Having released numerous singles on DJ Spenâs Quantize and Unquantize labels previously, Australian producer H.I.M.W.O.L. gets set to unleash his brilliant self titled debut album with the camp, now available on Traxsource.
House Is My Way of Life is a whopping 17 track album jam-packed with new releases alongside some of his chart-topping tracks, showcasing his versatility as he joins the musical dots between soulful, Jackinâ and Deep House. The album sampler features 5 cherry picked gems, kicking off the party with a catchy soulful outing, âHeâs My Babyâ, featuring the brassy vocals of songbird Raye Cole, which also comes with a tasty remix from Spen & Thommy Davis. âKeysâ is a lush Deep House cut, teased with heartfelt sweeping stings and emotive piano melodies; âOff Beatâ comes loaded with a quirky urban house groove that’s beautifully drizzled with a sensual vocal; and âI Need Youâ is a classy slab of feel good piano house, loaded with a hot vocal hook. H.I.M.W.O.L.âs productions vary in style boasting beautifully penned vocal melodies to innovative rhythmic compositions all aimed squarely bat the dance floor.
H.I.M.W.O.L hails from Australia where he was exposed to music from a young age and was influenced by various artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Cymande, Miles Davis, Danny J Lewis, Frankie Knuckles, Jamie Lewis and Masters at Work, to name a few. His musical journey started with playing piano at the tender age of 5, which is still one of his first choice instruments when producing new music. Having honed his craft as a DJ and dabbling with production in the ’90s, 2009 was the year H.I.M.W.O.L started to take his music production to another level, meticulously manipulating beats and samples until he was satisfied with the distinguished and unique sound he has today. To date he has had much success with numerous releases on prestigious labels such as Quantize Recordings, Peppermint Jam, King Street Sounds and Defected Records.
We dig deeper with H.I.M.W.O.L. in our latest exclusive interview.
Hi H.I.M.W.O.L., it’s a pleasure to chat with you today, how are you?
I’m well thanks for asking. Great to chat with you.
Please tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from and how you started making music?
I’m from Australia I grew up in the town of Mildura, Victoria. I’ve always been fascinated and tinkered around with computers from a young age. I got into house music in the mid-’90s and by 2000 purchased my first pair of CDJ’s and started djing at house parties before moving into the local club scene. 2009 was when I got into production which is where ultimately where I wanted to be.
H.I.M.W.O.L. is an unusual name, how did you choose it and what does it mean?
I remember hearing the lyric in a house track “House Is My Way Of Life” and it kind of just stuck with me. Then when I finally made a track, I abbreviated it as it resonated with me.
Did you play instruments from a young age or something you picked up on later?Â
When I was 5 my mum made our family play piano, back then I couldn’t read music so I had to learn by ear. As I got older I was playing a lot of classical pieces, but I gave it up by the age of 11.
Who are your musical heroes?
Stevie Wonder, his songs are so catchy and Iâve always seen him as such an inspiring figure.