to say:

Mat Zo feat. Linnea Schossow – The Sky (Club Mix)

Alex M.O.R.P.H. – Waking Up The Stars

Major Tom – (Coming Home) (Adam K & Soha Club Edit)

Cazzette – Beam Me Up (Kill Mode) (Nirmana Remake)

Apex – Omega Point

As you can see, its a pretty wide variety, and that’s just me attempting to pick my favorite songs!

What do you hope people take away from your music? Do you have a message you want to get out there?

Just as you can get lost in book, you can get lost in music. That’s basically the kind of idea I’m going for. Music is the universal language after all right?

What are your hopes for the future?

If I could collaborate with LIGHTS or Matthew Koma or Samantha James that’s all I would want. It’s an amazing thing when you can get people of similar interests and see what you can create and what’s just as amazing is getting people from different backgrounds, and different ethnicities, and different cultures to all be in the same place all for the same reason. Love for people and love for music.

Listen to 5vel’s LIGHTS remix below:

Lights- And Counting (5vel Remix) by 5vel

You can check out 5vel on YouTube and SoundCloud for all of his music! Don’t forget to subscribe!

You can also “Like” 5vel on his Facebook page for all of the latest updates and follow him on Twitter @5velmusic.

What do you think of 5vel?

Follow me on Twitter @TinaTweetsAlot