Coming from a musical family (his father has been a composer for over 40 years), HIDDN has had a natural upbringing around music. He began writing his own melodies at a young age. Though he struggled in music academy with musical theory, one of his main strengths was the compositional and musical improvisation. He always wanted to let his inspiration go free when he was playing an instrument and he’s much the same with music production. He has collaborated with several DJ’s of the DJ Mag Top 100 these last few years and he has produced songs that have been classified in the Top 100 on Beatport.

He decided to start his HIDDN project when some of his sounds were played recently at Tomorrowland. That’s precisely the point where it all clicked, where he said, “I should have been there on stage sharing my music with people!” It made him realize that he wanted to be at the forefront and no longer just in the shadows. With the HIDDN project, he wanted to tell his own story in music. Ghost production will always be something that he greatly appreciates, as it has given him a platform and a foundation from which he can now go on and do his own thing, but now’s his time to share from the decks.

HIDDN recently signed his Solo Debut extended EP “Out of the Shadows” with Armada Music. Be on the lookout for its March release.

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SunCity Paradise: Kicking it off with Belgium, what really stands out and makes it special to you? Where would you send a first-time visitor to get a real sense of the country?

HIDDN: Belgium is a very pleasant country with many places to visit. As a first-time visitor, I would go to the Grand-Place of Brussels centrum. That’s an amazing place with so much historical architecture.

© Alex Berger

SCP: What was your first real exposure to music? How did you get inspired to create your own and eventually pursue it as a career?

H: Coming from a Musical family I had a natural upbringing around music. My father has been composing for 40 years now and I think that I inherited this talent from him. When I was 12 years old I was already trying to create some melodies. It was something natural for me, and I knew even then I would follow in my father’s footsteps.

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SCP: To create music, and traveling to promote it, must be such a feeling. What’s the most impactful and meaningful part you cherish about it? Does the travel help inspirationally?

H: As a composer/producer, I would say that to play my own music in front of a crowd and seeing them enjoying it is the best feeling in the world. And, of course, the travel inspires me a lot, because you meet new people and discover new places, which in turn gives you new energy and inspiration.

SCP: Your latest single “Shadow” with RIVERO just dropped in January. What was your thought process behind this release? Describe your excitement to play it live for your fans. You also just released your remix of Lost Frequencies and Zonderling’s recent track “Crazy”. What was it like working on that? Do you approach remixes completely differently than an original?

H: “Shadow” was a very special release for me. That’s the first festival or club track I’ve released as HIDDN. Years ago, when I was ghost producer, I was mainly working on club and festival songs. However, most of my first releases were radio tracks with Armada. As a DJ, I think it’s important to be able to play your tracks in front of a crowd. So, it was obvious that I would begin producing club tracks again. Regarding my inspiration for “Crazy”, I really love emotional melodies. My idea was to have a mysterious, emotional breakdown combined with an energetic trap or big-room drop. For remixes I generally have the same process as original tracks.

SCP: What’s one stark difference between traveling as an artist versus personal travel?

H: When you travel as an artist, you’re always thinking about music and work. You finish a show, then you go back to the hotel, the next morning you pack your stuff and get ready to go to another city. So, you don’t really have time to relax.

SCP: When searching for a personal getaway, are you looking for a serene beach or after a more active, adventurous getaway? Why?

H: I would say I’m looking for a serene beach, as I really like quiet and peaceful places to relax my mind fully.

SCP: One of our core objectives at SCP is to bring people together while traveling, not only to influence people to see and appreciate our beautiful world, but to also minimize cross-cultural divides. What effect does traveling, specifically surrounding dance music, have on humans in this regard? How has it broadened your perspective of the world?

H: After traveling the world and meeting new cultures, I can say that music brings people together regardless of cultural or religious differences. From a musical perspective traveling, much like music, unites people.

© Dave See

SCP: Everyone has a list of places that they still have to hit. What are three destinations, either work or pleasure, that you need to see? Why?

H: Miami, as I’ve never been to the United States. I’ve always dreamed about playing Ultra Music Festival. New Zealand, more for pleasure, as I think that it’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world. South America, also for pleasure, as I’ve always wanted to visit this continent.

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SCP: When you’re relaxing on a beach or just have some downtime are you listening to music? Do you like to switch up the genre you listen to? If so, to what?

H: When I’m not producing, I like listening to many different genres, from classical music to hip-hop. I think that listening to many genres opens your spirit, as well as gives you great inspiration.

SCP: Lastly, what do the next couple of months have in store for you?

H: At the moment I’m working on new collaborations with producers, and I have my first solo EP as coming in March.

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