Introducing: HIFEELINGS

From Poland to the UKG underground, HIFEELINGS is making waves with a sound that fuses deep bass, flirty energy, and nostalgic nods to speed garage and early rave culture. His latest release, Don’t Play, is a sleek blend of playful lyrics and bass-heavy production — tailor-made for fans of Notion, Sammy Virji, and UKG anthems that hit hard on the dancefloor.

Now based in Southampton, HIFEELINGS’ musical journey has taken him from childhood listens of Depeche Mode and Skrillex to abandoning a college exam to chase inspiration at Primavera Madrid. With early support from BBC Introducing, shoutouts from A-Trak, and features on EDM.com and DMY, he’s not just part of the scene — he’s shaping it.

1. ‘Don’t Play’ leans into flirty, nostalgic UKG vibes with a modern twist — what was your vision behind the track, and how did you want people to feel when they hear it?

The track's vision was always about being a nostalgic track you could play when walking past an old street you haven't visited in a while or looking back through old pictures, or old texts with friends you haven't seen or heard from in a long time. But after sitting on the track for a while, I decided to browse Splice for a vocal hook to make it feel more full and fell in love with the phrase, 'And I say that's OK as long as you don't play' which created a new feeling of security and safety when you meet a new person and you question if you should trust them or not.

2. From Depeche Mode to Skrillex to Lady Gaga — your early influences are wildly diverse. How do those roots show up in your production style today?

As a kid, my mum would always play Lady Gaga and Depeche Mode on the TV. At the time I never heard anything like it and fell in love with the bright, energetic synths and the rhythms. Skrillex is my favourite artist of all time. His clean mix-downs, versatile productions, and keeping it simple yet complex are every artist's dream to be like him, and moving forward with my releases to try to make them simple, yet exciting and energetic.

3. Dropping your final college music exam to go to Primavera is a bold move — what was it about that festival and those artists that made it a turning point for you?

I never really believed in the education system. It sucks in the UK. The Primavera 2023 lineup was also just a no-brainer for me. Being my first festival abroad where I saw my biggest inspirations and influences such as Skrillex and Depeche Mode for the first time was the best decision ever. Along with that, I never really visited a different country apart from Poland and the UK, my parents as a kid never had the opportunity to take my family abroad so when I turned 18 that year, I decided I wanted to tick the country off my bucket list. That festival also opened my eyes in terms of communities and how friendly the people I met are and the friends I have now i thank them for introducing me to new genres and cultures. 

4. You're exploring UK Garage, 140, and breakbeat now — what draws you to the UK scene, and how are you carving your own lane within it?

A big part that draws me to UK music is the drum grooves, diverse styles, and artists showing no shame or hesitancy in putting out unique music. Attending Boiler Room Liverpool 2024 got me HOOKED when hearing Saint Ludo and BAKEY live and having the ultimate boiler room experience of standing right behind them. Before I was into UK Garage, I loved future bass, hyper pop, and dubstep so I want to grab these key melodic influences and blend them with the genre. 

5. Getting support from BBC Introducing, A-Trak, and major dance outlets so early on is big — what’s been the most surreal moment of your journey so far?

The craziest and the most unexpected was the one where I was sending out a bunch of promo emails to DJs with no hope and then I saw A-Trak downloaded my track 'Inna Week'. I was like woaaah. Also getting radio play for the first time and hearing my name is just an incredible achievement and every artist should feel proud to have that opportunity.