Today we’d like to introduce you to David Helpling.
Hi David, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a local and was born and raised here in the South Bay and spent much of my youth in Coronado and Imperial Beach. I am an 80s teen and was chasing the big U2 sound and playing in bands in high school before graduating and building my own studio. Chasing the big produced sound of the late 70s and early 80s landed me in a place where my music ended up being very ‘soundtrack’ sounding with big percussion and emotional sounds in a sort of spacey production style. I was signed to a record label in the 90s that was very successful with many of the new age artists at the time and I’ve been releasing records since then… I think I just released my 11th.
I recently connected with a few great artists and ended up producing and mixing our first album as a group. We call ourselves DARK SKY ALLIANCE and it includes Jerry Marotta (Drummer for Peter Gabriel and many others), Rupert Greenall (The Fixx), Eric Taylor and myself. That record was released last year and was number one in college radio for several weeks.
My artists bio is pasted below:
David Helpling (born 1969) is a North American composer and recording artist known for deeply emotional instrumental music with a lush and textural sound. His music is synonymous with the genres of Ambient, New Age, Space and Electronic. Through many releases over 30 years, his powerful sonic moods and deep, immersive production style have captivated dedicated listeners around the world of New Instrumental music.
While known for spacious multi instrumental epics, David also leans on a unique echoing guitar sound of which the onset of notes are often masked. Leading him to also create deeply emotional solo ambient guitar music as fully orchestrated albums using only electric guitars as the textural palette. Working out of his Southern California studio, David is self-produced and in an ongoing desire to express new ideas, continually experiments with various effects and signal processors to create illusions with sound that emote a definite soundtrack feel.
David has collaborated with and included other artists in much of his work. Most notably with label mate Jon Jenkins. The award-winning duo have established a lush and monumental sound equally weighted by emotional story telling through their music. Other collaborators include Eric Taylor, Scott Reich and John Gregorius along with guest appearances on his solo work by Miriam Stockley, Matthew Schoening, Benjy Wertheimer, Robert Rich, Nidhi Bhatmuley and Jamie West Oram, among others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’d say it has been a smooth road… Though composing and recording on my own can have its own demons. I think sometimes the isolation and constant searching for some kind of art you’re trying to express can often lead to things like self doubt and depression. I’ve learned to deal with these things, just like most other artists have. I’ve gone through periods of great creativity with months in between where I need to just shut things down and get away from music and production for a while to find myself again.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I compose record and produce instrumental music… But not electronic or dance music. My music is often described as atmospheric, cinematic, epic and spacey. Because of this, my music falls between most genres, but has been deeply embraced by my listeners and super fans that find solace and healing, and the kind of vibrations that I’m putting out there with these records. I’ve been playing guitar a very certain way, using echoes and volume pedals to create a sound that’s kind of my own and I suppose that’s something I specialize in, though it was something that just kind of happened and involved from experimentation and being introduced to all of these new technologies and effects in the 80s and 90s. I’m proud of all of my work and it is so varied and each album is so different that it’s difficult to choose one over another as far as me being proud. I think the thing I most proud of is that there are people all around the world, loving and sharing how it’s affected their lives. That’s what keeps me going for sure.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I love making music and releasing it on a global scale. I love living in Coronado and the West Coast vibes. Everything is a gift and no matter how crazy this world can get some times it doesn’t take much to remind me of all the beauty that is all around me. I guess what I’m saying is that I am in constant gratitude, and look to the future with a positive vibe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://davidhelpling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidhelplingofficial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dhelpling
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxj5K_sxpUT2aRSWMG1t_ow
Image Credits
Photography by Joseph Abreu
