IllaTunes on storytelling with beats, building a scene, and why every dollar from this one goes back into the culture.

Heatwave Sessions, a 5-track instrumental EP built on one idea: what if a beat tape played less like a collection of songs and more like a short film? This is his fourth release and the most deliberate one yet, five tracks meant to be sat with front to back, not shuffled.

One more thing worth knowing before you read on: every dollar from Heatwave Sessions goes directly into building 3rdverse the blog, the features, the drops, all of it. Buying this project means funding the same platform you’re reading right now.

The Idea

“As a creator with some background in filmmaking, I thought it would be dope to try my hand at storytelling with beats. My last instrumental album, Say Less Vol. 2, was released in 2024, and I wanted to create something more than just another batch of beats.”

The short film concept

“The short film idea came naturally, as I was already planning to release an EP. In practice, it was basically finding bits of dialogue from film and TV that fit the narrative, then trying to piece together a story. Each track is a different scene with a beginning, middle, and ending.”

The title

“I had a different name for this project at first, but changed it. Heatwave Sessions was more fitting due to the current heat wave happening in California. This type of weather has people pissed off just because. The best thing for me has been channeling that energy through my creative output.”

This project vs. past work

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot since my last instrumental album, and I wanted to push myself to make something that reflects that. I went from having countless unfinished loops to putting together instrumental albums. The goal now is to create more cohesive projects, all around.”

Personal favorite

“‘This Part’ is one of my personal favorites. That beat evolved over several months and had a different bassline at first. Fun fact: there’s a whole song recorded to it that you will never hear. Once I added some sounds and played a new bassline, that track gave me goosebumps. I felt like I had something special with that one.”

What’s next

“I’ve been slow-cooking a couple other projects for quite some time now, including Say Less Vol. 3. Until then, stream and download Heatwave Sessions on Bandcamp.”

Stream and buy Heatwave Sessions on Bandcamp now. Every dollar goes directly into building 3rdverse, the platform, the features, the drops, all of it.