From Oslo to Shanghai: Tollef & Terry Zhong On The Making of “Change For You”

Despite being produced entirely from opposite sides of the world, the track came to life through a seamless exchange of ideas, resulting in a warm, emotionally driven, disco-infused house record. In this interview, Tollef and Terry Zhong reflect on how the collaboration came to life, the process behind "Change For You," and what fans can expect from both artists in 2026.

Can you take us back to the moment this collaboration first started? Who reached out to who, and how did the idea of working together on ‘Change For You’ come up in the first place?

Tollef: Terry and I were linked up through Heldeep’s very own Rick Scholing, and we got started straight away. I had an old idea on my laptop that I sent to Terry, and it quickly became the emotional and progressive disco house tune it is today.

Terry Zhong: I heard about Tollef's music back in 2021, and one day a very good friend of mine linked me up with Rick, and we started talking and introduced me to Tollef, and that's when it all started to happen. Tollef sent me the very raw version of "change for you" and I fell in love immediately, then I worked on it and gave it a different take, and I think that inspired Tollef to turn it into what we have today.

Can you walk us through what the creative process for ‘Change For You’ looked like? Were you in the studio together building the track, or were you working remotely and sending ideas back and forth?

Tollef: Terry lives in Shanghai and I live just outside of Oslo, so to meet up in the studio was a bit of a stretch. However, we worked very well together remotely, and everything we did to the track made the cut. The building process was seamless from start to finish.

Terry Zhong: We were working on this in different parts of the globe but luckily we have a very good chemistry in terms of how the song was built, and within 4-5 versions, we manage to get the whole song arrangement including vocal and lyrics done!

Imagine handing ‘Change For You’ to another producer for a remix, who would you trust with it and what do you think they might add to the track?

Tollef: I think there are two real options here. The first option is to bring in a producer who resides in the same landscape as the original. I bet Madeon, Lenno or Louis La Roche would rip it with their funky approach (even making it more poolside disco). The second option is to opt for a more energetic producer with a bit more oomph. And who would do it better than Heldeep’s very own Oliver Heldens? He would definitely make it more club friendly with a more powerful footprint.

Terry Zhong: I wanna give it to Midnight Kids, I think he could take this into another level of nostalgia and turn this scene from sunset (that's what I have in my mind when I'm listening to this song) into city night.

If you had to describe ‘Change For You’ with 3 emojis, which one would it be?

Tollef: 🎸🪩 💌

Terry Zhang:⛓️4️⃣ 🫵🏼

What can fans expect next from both of you in 2026? Are there upcoming releases you can tell us about, performances, or projects you’re particularly excited about?

Tollef: I’m playing Norway’s biggest beach festival June 26, so I’m super excited about that. I have a lot of demos prepared for that set. These are songs in the disco house realm that I’ve been producing a lot of lately. Looking forward to test them live and see if I can release some of them soon. There’s more to come in 2026, so stay tuned!

Terry Zhong: I'm finishing up and releasing my 4th EP this year, it's mostly in Mandarin but it's the heartfelt stories of my life and everything I want to express. This EP features a lotta songs to the parents and the elders, and I think it really shows how our generation deals with the relationship of friends, parents and the world. I can't wait to show this EP to the world because it's sooooooooo good!