If you only know James Hype as the guy dropping basslines heavy enough to rattle Ibiza’s walls, you’re missing half the story. Yes, there are late nights, the jet-fuel itineraries, marathon tours that read like flexes—it’s sexy. But that’s not what makes him tick. For the London-born producer, it’s something far less glamorous: he thrives in the balance.
Between a schedule stacked with international flights, studio sessions, and his dual residencies at Zouk Las Vegas and Hï Ibiza, Hype grounds himself by leaning into gratitude—and by keeping close the people who recenter him when the lights go dark. A close-knit team. Prioritizing fitness on the road. Building a life with his fiancée, DJ Tita Lau. Hype’s foundation lies in discipline, connection, and community.
When we connect, he’s just landed back in London, already packing for another European run. Spain, France, Slovakia—six shows in five days. “I can’t even remember all the other countries,” he says, half laughing, half sighing. “Mostly it’s just about finding time to sleep so you don’t feel awful.” He’s spent but there’s almost a shrug in his delivery, knowing the hustle for a dream is relentless. Hype is exactly where he’s supposed to be. Even in the exhaustion, there’s clarity—a showman fully locked into his craft. He continues to turn up the bass one room at a time while building a life beyond the boards.
Can you share the beginnings of James Hype and the influences that shaped your current creative identity? My mom used to listen to loads of soul music in the house. That’s what was always playing when I was growing up. For my first single, I actually sampled an En Vogue record. So, I’ve been very influenced by my mom’s musical taste in my taste. I remember when I was about 14, my dad used to bring home these pirated CDs from his friend at work. One of those albums was by The Prodigy, and it was the first time that I’d really become obsessed with electronic music.
In what ways did your hometown influence your musical DNA? Where I grew up in Liverpool has always been famous for its house music and dance music. When I was 16, I got a fake ID and started going out to the clubs in the area, and that was my education. They had all different scenes based on the type of house music you wanted to hear. Every club plays its own little flavor of house. I spent my teenage years hanging out at clubs, and as soon as I turned 18, I started DJing them. And then kind of worked my way up through that world.
Can you share the story behind your biggest track to date, “Ferrari,” and how fans have responded to it? The story behind this record is actually crazy. My friends and I made this record in 2019. When we took it to the label, they suggested we add a rap feature to finish it. We tried adding some big UK rappers, and then we had a verse from Swae Lee. So, we had all these different versions of “Ferrari,” and none of them were quite right. I’d made my own remix of the track and started to drop them at my sets, and the crowd would go mental every time I played it. During the pandemic, I would play it in my livestreams, and all of the comments were requesting the song. Eventually, it was getting played so much that another DJ completely copied my song. I was given a heads-up by my friend, who hosts a radio show. He’d been sent the record that someone had copied, and he said, ‘Yo, what’s going on here?’ So we immediately released the club edit, and that’s the version of “Ferrari” that everybody knows now.
“I remember when I was about 14, my dad used to bring home these pirated CDs from his friend at work. One of those albums was by The Prodigy, and it was the first time that I’d really become obsessed with electronic music.”
What has the reception been like for your newest record “Waterfalls”? It’s interesting because it’s a slightly different sound from my previous music, but the fans are receiving it well. I was a bit nervous before I put it out, but especially in the UK, it seems to be going down really well, and hopefully, the other countries will follow.
Is the response from the audience an essential part of your production process? There have been a few times where I’ve been really overthinking a track, and then I realize the simple thing to do is to see how the dance floor will respond to it. Production is simple, but sometimes you can overthink it.
What inspired you to focus on the technical aspects of DJing that make you stand out from other DJs? At one point, I was DJing five to six nights a week in the UK, often playing the same sets and records every night. I reached a point where I needed some experimentation. My sets needed some thrill. Eventually, I found myself doing little tricks and things during my sets. During festivals, I’d do these tricks on stage and put them up on YouTube. They would get millions of views. It blew my mind because I’d never seen that many views before. It’s been a big part of my sets since people are so intrigued by it.
You recently performed for 80,000 fans at the Capital Summertime Ball in London. What are the differences in your approach when playing for a festival crowd versus a club crowd at your residencies? In the club, you get to see the people’s faces. You can see their eyes and feel that sort of connection with them. You can feel when they are having a good time. Whereas at a festival, you really have to turn your energy up to 11 to get in tune with the crowd.
With your demanding schedule of touring, residencies, and production, how do you maintain balance and keep grounded? This lifestyle is not as rock ‘n’ roll as Instagram will have you believe. I have a really good team that I tour with, and they’re like family to me. I’ve been touring with the same guys for three or four years. It’s just been about appreciating the good times and not letting the bad times get you down too much.
I understand fitness is also an important aspect of your life. It’s hard to find the energy to work out after you’ve had a tough day, especially if you’ve been traveling a lot, but I never regret it. I can sit on the hotel bed scrolling Instagram, or I can go and work out, even for just 30 minutes. I know I’m going to feel so much better for the rest of the day and the following day after I’ve worked out. When I first started touring extensively, I stopped prioritizing my fitness, and it had a huge impact on me, not only physically, but mentally. It’s very important for me, both for discipline and fitness.
You are recently engaged to your fiancé, Tita Lau. With a wedding on the horizon, how has her support impacted your personal and professional life? She’s great. You know, we speak the same language, which is what brought us together in the first place. The music. That shared love of music and DJing. We actually met in a studio session where I was recording her singing, and now she’s become a DJ in her own right. And it’s great that we still get to make music together.
Besides electronic music, what genres or artists do you enjoy listening to? I really don’t listen to house music and EDM. That’s kind of like work, you know? Right now I’m listening to a lot of Jelly Roll, J Cole, and Central Cee. My taste is pretty diverse. If I’m listening to house music, it’s usually me looking for music to play in my set or watching other DJ sets.
How frequently do you come across tracks that inspire you to create samples for your own music? Sometimes I hear a part of a track that I really gravitate to and pull out my phone to record a voice memo. That’s how “Ferrari” came about with the “I Need a Girl” sample. I was just listening to records, and I thought, ‘Oh, shit, there’s an idea.’
