ZHANGYE (Chinese: 张野, Zhang Ye; born in 1983 in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province, China) — is a Chinese DJ, electronic music producer and composer, founder of the Cyanhill Music platform and initiator of the CHINA EDM project. Before launching his professional career in electronic music, he received an academic education in composition at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and spent several years working in venture capital.
Under the name ZHANGYE, he began regularly releasing electronic music in 2022. Among his most notable works are «When I Was Young», «Wherever The Wind Blows» with KARRA, «Own Way» with Janieck, «Heart Of Peace» with Zhou Shen, «Nobody Else» with Bassjackers and JVZEL, «Where Do We Go» with Steve Aoki and Rosie Darling, «Growing Up» with Justin Jesso, «Don't Say Sorry» with Libianca and «DREAMING» with Skylar Grey.
His music combines an academic approach to harmony, thematic development and form with dance-pop, house, future bass and other styles of contemporary electronic music. ZHANGYE himself, however, does not view his work as a simple fusion of «East and West»: for him, the emotional development of a composition and its ability to function simultaneously as a song and as part of dance culture remain the central priorities.
Childhood in Qitaihe
Zhang Ye was born in 1983 in Qitaihe, a city in northeastern China. He grew up in an ordinary family and was notably reserved as a child. According to the musician, he was given his current name, 张野, at an early age: his relatives hoped that the character «野», associated with freedom and an untamed spirit, would help him become less shy.
He developed a serious interest in music at around the age of ten. One of his earliest major influences was the music of Hong Kong rock band Beyond. Although he understood very little of the Cantonese lyrics, he was drawn to the melodies and the themes of the songs — dreams, freedom and choosing one's own path.
After that, he wanted to begin making music himself. He initially dreamed of learning the piano, but the instrument was too expensive for his family, so he started learning guitar instead.
By his teenage years, Zhang Ye was already writing his own songs, playing in a band and performing live. At around fourteen, he began earning money as a guitarist and singer in bars. He later recalled that the modest fees he received for those performances were his first experience of realizing that music could be more than a passion — it could also become a profession.
Studying in Moscow
In the early 2000s, Zhang Ye moved to Russia and enrolled at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he studied composition professionally.
His studies and preparation lasted for around ten years. His main field was classical composition — harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, analysis of musical form and the development of thematic material.
ZHANGYE later repeatedly said that the Russian school of composition shaped his approach to contemporary electronic music. When working on a dance track, he still approaches its form much like a classical composer: following the introduction of a theme, the development of tension, the climax and the resolution.
This training later became one of the defining features of his production style. For ZHANGYE, melody and structure generally come before the choice of a particular electronic genre or sound palette.
Prokofiev Competition
In 2008, Zhang Ye participated in the 5th International Sergei Prokofiev Composers' Competition and received one of the competition's prizes.
Chinese biographical sources describe him as the first Chinese composer to achieve such a result at the competition.
At that stage, Zhang Ye's professional career could have continued within classical music. After completing his lengthy period of study, however, he chose an entirely different direction.
From Composition to Investment
While still studying in Russia, Zhang Ye developed an interest in business and became involved in small commercial ventures, including cross-border trade between Russia and China.
Gradually, his attention shifted toward investment and entrepreneurship. In 2013, he began independently investing in early-stage companies, primarily in the consumer and technology sectors.
In 2015, he founded the investment firm Cyanhill Capital (青山资本), specializing in early-stage businesses.
Zhang Ye later continued his education in finance and management, completing a financial management program at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance and earning an MBA from Cornell University.
For much of the 2010s, investment was his primary profession, while his own music virtually disappeared from the public sphere.
Return to Music
By around 2021, Zhang Ye had decided to pursue music seriously again. This time, rather than returning directly to classical composition, he chose the electronic music scene.
The producer has described this transition not as a rejection of his classical education, but as an expansion of his musical language. He was deeply impressed by the experience of large electronic festivals, where tens of thousands of people respond to the same piece of music at the same time.
He became interested in the possibility of combining complex internal musical structures with an immediate physical response from the audience — dancing, a shared rhythm and the collective experience of a moment.
This was how the ZHANGYE project emerged.
Debut EP «When I Was Young»
In January 2022, ZHANGYE released his debut EP, «When I Was Young».
The release was built around two tracks with distinctly different moods. The title track featured American singer Julia Ross and represented the project's more expansive electronic side. The second track, «Float Along» with Bailey Jehl, took a considerably softer approach and appeared in an acoustic form.
For ZHANGYE, the contrast was intentional: from his very first release, he wanted to demonstrate that the project would not be limited to a single EDM subgenre.
«When I Was Young» received support from several international DJs, including Dimitri Vegas and Quintino, and became the starting point of his new professional career.
«Wherever The Wind Blows»
In August 2022, ZHANGYE released «Wherever The Wind Blows» with American vocalist and songwriter KARRA.
The track combined elements of pop, house and slap house. Unlike the more festival-oriented material of his debut, guitar, traditional song structure and the vocal line played a significant role here.
The song's theme — choosing your own path regardless of outside pressure — became one of the recurring ideas in ZHANGYE's early discography.
«Own Way» with Janieck
In November 2022, ZHANGYE released the single «Own Way», recorded with Dutch singer-songwriter Janieck, known internationally for his work with Lost Frequencies and other electronic producers.
The track was built around a lighter deep-house and dance-pop sound and became one of ZHANGYE's most prominent early releases in China.
«Own Way» gained particularly wide exposure through short-form videos on Douyin. Cyanhill Music later reported billions of views for videos that used or were associated with the track. These figures, however, primarily reflect activity across Chinese social platforms rather than the conventional number of streams accumulated by a single recording on a streaming service.
«Heart Of Peace» with Zhou Shen
In 2023, ZHANGYE recorded «Heart Of Peace» with Chinese singer Zhou Shen (周深).
For the producer, the collaboration represented an important meeting point between Chinese pop and internationally oriented electronic music. The song is built around themes of peace, unity and human solidarity.
ZHANGYE served as composer, arranger and producer of the recording.
In September 2023, a separate Ummet Ozcan Remix was released. The Dutch producer strengthened the track's festival-oriented electronic elements while retaining Zhou Shen's vocals and the original's central melodic theme.
«A Life» with Panta.Q
On October 27, 2023, ZHANGYE released «A Life» with Chinese electronic producer Panta.Q.
The collaboration leaned toward house music and demonstrated ZHANGYE's interest not only in international collaborations, but also in working within China's contemporary electronic scene.
2024 and International Collaborations
In 2024, the number of ZHANGYE's international releases increased significantly.
On March 15, he released «Rhythm Of The Water» with American singer Pia Toscano. ZHANGYE served as its producer and one of the songwriters.
On April 26, this was followed by «Nobody Else», created with Dutch duo Bassjackers and featuring vocalist JVZEL.
Compared with his earlier, more pop-oriented work, «Nobody Else» is considerably closer to festival EDM: the track runs at approximately 136 BPM, with an arrangement built around an energetic drop and large-scale synth production.
Cyanhill Music
Alongside his own discography, ZHANGYE began developing a music-focused direction under the Cyanhill Music (青山音乐) brand.
The project is connected to Cyanhill Capital, the investment structure he founded, but focuses directly on music content: original releases, collaborations, discovering producers and promoting Chinese electronic music beyond the domestic market.
Over time, Cyanhill Music evolved from a platform for ZHANGYE's own recordings into an independent publishing and curatorial project.
CHINA EDM
In 2024, ZHANGYE launched the CHINA EDM project. Its goal was to bring together established and emerging Chinese electronic producers through a series of compilations.
The idea grew out of his observations of the international EDM scene, where collaborative projects and audience-sharing between producers are common practice. In ZHANGYE's view, the Chinese scene had long remained too fragmented, while its artists lacked a shared platform through which they could be presented as part of a unified contemporary culture.
CHINA EDM Vol. 1
The first compilation, CHINA EDM Vol. 1, was released on November 15, 2024.
It featured nine tracks. Contributors included BEAUZ, CORSAK, Panta.Q and WILLIM, as well as emerging artists selected from a large number of submitted works.
ZHANGYE contributed «Show You How», created with Dutch project Magnificence.
During its first week, eight of the compilation's nine tracks entered QQ Music's electronic chart, with five placing within the top six positions.
At the TME Wave Music Awards, the compilation was nominated as one of the best electronic albums of 2024, while «Rather Lie» by WILLIM and Yu Zhen received an award in the electronic song category.
2025
In 2025, international collaborations became the main direction of ZHANGYE's development.
On January 10, he released the single «Lost In The Dark», followed by «Memories» on August 22.
However, the year's most notable releases arrived in the autumn and winter.
«Where Do We Go» with Steve Aoki
On October 3, 2025, ZHANGYE released the collaborative single «Where Do We Go» with Steve Aoki and American singer Rosie Darling.
ZHANGYE and Aoki met through a mutual acquaintance and discovered that they shared a similar approach to constructing electronic songs. While working on the track, they deliberately avoided an overly complex arrangement and instead turned toward the more classic future bass sound associated with the second half of the 2010s.
Rosie Darling's vocals became the emotional centerpiece of the recording, while the song itself explores uncertainty in a relationship and the question of whether two people can continue moving forward together.
ZHANGYE and Steve Aoki later performed the track together at UNTOLD Dubai.
«Growing Up» with Justin Jesso
On December 12, 2025, ZHANGYE released «Growing Up» with American singer-songwriter Justin Jesso.
The song was developed in a Los Angeles studio. ZHANGYE prepared several different production versions before ultimately choosing a more restrained arrangement, ensuring that the electronic production did not overwhelm the vocals or the song's theme.
«Growing Up» explores growing up not as a single event, but as an ongoing process — a period of doubt, mistakes, internal transformation and acceptance of personal change.
DJ Mag
In 2025, ZHANGYE achieved a notable result in the international DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll.
It is important, however, to describe the achievement precisely: he did not enter the main Top 100.
In DJ Mag's supplementary The Next 50 ranking, covering positions 101 through 150, ZHANGYE placed 108th.
This left him just eight positions outside the main Top 100.
«Don't Say Sorry» with Libianca
On May 15, 2026, ZHANGYE and Cameroonian-American singer Libianca released their collaborative single «Don't Say Sorry».
The track differs noticeably from the producer's more festival-oriented material. Vocals, piano and gradual emotional development sit at the center of the composition, while the electronic production serves primarily to support the song's narrative.
The ending is particularly revealing: the production almost completely disappears, leaving Libianca's vocals and a piano part performed by ZHANGYE himself.
For him, this technique became a direct continuation of his academic approach to musical form — the climax is created not by adding more sounds, but by removing them.
CHINA EDM Vol. 2
On June 26, 2026, Cyanhill Music released CHINA EDM Vol. 2.
The second installment was built around a distinct concept: it was dedicated to women working in Chinese electronic music.
The main lineup featured seven producers and DJs: KAKA, Lizzy Wang, MEGURU, UNA, SUNK, Katastic and 9uery.
International artists Mariana BO and MATTN also joined the project, contributing remixes of tracks from the compilation.
The release featured nine tracks, and following its launch Cyanhill Music organized a series of events under the name CHINA EDM Vol. 2 Release Tour.
«DREAMING» with Skylar Grey
On July 24, 2026, ZHANGYE and American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey released their collaborative track «DREAMING».
Skyler Grey is known as a songwriter and performer who has worked on songs by Eminem, Rihanna, Dr. Dre, Diddy, Zedd and other artists. On «DREAMING», her vocals are paired with the more cinematic side of ZHANGYE's production.
The track was released through Cyanhill Music. The original version falls within the dance/pop category and runs at approximately 128 BPM.
By this point, «DREAMING» had become one of the clearest examples of ZHANGYE's strategy in recent years: combining his own compositional work with vocalists and producers from different parts of the international music industry.
Musical Style
ZHANGYE's music is difficult to define through a single genre. His catalog includes dance-pop, house, progressive house, slap house, future bass and festival EDM.
The most consistent element, however, is not genre but the way his compositions are constructed.
His academic background is reflected in his emphasis on thematic development. ZHANGYE often begins with melody and harmonic movement before deciding on the final form of the electronic production.
In interviews, he has compared creating EDM to writing a score: the introduction, build-up, transition, climax and ending must each serve a specific function within the overall narrative.
This is why his catalog can encompass both the festival-oriented «Nobody Else» and more restrained tracks such as «Own Way», «Growing Up» and «Don't Say Sorry».
Chinese and International Music
ZHANGYE is often described as an artist who bridges Chinese and Western electronic music, although the musician himself approaches this description with caution.
For him, international music should not be built around mechanically adding recognizable «Chinese» instruments to Western EDM. He considers melodic language, emotional structure and collaboration between people from different musical cultures to be far more important.
For this reason, Chinese identity in his international work is more often expressed through his personal experience and the context from which a composition emerges, rather than through direct quotation of traditional music.
ZHANGYE as a DJ
Studio production remains the central part of the project, but ZHANGYE also performs as a DJ.
His sets are built primarily around contemporary dance and house music, his own tracks and material associated with Cyanhill Music.
As his international collaborations expanded, his live activity also began extending beyond China. One of the most notable moments was his joint performance with Steve Aoki at UNTOLD Dubai.
Investment Business
ZHANGYE's music career continues alongside his work in the investment industry.
He remains the founder and head of Cyanhill Capital, through which he has invested at an early stage in Chinese consumer and technology companies.
Projects associated with the company over the years have included brands in food, lifestyle, technology and consumer goods.
ZHANGYE himself sees investment and composition as more closely related disciplines than they might initially appear. In both cases, he believes it is necessary first to see the overall structure, then organize numerous individual elements around a single idea and understand where the project's central meaning lies.
Education
- Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory — Master's degree in Composition;
- Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance — Financial Management;
- Cornell University — MBA.
Major Releases
- 2022 — When I Was Young — with Julia Ross;
- 2022 — Float Along (Acoustic) — with Bailey Jehl;
- 2022 — Wherever The Wind Blows — with KARRA;
- 2022 — Own Way — with Janieck;
- 2023 — Heart Of Peace — with Zhou Shen;
- 2023 — Heart Of Peace (Ummet Ozcan Remix) — with Zhou Shen and Ummet Ozcan;
- 2023 — A Life — with Panta.Q;
- 2024 — Rhythm Of The Water — with Pia Toscano;
- 2024 — Nobody Else — with Bassjackers featuring JVZEL;
- 2024 — Show You How — with Magnificence;
- 2025 — Lost In The Dark;
- 2025 — Memories;
- 2025 — Where Do We Go — with Steve Aoki and Rosie Darling;
- 2025 — Growing Up — with Justin Jesso;
- 2026 — Don't Say Sorry — with Libianca;
- 2026 — DREAMING — with Skylar Grey.
CHINA EDM
- 2024 — CHINA EDM Vol. 1 — the first installment in the series, featuring nine tracks;
- 2026 — CHINA EDM Vol. 2 — an installment dedicated to women producers in China's electronic music scene.
Creative Journey
ZHANGYE's biography differs from the typical path of an electronic music producer. He entered EDM after studying classical composition and spending nearly a decade in which music largely took a back seat to entrepreneurship and investment.
His return to music in the early 2020s effectively marked the beginning of a new professional career after a long hiatus. Within just a few years, he progressed from his debut release «When I Was Young» to collaborations with Steve Aoki, Skylar Grey, Libianca, Justin Jesso, Bassjackers and other international artists.
At the same time, ZHANGYE has increasingly expanded his focus beyond his own discography. Through Cyanhill Music and CHINA EDM, he is working to build an infrastructure in which Chinese electronic producers can present their music to a broader audience and enter the international market not as isolated exceptions, but as part of a distinct and independent scene.
At the current stage of his career, these two directions — his own international releases and the development of CHINA EDM — define his work most clearly.
