Hi Five & Who Cares [INTERVIEW]

Written by Fatima Hasan

The music scene surrounding Chicago has always been recognized as extraordinarily lively and full of up and coming talent. This is especially true when focusing in on local artists like Hi Five (Bryan Gorecki) and Who Cares (Jon Gorecki), twin brothers who have been tearing up clubs and festivals with their heavy hitting combination of electrifying house and bass music. “I think my style of music is really the only style that can incorporate the best parts of different genres. I like to play with the groove of house music and the heavy bass of dubstep, which can appeal to so many people,” revealed Bryan. Both artists grew up with a passion for music, and Bryan gave us the inside scoop of his longtime involvement with instrumentalism when he explained, “all my life I’ve been a musician, since learning guitar in the third grade. Once I moved out to college and didn’t have my band, I started making music all by myself.” Aside from production, Bryan dabbled into music journalism, having previously written for EDM Chicago for approximately a year and a half.

When asked about the origin of his stage name, Bryan recounted, “It’s been so long, I can hardly remember [where the name came from]. I didn’t want a name that would tie me down to a certain genre, plus, high-fives are always a sign of a good time!”

Jon, on the other hand, ended up choosing the stage name of ‘Who Cares’ for a very different reason. “A friend of mine wanted to book Bryan and I for a day party he was having at his house. He was putting together a flyer for it and asked how we wanted to be listed. I asked my brother what he wanted on the flyer while he was busy working on something, he said, ‘who cares’ and went back to work. So, as a joke, I told my friend to put that on the flyer and it stuck.”

Growing up in a suburb outside of Chicago, the Gorecki brothers have encountered a plethora of opportunity to explore the electronic music scene. Jon expressed, “I’ve been really blessed to have such a great music scene in a city so close that has so many amazing acts coming through. Sometimes it’s hard to pick which shows to go to.” Bryan added, “Chicago is the birthplace of house music, and with such a huge bass music scene, it has really helped shape me into what I am.” When asked about what they like most about electronic music, Jon responded, “one guy can create a song from his computer, without any fancy equipment, recording studios or anything, and that can be the same production quality as what you hear on the radio. It can even be what you hear on the radio. I think that democratization of music is extremely powerful for creators.”

Thinking back to the first tracks they released, the brothers detailed their experiences of entering the published production world. Jon explained, “I made my first track the day before my 22^nd birthday. It was a deep house-ish remix of Tove Lo’s ‘Talking Body’. Something just clicked and I ended up cranking out the arrangement in a day, and Bryan helped me mix it down and master it the next day. We had our first gig in the city of Chicago that night at a party we still play pretty regularly called Afterlife. Playing out something you’ve created and seeing even one person enjoy it is a remarkable feeling.”

Bryan also filled us in regarding his initial release, “my first track was a Flux Pavilion style dubstep remix of The Final Countdown by Europe. Flux was, and still is, a huge inspiration for me, and one of the first artists I heard when getting into EDM.”

Before their deep involvement with DJing and production, Bryan and Jon spent their time listening to a wide range of other music genres. “I still enjoy some rock, metal, hip-hop, and chill music when the vibe is right, but if I’m on the AUX cable, you can bet it’ll be dance music,” told Bryan. Since the duo has become increasingly intertwined with electronic music, they are always on the lookout for fresh songs to add to their live performances. Jon admitted, “now, I barely listen to much else besides electronic music because, if I’m not working on my own music, I’m finding tracks for my sets.” Jon also brought to light how some people get tired of only listening to electronic, but he loves it because the term “electronic music” allows for so much instrumental opportunity. He elaborated, “great examples of this are artists like GRiZ and Autograf, who use live instruments within the context of electronic music to create something beautiful.”

Jon and Bryan have been making moves over the years which has led Who Cares and Hi Five to find continued success in the industry. The duo has opened for acts like Eptic, Must Die, Joyryde, Flux Pavilion, and Drezo, among many others. Additionally, the duo has performed together at festivals like Spring Awakening and Dancefestopia. They continue to release originals on SoundCloud, garnering widespread support from fans and other well-known artists like Fedde Le Grand and Blasterjaxx. We’ll be keeping an eye on these two; they’re on their come up!

Hi Five:

Who Cares: