I started DJing in 2008, playing Top 40 at college bars and frat parties before getting introduced to trance music, which eventually pushed me into production. I spent years producing and DJing in the trance world up until 2017, then stepped away from music for a while before launching the HIWATER project in 2023.

The first track that truly pulled me into electronic music was “Lift” by Sean Tyas. There was something about the emotion, energy, and scale of it that completely shifted my perspective on what music could feel like. That moment opened the door into trance for me, and even today, a lot of the emotion and tension in my music still traces back to discovering records like that.

What brought me back years later was hearing artists like Anyma, Korolova, Silver Panda, Adriatique, KREAM, and Argy. Their music reminded me that electronic music could still feel emotional, cinematic, and powerful while evolving into something darker and more forward-thinking. After stepping away from music for a while, hearing that sound sparked something in me again and ultimately led to the creation of HIWATER.

Cinematic. Driving. Emotional.

I like to feel comfortable on stage, so it’s usually a black oversized tee, black pants that allow movement, a bomber jacket, and Vans high tops. Add in the earbuds and a chain, and that’s pretty much the fit.

A little bit of both. I like keeping things minimal and understated, but still intentional. I’d rather the overall presence and energy stand out naturally than force it through loud outfits.

I usually get there early to catch the vibe from the opener or supporting acts and settle into the energy of the room before my set, then catch up with friends in the green room for a bit. After that, I’ll quickly go over what I have loaded on my USBs again and lock in the opening track because that first song really sets the tone for the entire night for both me and the crowd.

Argy and KREAM are two artists I always seem to come back to, both in my sets and for inspiration. They each have a way of balancing emotion, tension, and energy that really connects with me, and their records always seem to hit at the right moment on a dancefloor.

A lot of it comes from music culture, nightlife, and the environments around shows honestly. I gravitate toward clean darker tones, pieces that feel timeless, comfortable, and a little understated rather than chasing trends.

I think a lot of people only see the highlight moments online, the shows, releases, support from bigger artists, but there’s a massive amount of work happening behind the scenes that people never see. You’re trying to balance life, relationships, careers, long nights in the studio, radio show prep, sorting through promos, uploads, downloads, flights, travel, creating visuals and marketing around releases, while still finding time to actually stay creative. When you go all in on this world, there honestly never feels like enough time in the day. A lot of sleepless nights go into building something meaningful in electronic music.

Deep glacial cyan. Cold, cinematic, and futuristic, but still emotional underneath. The kind of color that feels like city lights reflecting through fog and water at night, which is pretty close to how I hear my music visually.

To me, it represents individuality, emotion, and creative freedom through chaos instead of perfection. A lot of electronic music exists in this space where thousands of people from completely different backgrounds come together under one feeling, one moment, one shared energy, and I think AOC captures that really well.

There’s also something powerful about embracing the unknown and building your own identity instead of following what’s expected. That connects deeply with me as an artist because HIWATER was built from taking a chance on starting over creatively and fully committing to a vision that felt authentic to who I am.