The Holy shares the ’90s-inspired single, “Plantera”
Montreal-based DJ and producer The Holy (aka Olivier Lamontagne) has unveiled his single, “Plantera,” from his upcoming EP, VORTEX.
“The song is designed specifically for large spaces and to thrill large crowds. The track is an underground relic waiting to be unearthed.” declares the artist.
With vibrant bass lines and hypnotic cadence that rattles the walls, “Plantera” evokes the nostalgia of 90s industrial raves that brings crowds together in an electric underground atmosphere.
Listen to “Plantera” below, and find out more about The Holy via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Yeah! I’m The Holy, DJ/ producer from Montreal. I’m known for my heavy-hitting house music productions and high-energy DJ sets. I like to describe my music as 90s-2000s-inspired industrial house and rave music blended with a modern hi-fi twist.
My first EP, “V1510N,” dropped last February on the Canadian imprint KOOKOO AFTER DARK and has gotten incredible support from some of the industry’s greats such as Sam Divine, Danny Howard, David Guetta, Benny Benassi, only to name a few. I’m very stoked about that!
I’m just about to release my 2nd EP, VORTEX, once again on KOOKOO in September. Expect four tracks carefully made for the dancefloor that I produced over the Covid lockdown.
I’m also the official sound designer of the legendary futuristic techno-digital artist Fvckrender. We’ve been collaborating for five years now. I had the chance to do projects with him for Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Highsnobiety, Hypebeast, and many other notorious platforms. I released my very first NFT project with him last May under our name HOLYFVCK – The collection sold out in 3 sec on the famous Nifty Gateway platform. Volume 2 is now in preparation.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Oh yes. My new track, “Plantera,” is mostly inspired by the mythical ’90s rave scene and culture. Pretty sure it’s the hardest-sounding record I’ve ever put out.
I did this one during the pandemic when it felt like our social lives were on hold, and everything felt uncertain. I told myself I would have to go big and without any constraints whenever normal life (whatever that means) resumed. This track is 100% me without limitations. The Holy on steroids: Big dirty kick, big bass, big drums, big synths… The track is meant for big venues with big crowds. It’s definitely a dance floor weapon.
I decided to name the song Plantera, which is essentially a wordplay on the word Plant, and the mythical heavy metal band Pantera, which I admire. The synth lines evoke a more natural and organic sonic palette, and the drums and bass parts recall a heavy metal aesthetic.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
Most of the music I create is inspired by a ton of different genres. I always go with my inspiration of the present time, depending on what I’ve done, seen, or lived in the days leading up to a session. A good example is when I feel hype after shows – I get a bit crazy and go harder on my production for sure.
I think that the city’s energy inspires me the most artistically, especially at night. The whole urban jungle thing, the high-paced nightlife, the dense cultural mix, etc. It’s really what motivates me and what I associate with whenever I’m composing music. I also always imagine myself in front of a large and dense crowd whenever I’m in the studio – it helps!
Sometimes stuff as subtle as changing weather, seasons, the travel is done – it all plays a role in the process. I have to feel my music first. Once I catch the right vibe, then I really want to share it with people. There’s no better feeling to play your track and see people get wild. The best way to see it is by playing unreleased tracks that I’ve made and looking at the crowd’s reaction. it does not lie.
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
I’m playing Abamasic festival on August 13th, Origins festival on August 20th, and will be making impromptu sets around Montreal city as well.
We’re also planning a massive release event for my upcoming EP, VORTEX, which is coming out on September 9th. It essentially showcases a darker, deeper sound and my signature. I’ve been playing some of the songs on it at festivals this summer, and crowd reaction and love have been overwhelming, so I can’t wait for it to come out.
We’re also currently booking some dates in Europe in and around October as well. Very excited about that.
What’s your goal for 2022?
My main goal is to release a lot of new music and be able to share it everywhere in the world – 2022 is all about making that dream a reality. I’m working on a new live set paired with Fvckrender’s stunning visuals to add spontaneity to my performances and for people to truly immerse in my multimedia universe. I’m making the rest of the year all about collaborating with vocalists of different genres to diversify and elevate my music to a whole other level.
2021 has been a breakout year for me. I’m working to make 2022 even crazier by dropping some pure music that’s coming straight from the heart.