Belgian DJ and producer Henri PFR talks music experience, an upcoming charity event with UNICEF and many more!
24-year old Belgian DJ and producer first caught the attention of Armin van Buurenโs label when posted his mixtape Summer Memories online on โLa Belle Musiqueโ YouTube Channel, which has over 70 million views!
Henri PFR has collaborated with Robin Schulz and produced โWave Goodbyeโ, released in 2015. In 2017, he received the Pure (Belgian radio) Newcomer Award at the D6bels Music Awards and won โOrchidโ during the Orchid Ceremony for having contributed to the profile of the province of Walloon Brabant!
Henri PFR is excited to announce his upcoming project with UNICEF in 2020! Read below for more!
ASL365: Whatโs the story behind the name Henri PFR?
HPFR: The story behind my artist name is very simple. My real name is Henri Peiffer, so I just removed the vowels! After that, I insist that it is Henri P.F.R and not pfrrrr as one can often make the joke haha!
ASL365: You have spent nine years training in classical piano and studying musical theory. What inspired you to start producing electronic music and how did you find your signature style?
HPFR: Yes I have had classical piano training. It helps me enormously to produce as well as find / create melodies/tracks. Regarding my signature style, I just like to make music that I like and that I would personally listen to. This turns out to be a happy and uplifting vibe that people can dance to.
ASL365: How is it working with major labels such as Armada and Sony Music?
HPFR: Much more than the brand name of the label to me itโs the people behind it that matters and Iโm really fortunate to be surrounded by talented and caring people.
ASL365: Being 24 and making your first appearance in DJ MAG TOP 100 DJs at #97, must be pretty surreal. How does that feel?
HPFR: It’s just great! Having started a few years ago in my room and now having the chance to enter the top 100 of the best DJs in the world is just crazy. I will never be grateful enough to all the people who support me in this crazy adventure!
ASL365: Can you tell us about yourย charity music event that will be held in your home country Belgium in 2020?
HPFR: With pleasure. The idea is to organize a huge charity concert where 100% of the profits would go to fund the constructions of schools in Ivory Coast made from bricks constructed from recycled plastic. I had the honour of becoming an official ambassador for UNICEF and had the chance to go with them on a field humanitarian mission in the Ivory Coast, Africa. After witnessing the situation over there and the amazing things that the local UNICEF office did I absolutely had to help in any way possible. This is how the idea of the concert came up to finance the construction of infrastructure including schools, toilets, water wells in theย Ivory Coast, so people can go to a concert and at the same time do good and allow several thousand children the opportunity to go to school.
ASL365: What’re the biggest challenges/roadblocks you faced during music production, and how did you overcome them?ย
HPFR: The hardest challenge is probably one of the famous blank pages. It happens to me from time to time and to face it I start making music of a totally different genre under another artist name. This allows me to be creative in a different genre and come back to the original project with new ideas.
ASL365: You have previously played on Tomorrowland mainstage, what was that experience like?
HPFR: Iโve actually had the chance to play 3 times on the mainstage of Tomorrowland. It’s really something magical because it’s the biggest stage of the biggest electro festival in the world. Itโs both the best and worst feeling because Iโm so stressed and focused to make sure it goes perfectly that I cannot enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
ASL365: Outside of producing music, what do you like to do?
HPFR: I love drawing! I recently discovered a drawing app called “ProCreate” and now I canโt stop using it. I can spend hours listening to quiet music and drawing at the same time. It has a super relaxing and satisfying effect on me.
ASL365: Is there someone you havenโt worked with yet that you would really like to?
HPFR: This is a difficult question because if I give you 1 I forget 1000! If I had to pick someone, it would be Mick Jagger! Because my father is one of the biggest fans of The Stones in the world so if I can be in the studio with Mick Jagger my father would be so proud of me haha!
ASL365: You have released a number of singles this year. Is there a larger project in the works?
HPFR: If by a bigger project you mean an album I prefer to say no, at least for the moment. I have enough songs to release an album but I do not want to put pressure on myself and want to continue to release my singles 1 by 1 but who knows, maybe I will release an album but not in the near future.
