High Beam discusses being personally selected by Moby to remix ‘When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die’, following his 30 million stream breakthrough ‘Just What I Said’.

Rising producer High Beam has just landed one of the more meaningful co-signs in electronic music, with Moby personally selecting him to remix ‘When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die’, the iconic track that found a whole new audience after featuring in Netflix‘s Stranger Things. Coming off the back of his breakthrough hit ‘Just What I Said (Everything In Its Right Place)’, which surpassed 30 million streams and charted virally across 25 countries, High Beam brings his signature melodic sensibility to one of Moby‘s most beloved records. We caught up with him to talk about the remix process, his influences, and what’s coming next.

To start with congratulations on the remix. You’ve said that Moby has been an inspiration to you so getting to remix one of his songs must be incredibly exciting. How did all this come about?

Thanks! Moby is such an inspiration to me and an artist I’ve admired for years. Honestly, I thought my managers were joking when they told me about the opportunity. 

The fact that he personally selected me to reinterpret the track made it incredibly meaningful. Getting the chance to rework a record from someone who’s had such a lasting impact on electronic music was really special.

Moby is of course a hugely experienced and incredibly talented producer. Did he give you any advice going into this and if not what’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt from his music?

We went back and forth on a few production notes, and one of the biggest things I’ve taken from his music is that electronic music doesn’t always have to be built for a club or fit into a specific box. His more subtle production and use of sampling really stands out to me, especially compared to a lot of other electronic artists from his era.

I imagine taking on the challenge of remixing a song as iconic as ‘When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die’ was quite nerve racking. How did you approach the process of honouring the original while also showing off your own style?

It definitely was, and I started several different versions of the remix before landing on the final one. The song is quite sad and weary, and has such a beautiful vocal, so I wanted to keep that front and center while still honouring the overall feel of the track. I built out the harmonic and melodic elements first in a way that felt appropriate to the emotion of the original, and then added the drums and rhythmic elements to give it some lift and make it feel like my own interpretation.

Every artist has their own process when to comes to producing or remixing a song. With ‘When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die’ did you know what you wanted the track to sound like and where did you start with it?

I usually come into a project with an idea of the overall emotion and vibe I’m trying to capture, but try to keep the details open-ended. I don’t like forcing an exact vision too early, and try to experiment with what feels right as the track develops. I often start out with something super simple like a drone, sustained note, or background effect and building a progression around it, and that’s pretty much how this one started as well. 

This remix comes off the back of your huge hit ‘Just What I Said (Everything In Its Right Place)’ which was a massive breakthrough for you. How did it feel to get that breakthrough and really launch your name forwards?

When I released the track I didn’t have any expectations that the track would perform nearly as well as it did. I’m super grateful that so many people have connected with it, and that I had the right team around me to help clear the Radiohead sample. It all still feels a bit surreal!

‘Just What I Said (Everything In Its Right Place)’ brought in a lot of fans for you. For the new wave of fans that will be discovering you from this remix, how would you describe your style of music?

I think I draw the most inspiration from the melodic house and indie dance world – I’m definitely a sucker for sad, nostalgic-leaning music. I’ve always liked electronic music with a balance between something that could work on the dancefloor and something you would throw on while driving or hanging out and I think that comes through in my production.

As an artist there’s obviously plenty of people you will have taken inspiration from with Moby being one of them. Who would you say have been some of the most formative artists for you in helping you find your sound?

There are so many great artists out there right now. When I first got into producing, Flume was having his come up and really got me into electronic production and sound design. Some other artists I’ve listened to a ton over the years and have definitely shaped the way I make music in different ways are Jamie xx, Tourist, Lane 8, and Caribou. 

You’ve kicked off this year incredibly well with this remix. Have you got any other exciting projects on the horizon?

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio working on new music and some collaborations that I’m really excited about, which will start rolling out this year. I’ve also been exploring how the project can evolve into a live experience. Between the Moby remix and “Just What I Said,” there’s been some great early momentum, so I’m looking forward to building on that with this next chapter of releases and shows.