With a background in hip-hop, David Heartbreak’s style of production is technically as impressive as it is sonically. His releases personify his insatiable love for music and his drive to continually challenge himself as an artist is apparent within seconds of pressing play on any of his records. In preparation for the release of his latest single, ‘Tonight’, off his forthcoming EP, Rose Colored Bass, we had the opportunity to speak with David and delve deeper into the inspiration, passion, and sound that encompasses “Heartbreak music”.
David Heartbreak holds his current position in the music industry because of one thing – hard work. In an industry that is structured by genres and classifications, he’s creating leftfield production, refusing to follow the formula, and investing copious amounts of time crafting custom sounds. 
This is my life. This is my career. I’ve invested so much time into music because I’m doing this for myself. I’m on the computer 18 hours a day studying music and trying to better myself.
From experimenting with drum kits, synths, and various sounds, the Brooklyn-born producer transitioned from rap to producing his own take on electronic music. Weaving together aspects of dubstep, electro, reggae, acid, hip-hop, and honestly anything that speaks to his creative muse; David Heartbreak quickly established the framework behind Heartbreak music.
Since this transition, David has evolved and mastered just about every digital workstation possible and his broad circle of friends and fellow producers have continued to help feed his voracious appetite for knowledge. His music is an amalgam of cultures, styles and sounds but when asked to classify his productions David stated:
It’s sexy aggressive music with a splash of dub. I don’t call myself a genre anymore. If you ask me what I call my music. I call it heartbreak. Heartbreak is different for everyone. For some people heartbreak is pain, and for some people heartbreak is what you need to kick you in your ass and start moving. Heartbreak is different for everyone. It’s not some misogynistic state. It’s an emotion. I’m just putting out what is from the heart.
Since signing with OWSLA in 2013, David has continued to develop and perfect his sound and identity within the imprint. His first release on the label, his Foundation EP, was a patch-work of genres and sounds that represented the grab-bag of styles David can masterfully stitch together to create art that is as powerful as it is diverse. Records like ‘Heartbroken’ set an unprecedented middle ground for Heartbreak’s productions; deftly balancing the juxtaposition of two extremes, the soulful and the aggressive.
I’m on OWSLA man. Sonny put us in a position to make anything you want. Why would you not take advantage of that?
Following his OWSLA debut, David Heartbreak has continued to work diligently in silence. Chipping away at the formulaic nature of mainstream music, scrambling the remains and recreating something organic and of a new light. After months of relative silence, David is back and preparing to release his next extended play record entitled, Rose Colored Bass.
Serving as a mere taste of the expansive catalog of music David Heartbreak has yet to release, Rose Colored Bass, is deeply personal and continues to shed light on the sound of Heartbreak. Opening with a haunting overture, the album’s somber foundation is established almost instantaneously. Melancholic piano melodies interplay with expressive strings to create a sound that feels almost tangible. Orchestral, textured, and deeply atmospheric; the prelude signifies the start of an emotional journey.
When you listen to my album, the first track that you listen to, it sounds like the color red. Music can make people experience different emotions and even colors. Music is deeper than people even know. So basically, War of Roses, it’s kind of like a love story in my mind. And after I made that I wanted to make emotional shit from the heart. That’s what I’m about.
Feeding off of the tenebrous foundation of the EP, one record in particular, ‘Tonight’, serves an instrumental role dissolving the sullen tone of the preceding records. Fans of Heartbreak will recognize that ‘Tonight’ heavily flexes the vocals of Skylar Grey, recognizable from his notable release, ‘Raindrops’. Despite, re-enlisting the help of Skylar, ‘Tonight’ arguably serves as one of the most integral tracks of the album. Cutting through the bittersweet darkness that is Rose Colored Bass, ‘Tonight’, is a welcomed breath of fresh air. It’s impassioned, dynamic and in many senses cathartic. Anyone who was familiar with David before he signed to OWSLA will reconnect almost immediately. ‘Tonight’, serves as yet another testament to the emotional tunes that Heartbreak has been producing for years.
Meandering through the remainder of the EP, all efforts ease the listener to the concluding and title record, ‘Rose Colored Bass’. Ethereal and refined, ‘Rose Colored Bass’ is the rich culmination of an album that speaks to the sinuous trail of emotions encapsulated by heartbreak.
David Heartbreak pushes his music where the majority of artists in today’s landscape fear to venture. Continually refusing to fit the formula, Rose Colored Bass sprawls from genre to genre, in a refined and focused manner. Its strength lies in the subtleties of its production and the depth of sound highlighted in each and every track of this emotional record.
Rose Colored Bass is set to drop via OWSLA on November 18th.
We’re going through history and people don’t even realize it. Years from now OWSLA is going to be like Motown. You can’t even get a grasp of where things are going.
David Heartbreak
