Heldeep Records

Heldeep Records is a Dutch electronic-music label and artist platform established by Oliver Heldens in 2015. It emerged during Heldens's rapid rise as a producer associated with deep house and future house, following the international attention generated by tracks such as “Gecko” and “Koala.” The imprint was created to provide a home for Heldens's own material while also introducing developing producers and collaborators to a wider dance-music audience. The label's early activity combined releases under Heldens's own name with material from the HI-LO project, his darker and more underground-oriented alias. The first release identified with Heldeep was HI-LO's “Renegade Mastah,” issued in July 2015. HI-LO was later revealed to be Heldens himself; the name derives from a reversal of “Oli H.” The project gave the label a way to explore heavier, deeper and more club-focused electronic music alongside the accessible house sound associated with Heldens's principal artist identity. Heldeep's early catalogue also emphasized emerging talent. The Heldeep Talent EP, released in November 2015, brought together tracks by Death Ray Shake, Bojac, Niko The Kid, and Jonas Aden with Robby East. A second Talent EP followed in March 2016 with contributions from Steff Da Campo, NOVKA, and Tom Budin with Stevyn. Other early releases included collaborations involving Chocolate Puma, Tommie Sunshine, Throttle, Mr. Belt & Wezol, Shermanology, Bougenvilla, and Out Of Cookies. These releases positioned the imprint as more than a personal vanity label: it functioned as a curated outlet for house, deep-house, future-house and related dance styles. The label expanded its profile through artist signings and event activity. Reference material identifies artists associated with Heldeep's growth as including Alok, Chocolate Puma and Dada Life. Heldeep also developed a live and promotional identity through branded stages at festivals such as Tomorrowland, Mysteryland, SW4, Electric Forest, Spring Awakening, Sunrise Festival and Imagine Festival. It organized label nights connected with major electronic-music gatherings including Miami Music Week and Amsterdam Dance Event. A significant part of the brand's reach came from Heldeep Radio, a recurring mix and radio program associated with Heldens. By 2019, the show had reached its 250th episode and was described as syndicated in 65 countries and carried by more than 90 stations. The label marked its fifth anniversary in the same period with the Heldeep 5 World Tour, which brought Heldens and associated artists to markets in North America, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Europe, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea. Heldeep operates within a broader network of Heldens-related music ventures. Heldens later founded OH2 Records for vocal-oriented house music, while his HI-LO work increasingly appeared through other techno labels, including Filth on Acid and Drumcode. Heldeep nevertheless remained the principal imprint linked to his house-oriented label identity and to the discovery and promotion of electronic artists. The available reference material does not identify a separate corporate parent, public listing, headquarters address or independently reported financial results for Heldeep Records.

Heldeep Records was founded in 2015 by Dutch DJ and producer Oliver Heldens. Its creation followed Heldens's breakthrough in the early 2010s, when releases including “Gecko” and “Koala” helped establish him internationally within the house-music scene. Rather than operating solely as a vehicle for the founder's recordings, Heldeep was conceived as a platform for new producers and a label through which a broader range of contemporary dance music could be presented. The imprint's first identified release was “Renegade Mastah” by HI-LO, a project later disclosed to be Heldens's own darker alias. HI-LO allowed Heldens to pursue deeper and more underground club music than the material issued under his main name. Subsequent HI-LO releases such as “Crank It Up,” “Wappy Flirt” and “Ooh La La” established an early connection between Heldeep and the alias. The label also issued “Scrub the Ground” by Chocolate Puma and Tommie Sunshine in October 2015. Heldeep's artist-development strategy became especially visible through the Heldeep Talent EP series. The first volume, released in November 2015, included contributions from Death Ray Shake, Bojac, Niko The Kid, and Jonas Aden with Robby East. The second volume arrived in March 2016 and featured Steff Da Campo, NOVKA, and Tom Budin with Stevyn. During the same period, the catalogue expanded through releases such as “Waiting” by Oliver Heldens and Throttle, “Hide & Seek” by Mr. Belt & Wezol and Shermanology, “Break It Down” by Bougenvilla and Out Of Cookies, and “Space Sheep” by Heldens and Chocolate Puma. As the imprint developed, reference material associated its growth with artists including Alok, Chocolate Puma and Dada Life. Heldeep also built a public-facing events program. It hosted branded stages at festivals including Tomorrowland, Mysteryland, SW4, Electric Forest, Spring Awakening, Sunrise Festival and Imagine Festival, and held label nights during Miami Music Week and Amsterdam Dance Event. These activities extended the label beyond recorded releases and connected its identity to the international electronic-festival circuit. Heldeep Radio became another important part of the label ecosystem. The program presented mixes and electronic releases connected with Heldens and the imprint. By 2019, its 250th episode was being commemorated, and the show was described as syndicated in 65 countries, broadcast by more than 90 stations and reaching more than 118 million people per week. The label's fifth anniversary was marked by the Heldeep 5 World Tour, which visited North and South American, European and Asian markets. Heldeep exists alongside other Heldens-related projects. In 2020, Heldens launched OH2 Records as a second label intended to focus more heavily on vocal house. At the same time, the HI-LO project increasingly moved toward techno collaborations and releases associated with labels such as Filth on Acid and Drumcode. This diversification did not replace Heldeep's original role: the imprint remained linked to house-oriented releases, artist discovery, branded radio programming and festival presentation. The available material does not establish a separate parent company, a precise headquarters location, a public listing or financial information for Heldeep Records. It is best characterized as an active, founder-led electronic-music record-label imprint associated with Oliver Heldens and the international dance-music market.

• 2019

  Fifth anniversary and 250th Heldeep Radio episode

  [1]Oliver Heldensen.wikipedia.org

  Heldeep commemorates its fifth year and the 250th episode of its radio program with a global tour.

• 2016

  Second Heldeep Talent EP

  [1]Oliver Heldensen.wikipedia.org

  The follow-up talent release features Steff Da Campo, NOVKA, and Tom Budin with Stevyn.

• 2015

  Heldeep Records is founded

  [1]Oliver Heldensen.wikipedia.org

  Oliver Heldens launches Heldeep Records as a platform for emerging electronic artists and his own projects.

• 2015

  HI-LO makes its Heldeep debut

  [1]Oliver Heldensen.wikipedia.org

  “Renegade Mastah,” the first identified HI-LO release on Heldeep, introduces Heldens's darker alias through the new imprint.

• 2015

  First Heldeep Talent EP

  [1]Oliver Heldensen.wikipedia.org

  The label presents a multi-artist EP featuring Death Ray Shake, Bojac, Niko The Kid, and Jonas Aden with Robby East.

An artist-led electronic-music imprint focused on house, deep house, future house and adjacent club sounds, combining Oliver Heldens's own releases with a platform for emerging producers and international dance artists.

• Electronic music recordings · 2015

  Heldeep Records releases

  The label's principal product is a catalogue of digital electronic-music singles, remixes, collaborations and extended club versions. Its repertoire is associated primarily with house, deep house, future house and related dance styles, while selected releases connect with heavier or more underground sounds. The catalogue includes material by Oliver Heldens, HI-LO and outside artists.

• Artist-development compilation EP · 2015

  Heldeep Talent EP

  The Heldeep Talent EP series showcases developing producers through multi-artist releases. The first volume included Death Ray Shake, Bojac, Niko The Kid, and Jonas Aden with Robby East; the second presented tracks by Steff Da Campo, NOVKA, and Tom Budin with Stevyn. The series expresses Heldeep's role as a discovery-oriented imprint rather than only a home for its founder.

• Radio and DJ mix program

  Heldeep Radio

  Heldeep Radio is a recurring electronic-music mix and radio program associated with Oliver Heldens and the label. It provides a promotional channel for new releases, guest material and the wider Heldeep sound. By 2019, the program had reached its 250th episode and was described as internationally syndicated.

• Underground electronic music · 2015

  HI-LO releases

  HI-LO is Oliver Heldens's darker electronic-music alias. Its earliest releases appeared through Heldeep, giving the label an underground-facing dimension distinct from Heldens's more mainstream house work. The project later became increasingly associated with techno collaborations and releases on other labels.

• 2019Heldeep 5 World Tour

  North America · Mexico · Brazil · Peru · Europe · Indonesia · Japan · South Korea

  A global anniversary tour celebrating Heldeep's fifth year, featuring Oliver Heldens and associated artists in club and festival settings.

  Outcome. The campaign extended Heldeep's label identity into international live events and coincided with the 250th episode of Heldeep Radio.

  Source
• Heldeep festival stages and label nights

  Europe · United States · Latin America · Asia

  Heldeep presented branded stages at festivals including Tomorrowland, Mysteryland, SW4, Electric Forest, Spring Awakening, Sunrise Festival and Imagine Festival, alongside label nights during Miami Music Week and Amsterdam Dance Event.

  Outcome. These events strengthened the imprint's visibility as a live electronic-music community and artist platform.

  Source

• 2015

  Create an artist-development imprintStrategy

  Background

  After Oliver Heldens's international breakthrough, he sought a platform that could feature both his own music and recordings by emerging electronic producers.

  Action taken

  Heldens launched Heldeep Records and developed a catalogue spanning house-oriented releases, collaborations and talent compilations.

  Aftermath

  The imprint expanded into artist associations, radio programming, festival stages and international label events.

  Source

• 2015

  Introduce HI-LO through HeldeepProduct launch

  Background

  Heldens wanted to distinguish a deeper and more underground musical direction from his principal artist releases.

  Action taken

  He used the HI-LO alias for early Heldeep releases, beginning with “Renegade Mastah.”

  Aftermath

  HI-LO became a continuing project and later developed stronger ties to techno artists and labels outside Heldeep.

  Source

1. 1Oliver Heldensen.wikipedia.org