Joining us at the Phillips space in the Nexus Lounge, Miami edition, we spoke with Hugel about his musical inspirations, childhood creativity, and the urge to create and share his music.
In the last few years, Latin House has found its feet as a niche within the broader House genre, and if there’s one artist who can take credit for that trend, then Hugel is all the way. With the incredible success of his 2021 hit “Morenita,” his music has drawn him acclaim across the US and Europe as an incredible DJ and Producer with a unique and original sound.
His inspirations range widely, from Carl Cox and Daft Punk to David Guetta and Laurent Garnier, but of all the artists who inspired him over the years, he says the most significant influence came from Dr. Dre.
“I became a music producer by the age of 12 years old mainly because of the music of Dr. Dre. I discovered house music later, around 16… I was really into hip-hop before that, but the main guy who got me into all of this is Dr. Dre.”
Many artists choose to work under a stage name, either for their projects or to separate their onstage personality from their day-to-day life, but not Hugel, who was named after his father.
From a young age, he says he first began telling stories with Playmobil sets as a kid and that bringing life to those scenarios taught him the creativity he uses today.
Besides music, Hugel is also a keen boxer who practices daily – unless he’s on a plane. Either way, he still carries his boxing gloves everywhere he goes.
As part of our take5 series of fun, funny questions, we always like to ask something a little different. For Hugel, we asked which animal, if any, he’d like to be and why.
His answer is an eagle because it’s one of the most influential and free animals.
“I’ve always wanted to be free since I was a kid. Everything I did was to one day be free of society.”
If you’d like to learn more about Hugel, his experience at Miami Music Week 2024, his recent sets, and his day-to-day life as a performing artist, then why not check out the full, exclusive Nexus Radio interview? You can also follow his social media on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram for all the latest about his upcoming releases/concerts.
