HUGEL: Songs and Collaborations
The Marseille bedroom producer who learned to move festival mainstages through remix culture and collaborations.
The moment
Picture a 16-year-old in Marseille with nothing but ambition and decks. That kid is HUGEL, and twenty years later he's playing Tomorrowland, EDC Las Vegas, Lollapalooza, and he's got residencies at Ushuaia and Pacha in Ibiza. If all you know is "Bella Ciao" in 2018, you're walking into a much deeper catalogue.
The sound
Florent Hugel's production sits at the crossroads of house, Latin house, Afro house and tribal rhythms, with a Balearic streak that works equally well at sunset or 3am. Think Carl Cox's crowd instinct, Laurent Garnier's genre-hopping, and Daft Punk's ear for a hook. Those artists are his own touchstones, and you hear all three woven through his records. He's got 760 million-plus streams accumulated, multi-platinum and gold certifications, and a genuine gift for turning a folk song, a vocal hook, a guest verse into something a festival crowd sings back at him.
The turning point
Take an Italian anti-fascist folk anthem. Remix it. Watch it become a platinum-certified summer hit across Germany, Austria and Switzerland in 2018. That's "Bella Ciao" and it's proof HUGEL understands what makes a room explode without losing the original's spirit. But if 2018 was his viral moment, 2024 is his biggest moment: "I Adore You" with Topic, Arash and Daecolm became so in-demand it spawned alternate versions with J Balvin and Ellie Goulding. His debut album, Twenty One, went even bigger, pulling in Big Sean, French Montana and Snoop Dogg.
Where next
Three guides will take you deeper. Best HUGEL Songs walks through the tracks that define him. Best HUGEL Collaborations maps his best team-ups. And Where to Start with HUGEL gives you a clear running order for first listen.