Exclusive interview with authors "Aaron Mostow & Kevin Flores
Aaron Mostow, Kevin Flores, Rodolfo Tagle III are seasoned veterans in the Los Angeles creative community who have joined forces to pen Love Hertz, coming out on April 8, 2022. Described as a “romantic comedy, with a sci-fi twist, set in the world of electronic dance music,” Love Hertz depicts the journey of Taj, a struggling DJ in his 20s striving to succeed at his musical endeavors and finding love. As he navigates around proving his demanding father and society wrong in finding a more practical career, Taj is beaten down after a terrible debut performance and retreats to his studio to make new music. During this session, he discovers a strange sound emanating a mysterious frequency that would dramatically change his life. Love Hertz follows Taj’s journey as he learns of the frequency’s irresistible power to attract women and balancing a series of empty sexual encounters, taming his ego, and embarking on a quest to find true love.
With all three authors’ holding unique skill sets in the creative field, Love Hertz, is a compelling and engaging story that appeals to anyone who is a fan of beats, laughs, and love. Today, we have the pleasure of catching up with Aaron and Kevin to learn more about the upcoming book and their collaborative history.
How would you describe Love Hertz?
Aaron: Love Hertz is a romantic comedy with a sci-fi twist, set in the world of electronic dance music.
How did you come to write it as a group?
Kevin: Love Hertz was born from a conversation in 2013 between the three of us. Aaron shared that his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. He said that a few nights earlier while having an emotional breakdown, he had a vision of healing his mom’s sickness with a sound frequency. In sharing that story, it sparked the idea that it would be a great concept for a film.
Aaron: Kevin and Rodolfo, began adding to the idea and what originally started as a serious premise, then morphed into a funny, light-hearted love story.
Kevin: With my background in sound engineering and rap, the words “hertz” and “hurts” naturally came to mind. Love Hertz would essentially be a double entendre in reference to the sound frequency that is discovered as well as the pain that comes from trying to find true love.
Aaron: The title was born before a single word was ever typed! The conversation turned into a creative brainstorming session. What started as three friends just hanging out, turned into a full-length movie script. However, Hollywood doesn’t just hand out deals left and right. After years of knocking on doors, we decided it was time to convert Love Hertz into a medium that would allow us to share the story with the world.
You three all have extensive backgrounds in the arts. Can you describe each of your individual backgrounds?
Kevin: I’m a music producer and recording engineer. I studied at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. I have produced music for hip-hop artists, tv, and films.
Aaron: I began Djing at the age of thirteen and in college, I immersed myself in creative writing and music technology. In 2015, I wrote and produced my first TV Series. Rodolfo began breakdancing and attending raves at the age of 18. We first met at a rave on opposing sides of a breakdance circle. We continued to see each other progress at various events and eventually formed a breakdancing crew. He has been a writing partner of mine for over a decade, and we’ve developed multiple TV and film ideas.
How did you use each of your creative strengths to collaborate in writing Love Hertz?
Aaron: We have a common interest in electronic music and were able to complement each other's perspectives throughout the writing process.
Kevin: The three of us combined humor, attention to detail, and unique storytelling. We each have different strengths, but we all love comedy!
Who have been some of your primary influences and the impact they’ve had on you?
Aaron: I am heavily influenced by my mom and her battle and recovery from breast cancer. She is a constant reminder of overcoming adversity. My grandmother, Mira Pelzig, was a multi-disciplinary artist. She had a big influence on my creativity and always emphasized that no matter what art form I do, to stay true to myself. My spiritual beliefs, music, and the power of music have also influenced my outlook on life. Lastly, I pulled an inspirational quote from the late great Nikola Tesla that resonates with me, “If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think of energy, frequency, and vibration.”
Kevin: My parents definitely influenced my work ethic. They came as immigrants from Ecuador in the 80s and through hard work and sacrifice they achieved the American dream! I love watching stand-up comedy. Dave Chapelle, Felipe Esparza & Louis CK have been very influential in shaping my comedic taste. For this particular project, we also drew a lot of inspiration from filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Wes Anderson, and Judd Apatow.
Aaron: These individuals created impactful movies that we grew up on, which helped influence the way we wanted to tell the Love Hertz story!
Love Hertz is about a struggling DJ trying to succeed in both his career and finding love. Is the storyline based on actual experiences you guys have had?
Kevin: As artists, we all have experienced rejection in some way or another. Sometimes we have to push past the noise of naysayers or even self-doubt to manifest our goals. Finding love is a universal struggle. Almost everyone has gone through moments of hoping for someone special to come into their life and appreciate them for who they are.
Aaron: Although the story is not based in reality, at the heart of it, this is a story about a man who falls in love with a woman who turns out to be much more than he imagined. We wanted to approach the storyline from a relatable perspective. Many of us have gone through the motions of growing up and discovering our sense of self. Coming into adulthood, we can all probably remember a time when our confidence wasn’t fully developed. For me, personally, DJing and being behind the turntables gave me newfound courage to put myself out there. In that instance, I see myself in the protagonist, Taj.
What message do you want readers to take away from reading your book?
Aaron: We want readers to feel compelled to pursue what they’re passionate about, to never give up on their dreams, and to embrace the unexpected twists and turns in life.
Kevin: Our protagonist Taj, starts off as someone you want to root for. But as his fame grows, he begins to stray from his likability and develops an obnoxious ego. By showing the devolution of his personality and the journey back to his true self, we hope to show the reader that no matter how far you may fall, there’s always a road to redemption.
Are you working on any other books or creative projects?
Aaron: We are currently working on a sequel to Love Hertz, along with pitching the Love Hertz movie script to streaming platforms.
To learn more about the authors and Love Hertz, visit: https://www.lovehertzbook.com
Aaron Mostow was born in Los Angeles, California in 1982 into a vibrant Filipino and Jewish household. He is a creative enthusiast, driven by a passion for storytelling. Artistry permeates his lineage and his thought-provoking communication style. With the ability to write and produce, Aaron is a creator and activator of imaginative ideas.
Aaron studied at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California in 2000 with a focus on creative writing, music technology, and music business. However, his college education was cut short in 2002, when Aaron was in a near fatal car accident that landed him in jail. While Aaron awaited the decision of his release, he prayed and promised to pursue his art if given the chance. A few weeks later, all charges were dropped and he was released with a newfound perspective. Aaron now dedicates his life to art and creativity.
In 2007, Aaron began his journey into the world of production through sound engineering. He collaborated with producers, performers, and others to achieve the desired sound for music recordings and films.
In 2015, he launched his media and boutique agency, Catapult World to provide full-service consulting, creative direction, marketing, development, and production of high-quality original content. Aaron is the Executive Producer of Steady Mobbin’, an original TV series he created, wrote, and produced for the Dance Network. He also directed Going Places, a documentary film about the evolution of electronic music, available on Amazon Prime. Over the years, Aaron has had the pleasure of working with companies such as Sony Pictures, Activision, Mountain Dew, MTV, BET, ESPN, E Entertainment, and many more.
Kevin Flores is a recording engineer, hip-hop producer, writer and father. He is the son of immigrant parents from Ecuador and was born in East Los Angeles, CA. His love and gift of music took him on a journey through the music industry where he worked with many artists. Kevin produces music under the moniker, Kev Da Khemist. He currently runs his own recording studio in Alhambra, CA.
In 2005 while attending Musicians Institute, an acquaintance introduced Kevin to fellow co-writer of “Love Hertz”, Aaron Mostow. They soon began working on music together and have been great friends ever since. Years later, Kevin met co-writer Rodolfo Tagle III through Aaron.
Kevin’s love of writing goes back to childhood where he wrote scripts in class. “In the fifth grade I wrote a script about extraterrestrials and a group of kids who try to escape from being abducted. I casted classmates and even began making a list of all the equipment I would need. My teacher, Mr. Toth, saw what I was up to and brought an old Hollywood movie script to class so I could see what it looked like for inspiration. The project never came to fruition, but writing “Love Hertz” feels like I’m one step closer to fulfilling my childhood dream of making a movie.”
When Kevin isn’t busy making music or writing, he enjoys watching stand-up comedy from comedians that include Felipe Esparza, Dave Chapelle, Louis CK & Aziz Ansari.