There’s a quiet confidence about Hugo Cantarra. The French DJ and producer has spent the last decade shaping a sound that bridges emotion and power, intimacy and scale. His tracks are defined by pulsing, melancholic basslines and soaring, cinematic synths that feel purpose-built for the sunrise set. With more than 36 million streams, 1.5 million Shazams, and a fanbase that stretches across continents, he’s become one of the most respected names in melodic house. His official remixes for Gorgon City, Technotronic, Acraze, and Danny Howard have earned support from MEDUZA, CamelPhat, Vintage Culture, Armin van Buuren, and MK, while stations like Sirius XM, Kiss FM UK, and Radio FG keep his music in constant rotation.
“I’m trying to tailor all my records for my sets,” he says. “As I always say, as a DJ you should produce your songs for your sets.” That mindset defines his performances across more than thirty countries, from Delta Festival Marseille and Family PikNik Montpellier to Hard Rock Ibiza, Shuffle Hong Kong, and Adam Osaka. Whether playing to thousands under an open sky or a tight basement crowd in Osaka, his sets unfold like a journey—disciplined build-ups giving way to euphoric peaks designed to lock the audience into a singular, shared rhythm.
Now based in Lisbon, Hugo draws energy from the city’s blend of warmth, history, and movement. “I just love Lisbon so much,” he tells us. “It has everything I need, like Mediterranean influences, a modern wave of creativity, amazing food, so much opportunity, and a well-connected airport to travel.” Beyond its charm, the city has subtly reshaped its sound. “I find the classic Portuguese saudade—that deep emotional longing—translates directly into the melancholic chord progressions I’ve been writing here,” he adds. “It’s a feeling I connect with completely.”
His recent release, ‘Your Eyes,’ marks his debut on Interstellar Recordings and a collaboration with Warung. “Everything went naturally,” he recalls. “Warung sent me an idea, we worked on it back and forth as we live far from each other, and we ended up getting a message from Interstellar that they loved it—and here we are! I always loved Warung’s work, so I’m happy we made it happen.”
Collaboration, for Hugo, is where growth happens. “For me, collaborations are key. I find it boring to do music just by myself. It’s like when you cook with another chef—he will bring different spices to make the plate unique. Warung are so talented, and I feel they brought the melodic side of the record.”
That same spontaneous spirit led to his acclaimed remix of ‘Sunrise’ by Shouse, made with his friend Sam Luck. “My remix of ‘Sunrise’ for Shouse with my friend Sam Luck is now all yours,” he says. “When I discovered the original version, I directly loved the vocal and felt that I had to do my own version to play it in my sets. We did it with Sam in a hotel room in Hong Kong for fun and personal use, but after sending it to the Shouse boys, they loved it and decided to release it. Sometimes you just have to do things for fun, and they will see the light!”
But for Hugo, the greatest collaboration isn’t in the studio—it’s in the community. There’s a deeper kind of rhythm he’s chasing, one that turns club energy into global action. His foundation, Together We’re Louder, channels music into education and hope. “I was badly bullied at school when I was young, and I felt like I had to give back to kids to help them as much as I can,” he explains. “We are now focusing on a school in Togo, but we will also start some stuff about bullying, as it was the biggest matter for me. If you give a good life and education to kids, they will surely become good, happy humans.”
The idea came to him in one of those rare flashes that redefine everything. “It’s something I always had in my mind, but I wanted to find the best way to do it,” he says. “One day, I woke up in China, Beijing, after a show where the energy was overwhelming, and I realized the power of this crowd needed to be channeled into something lasting. I suddenly had the idea of the label—a way to turn that noise into real change—and here we are.”
Discipline anchors his journey. “I’ve learned so much by being a resident DJ in so many different types of places,” he reflects. “I had to play any style of music for so many different crowds. I also found a similar point with most of the legends—that they are very disciplined and most of them are sober like me! Never been drunk and never took anything, not even a cigarette!”
That clarity fuels his consistency and purpose. “I don’t see a lot of it, no,” he says when asked about social responsibility in electronic music. “I’m happy to see Blond:ish doing her foundation for plastic use. I wish I could see more artists doing stuff with social responsibility.”
Looking forward, Hugo’s plans remain true to his nature: creative, disciplined, and kind. “Well, I’m excited to continue to get more DJs involved and to bring a proper party for it with a good lineup for ‘Together We’re Louder’,” he shares. “On a personal level, I just wanna continue to make the music I love, with people I love, travelling the world, meeting new crowds, and just being happy like that!”
In a world where numbers often take the spotlight, Hugo Cantarra offers something deeper. His music connects, his message uplifts, and his vision reminds us that the true pulse of electronic music is not just in the drop—it’s in what we do with the energy after it fades.
Hugo Cantarra’s ‘In Your Eyes’ is out now via Interstellar Recordings. Stream and download here.
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