Get ready to meet the Los Angeles-based electronic music producer HMU. Known for his unique blend of bass, hip-hop, twerk, and trap music, HMU is not only a great musician, but he’s also a graphic designer and the founder of Dont Die At Work, an online music community turned music label. HMU’s most recent release is a grimy collaboration with London-based emcee, KXNE, called “Pages.” It was released via FUXWITHIT earlier this summer.
Check the new single out below.
Previously a SoundCloud-based music collective, HMU recently relaunched Dont Die At Work as a full-fledged independent music label at the end of 2022. Through the label, he seeks to spotlight up-and-coming, boundary-pushing musicians as well as continue to foster an online community for artists. As as experienced designer, HMU has taken the lead on the art direction for the label as well. Dont Die-affiliated artists include Rohaan, FLY, FRQ NCY, KUREI, Wasteurself, and many others.
Exciting stuff, right?
What’s even more exciting is that we got to have a quick chat with HMU about what he’s been up to lately. Take a stroll through his discography while you get to know him better through our Q&A, below.
AM: Hi! Thank you so much for sitting down with us for a chat. Would you please take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about the kind of music you make?
HMU: Sure thing! Excited to be here. My name is HMU currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. I’m mostly a producer making a blend of bass music that draws inspiration from trap, hip hop, halftime, twerk and 140. Those are some of my favorite genres and I try to mix and match elements to create something for the dancefloor.
AM: Thank you. So- you just dropped “Pages” with KXNE last month, and we think it’s pretty sick. Now that it’s had
some time to simmer, how are you feeling about it?
HMU: Feeling great! Such an awesome experience working with the FUXWITHIT squad on that release – they are real pros and have been supporting my tunes since the early days of the project. The response has been awesome and it felt like a level-up. Really cool to put out music with original vocals and share some of the new sounds I’ve been crafting.
AM: What was it like collaborating with Kxne?
HMU: We were vibing right away and his input on the production and mix helped me get really excited about finishing the tune. We chatted a bit about the story we wanted to tell and how to paint a picture using vocals to hype people up and transport people to the rave. He’s a super talented lyricist and a really creative guy so the collaboration just flowed. We were able to test out ideas and then edited together the best version of the sessions for the final mix.
AM: After spending some time with your discography, we noticed that you’ve got a few different collaborations in the mix. What is your mindset like when starting work on a collab versus when writing music solo? Are there any differences in your approach between the two?
HMU: I’m all for collaboration and I think it’s a great way to introduce different sides of your music and share your creative process. It’s all about finding an idea that resonates with both sides and running with it.
More often then not, I find that ideas are shared, but they don’t have what it takes to make it to a finished product. I think that a unique idea – even if it’s a short clip – has a better chance of becoming something than going through the motions trying to build a song piece by piece (drums, bass, synth etc).
Would love to put out more collaborations and work in person more often with other artists. It is definitely a goal of mine to collaborate more with songwriters and even just collab on sound design in the studio with some cool hardware!
AM: Switching gears – what inspired you to bring back Dont Die At Work as a label?
HMU: I’ve always loved the A&R aspect, and it’s such a great feeling when an underground track or unknown artist gets recognition within the scene based purely on the sound alone. There’s so much talent out there, and I love being able to help pitch and support the music I feel is next up. It’s been rewarding to work on the brand, learn more about distribution and placement and promo, which are all part of the ecosystem. It also helps keep me on my toes in terms of music discovery and connecting with artists all around the world through our shared love of music.
AM: Do you have a specific goal in mind for this new chapter of Dont Die?
HMU: Would love to release more compilations, but lately the goal is to be a bit more selective and wait for music that feels special. It’s a challenge to complete against the noise with a slower release cadence, but I just want the next set of releases to be different and make people do a double take – some HMU originals as well releasing via the label.
AM: Lastly, tell us something that’s coming up that you’re most excited for.
HMU: Another single coming in September with a label/music group I’ve been a fan of for some time. Also, we’re starting the process of designing new merch for the label and new visuals to go alongside our upcoming releases. Follow us on insta for all the latest: @dontdieatwork
Keep up with HMU
SoundCloud | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Are you enjoying MendoWerks Magazine? Receive updates directly in your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter here.
About Author
