When you think about the artists who’ve successfully bridged the gap between underground house music credibility and mainstream accessibility, HUGEL stands as a masterclass in finding that sweet spot. The French DJ and producer, born Julien Ranouil, has built a reputation for crafting infectious, bass-driven house tracks that work equally well in Ibiza’s superclubs and summer festival main stages. What makes HUGEL’s catalog particularly compelling is his ability to blend nostalgic house music elements with contemporary production techniques, creating tracks that feel both familiar and fresh. His signature sound—characterized by groovy basslines, clever vocal sampling, and an almost telepathic understanding of what makes people move—has earned him releases on prestigious labels like Spinnin’ Records and Armada Music while racking up hundreds of millions of streams. This collection celebrates the tracks that define HUGEL’s artistic journey, from breakthrough bangers to recent collaborations that showcase his evolving sound.
Morenita
Perhaps HUGEL’s most recognizable track, “Morenita” featuring Cumbiafrica and Totó La Momposina perfectly encapsulates his genius for cultural fusion. Released in 2020, this track exploded across streaming platforms by blending traditional Colombian cumbia rhythms with driving house production in a way that never feels forced or exploitative. The vocal sample from Colombian legend Totó La Momposina provides authentic Latin flavor while HUGEL’s production ensures the track maintains relentless dancefloor energy throughout its runtime. What’s particularly brilliant about “Morenita” is how it introduces listeners to cumbia’s infectious rhythms without diluting either genre—the track respects its source material while transforming it into something new and universally accessible. The bassline here is absolutely monstrous, driving forward with hypnotic insistence while those percussion elements create irresistible swing that makes standing still physically impossible.
WTF
When HUGEL dropped “WTF” featuring Amber Van Day, he delivered one of those rare dance tracks that achieves genuine crossover appeal without compromising its club DNA. The track’s cheeky title and attitude are reflected in its production—bold, unapologetic, and designed for maximum impact. Amber Van Day’s vocal performance walks that perfect line between pop accessibility and underground cool, her delivery confident and playful over HUGEL’s characteristically chunky house production. The drop hits with satisfying weight, featuring that signature HUGEL bassline style that’s become instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with his work. “WTF” works across multiple contexts—it slays in festival sets, holds its own in club environments, and translates surprisingly well to radio formats, demonstrating HUGEL’s understanding of how to craft tracks with broad appeal while maintaining artistic integrity.
Bella Ciao (HUGEL Remix)
Taking on “Bella Ciao,” the Italian folk song that became globally recognized through the Netflix series “Money Heist,” represented both opportunity and risk for HUGEL. His remix proves he was more than up to the challenge, transforming the partisan anthem into a club-ready banger while respecting the song’s cultural weight and historical significance. The production here showcases HUGEL’s ability to build tension and release, with the familiar melody providing instant recognition while his house framework makes it irresistibly danceable. What could have been a cynical cash-grab on a trending song instead becomes a celebration of the original, introducing “Bella Ciao” to new audiences while giving existing fans a fresh context for experiencing it. The track became a streaming phenomenon and festival staple, proving that intelligent remixing can honor source material while creating something genuinely new.
Mañana
Collaboration often brings out the best in producers, and “Mañana” with Amber Van Day represents HUGEL firing on all cylinders. This track showcases his more melodic side, building around gorgeous chord progressions and Van Day’s emotive vocal performance without sacrificing the groove-driven foundation that makes his productions so effective. There’s a summery, optimistic quality to “Mañana” that makes it perfect for outdoor festivals and beach clubs, capturing that carefree Mediterranean energy that has become part of HUGEL’s sonic signature. The production balances warmth and drive, with organic-sounding percussion sitting alongside clearly electronic elements in a mix that feels cohesive rather than contradictory. This track demonstrates that HUGEL’s talents extend beyond pure dancefloor bangers into more emotionally resonant territory, showing artistic range that suggests longevity beyond trend-chasing.
Gimme Some
“Gimme Some” represents HUGEL in full-on party mode, delivering exactly what the title promises—infectious energy that demands physical response. The track builds around a simple but devastatingly effective vocal hook, repeated and manipulated throughout the arrangement to create hypnotic effect. HUGEL’s production here emphasizes rawness and energy over polish, with slightly rough-edged textures that give the track character and personality often missing from overly produced dance music. The bassline once again proves itself the star, driving forward with relentless momentum while those crisp percussion hits keep everything locked into an irresistible groove. “Gimme Some” works particularly well in DJ sets as a transitional tool, its straightforward energy and recognizable hook making it effective for building momentum toward bigger moments or maintaining energy during extended mixing sessions.
Guajira
Latin influences run deep throughout HUGEL’s discography, and “Guajira” featuring Jude & Frank represents another successful fusion of cultural sounds with contemporary house production. The track incorporates traditional Cuban musical elements, specifically the guajira style that combines Spanish guitar traditions with Afro-Cuban rhythms. HUGEL’s production doesn’t simply appropriate these sounds—it engages with them respectfully while translating their essential energy into club-ready format. The guitar work here feels authentic rather than stereotypical, providing melodic foundation while HUGEL’s rhythmic programming and bass work ensure everything remains firmly grounded in house music territory. “Guajira” demonstrates that global bass and cultural fusion done thoughtfully can introduce audiences to musical traditions they might never otherwise encounter, using dance music’s universal language as the bridge.
I Adore You
Featuring the distinctive vocals of Topic, “I Adore You” finds HUGEL exploring slightly more commercial territory without abandoning the qualities that made him special. The track balances pop sensibilities with club functionality, its melodic content strong enough to work in casual listening contexts while the production maintains enough edge and energy for proper dancefloor deployment. Topic’s vocal performance brings genuine emotion to proceedings, elevating what could have been a straightforward dance track into something with actual emotional resonance. The drop provides satisfying payoff without resorting to the aggressive bass slams that characterize less sophisticated productions, demonstrating HUGEL’s understanding that impact can come from groove and arrangement as much as sheer volume. This track showcases his ability to operate in slightly more mainstream spaces while maintaining the creative integrity that defines his best work.
Latin Thing
Sometimes a track’s title tells you everything you need to know, and “Latin Thing” delivers exactly what it promises—HUGEL’s take on Latin-infused house music distilled to its essential elements. The production here emphasizes rhythm and percussion over melodic complexity, with layers of Latin percussion creating irresistible forward motion. What makes “Latin Thing” particularly effective is how it builds gradually, starting relatively stripped-back and adding elements progressively until you’re fully immersed in its rhythmic world. The bassline provides essential grounding, sitting deep in the mix and driving everything forward with hypnotic insistence. This track works brilliantly for DJs looking to inject Latin flavor into their sets without requiring extensive beatmatching gymnastics—it’s functional while maintaining personality and character that make it memorable beyond simple utility.
Magnifica
Collaboration with Amber Van Day clearly brings out something special in HUGEL, and “Magnifica” represents another successful partnership between producer and vocalist. The track radiates Mediterranean warmth, built around sun-soaked chord progressions and Van Day’s confident vocal delivery that captures vacation energy and romantic possibility. HUGEL’s production here feels slightly more lush and layered than some of his more minimal work, with string-like pad work adding emotional depth beneath the rhythmic foundation. The arrangement shows maturity and restraint, knowing when to add elements for impact and when to pull back and let the groove breathe. “Magnifica” translates beautifully across different listening contexts, working equally well through quality headphones for personal enjoyment and massive festival sound systems where its production qualities can fully shine.
Stay
“Stay” featuring Daniel Blume showcases HUGEL’s ability to craft tracks with genuine emotional weight without sacrificing danceability. The production walks that difficult line between melancholy and euphoria, with minor-key melodic elements creating wistfulness while the rhythmic drive ensures everything remains focused on movement. Blume’s vocal performance brings vulnerability to the track, his delivery suggesting genuine feeling rather than simply going through the motions of dance-pop vocal performance. The drop provides cathartic release, those basslines hitting with satisfying weight while maintaining the emotional tone established by the vocals. “Stay” demonstrates that house music can address real feelings and experiences beyond simple party energy, showing artistic ambition that separates memorable tracks from disposable dancefloor fodder.
Sax
Instrumental tracks live or die on the strength of their production and arrangement, and “Sax” proves HUGEL has both in abundance. Built around—unsurprisingly—prominent saxophone lines, the track captures that jazz-house fusion aesthetic that periodically resurfaces in electronic music. The sax performance feels organic and improvised despite obviously careful arrangement, providing human warmth that contrasts beautifully with the clearly electronic production surrounding it. HUGEL’s rhythmic programming here is particularly strong, with syncopated percussion elements creating swing and groove that makes the track feel alive rather than rigidly quantized. “Sax” works particularly well in DJ sets as a palette cleanser between more vocal-driven tracks, its instrumental nature providing breathing room while maintaining essential energy and momentum.
Feeling Me
Featuring Amber Van Day and LPW, “Feeling Me” represents HUGEL’s more stripped-back, groove-focused production approach. The track builds around a hypnotic repeated vocal phrase, using repetition to create trance-like effect rather than relying on complex melodic development. What makes “Feeling Me” particularly effective is its restraint—lesser producers would pile on additional elements, but HUGEL trusts that the core groove is strong enough to carry the track’s entire runtime. The production emphasizes space and pocket, allowing each element room to breathe while maintaining cohesion and forward momentum. This approach creates music that rewards attentive listening while remaining immediately functional for dancefloor purposes, demonstrating that simplicity executed brilliantly often trumps complexity executed adequately.
El Sueno
Spanish for “the dream,” “El Sueno” lives up to its evocative title with production that feels both grounded and transcendent. The track incorporates Spanish guitar elements and Latin percussion while maintaining HUGEL’s signature house framework, creating cultural fusion that feels organic rather than calculated. There’s genuine beauty in the melodic content here, with those guitar lines suggesting romance and possibility over the driving rhythmic foundation. HUGEL’s production balances warmth and energy throughout, never allowing the track to become too downtempo and contemplative but also avoiding the relentless intensity that can become exhausting over extended listening. “El Sueno” works particularly well during those transitional moments in DJ sets when you want to maintain energy while shifting emotional gears, its dual nature making it versatile across different contexts.
Miss You
Collaboration with JAW and Amber Van Day, “Miss You” addresses longing and absence with production that captures that bittersweet emotional space. The track’s melodic content emphasizes minor keys and descending progressions that suggest melancholy, while the rhythmic drive ensures everything remains focused on movement rather than wallowing. The vocal performances bring genuine vulnerability to proceedings, their delivery suggesting real emotional experience rather than simply performing dance-pop vocals by numbers. HUGEL’s production provides perfect framework for these vocals, supportive without overwhelming and leaving space for the human elements to shine. The drop provides cathartic release without betraying the emotional tone established by the verses, demonstrating sophisticated understanding of dynamics and emotional arc.
Lovers
“Lovers” finds HUGEL exploring slightly deeper, more underground-leaning territory while maintaining accessibility that has made his music successful. The track builds gradually, layering percussion and melodic elements with patience that rewards attentive listening. There’s a hypnotic quality to how “Lovers” develops, with subtle variations keeping things engaging across the runtime without resorting to obvious structural shifts or dramatic breakdowns. The production here emphasizes texture and groove over immediate hooks, creating track that works brilliantly in extended DJ sets where you have time to let things develop naturally. This demonstrates HUGEL’s versatility as a producer, showing he can operate across different contexts and serve different needs beyond simply creating radio-friendly bangers.
One Kiss (HUGEL Remix)
Taking on Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa’s massive hit “One Kiss” represented both opportunity and challenge for HUGEL. His remix respects the original’s essential DNA while filtering it through his distinct production aesthetic, emphasizing driving basslines and house grooves that make the track work differently in club contexts. Rather than simply adding four-on-the-floor kick drums and calling it done, HUGEL genuinely reimagines the arrangement, finding new possibilities within the source material. The remix maintains the original’s infectious energy and melodic content while making it feel distinctly his own, a balance that requires both technical skill and artistic sensitivity. This remix demonstrates HUGEL’s abilities extend beyond original productions into thoughtful reinterpretation that adds value rather than simply providing alternative versions.
Kokomo
Named after the Beach Boys classic but existing in completely different sonic territory, HUGEL’s “Kokomo” nonetheless captures that sense of escapism and paradise suggested by the title. The track radiates warmth and positive energy, built around summery chord progressions and grooves that suggest beach parties and sunset sessions. HUGEL’s production here feels slightly looser and more organic than some of his more polished work, with percussion elements that swing and breathe rather than sitting rigidly on the grid. This approach creates music that feels human and alive despite obviously electronic origins, bridging the gap between programmed production and organic performance. “Kokomo” works particularly well during those magic-hour sets when daylight gives way to evening and crowds transition from casual vibing to serious dancing.
Too Much
“Too Much” featuring Amber Van Day represents HUGEL addressing the excesses and intensity of modern life through dance music’s therapeutic lens. The irony of creating a high-energy dance track about overwhelming experiences isn’t lost, but the music provides cathartic release rather than adding to the noise. Van Day’s vocal performance captures that feeling of being overwhelmed while maintaining strength and confidence, refusing to be beaten down by excessive demands and stimulation. HUGEL’s production provides perfect foundation, its driving energy paradoxically creating space for processing and release rather than simply adding to sensory overload. The track demonstrates dance music’s unique ability to address serious themes while remaining fundamentally focused on joy and physical expression, showing that party music and meaningful content aren’t mutually exclusive.
El Mundo
“El Mundo” (The World) finds HUGEL continuing his exploration of Latin influences with production that captures global perspective and cultural fusion. The track incorporates elements from multiple Latin musical traditions, blending them with contemporary house production in ways that honor source materials while creating something genuinely new. There’s genuine sophistication in how HUGEL handles these cultural fusions, avoiding superficial appropriation in favor of thoughtful engagement with musical traditions. The production balances respect and innovation, maintaining essential characteristics that make these musical styles recognizable while translating their energy into club-ready format. “El Mundo” works as both cultural education and pure dancefloor functionality, introducing audiences to sounds they might never otherwise encounter while keeping them moving throughout.
Morenita (Extended Mix)
While the radio version of “Morenita” introduced the track to massive audiences, the extended mix showcases HUGEL’s vision fully realized without radio edit constraints. The additional runtime allows proper development of the track’s elements, with extended intro and outro sections that make it infinitely more useful in DJ contexts. The drop hits harder and lasts longer, giving dancefloors time to fully lose themselves in the groove before transitioning to the next section. Extended mixes often feel like simple padding, but HUGEL uses the additional time purposefully, adding subtle variations and development that reward repeated listening. For anyone who loves the radio version, experiencing the extended mix through proper audio equipment reveals additional layers and details that compressed streaming files often obscure.
Paris
Naming a track after the City of Light brings certain expectations, and “Paris” delivers that sense of romance and sophistication suggested by its title. The production here emphasizes elegance alongside energy, with melodic content that suggests European sensibilities and groove that maintains HUGEL’s essential dancefloor focus. There’s genuine beauty in the chord progressions and harmonic movement, showing that house music can be simultaneously functional and genuinely moving. HUGEL’s production balances refinement and rawness throughout, never becoming so polished that it loses character and edge but maintaining enough sonic sophistication to work in diverse contexts. “Paris” captures that particular energy of the city’s electronic music scene—sophisticated, culturally aware, and absolutely committed to making you dance.
Morenita (Acoustic)
Stripping “Morenita” down to acoustic instrumentation reveals the fundamental strength of its core composition. This version emphasizes the traditional cumbia elements, allowing Totó La Momposina’s vocals and authentic Latin instrumentation to shine without electronic production. Hearing the track in this context demonstrates that HUGEL’s productions aren’t simply adding house beats to existing songs—he’s engaging with the musical material on deeper levels, understanding its essential qualities and translating them into different contexts. The acoustic version works beautifully for more intimate listening contexts, showing that tracks built on strong foundations can translate across wildly different production approaches. This release demonstrates artistic confidence and genuine respect for source materials, showing HUGEL values musical substance beyond simple dancefloor functionality.
Summer Memories
As its title suggests, “Summer Memories” captures that bittersweet feeling of looking back on perfect moments that can never quite be recaptured. The production balances nostalgia and present-moment energy, with melodic elements suggesting reflection while the rhythmic drive keeps everything focused forward. HUGEL incorporates slightly retro-sounding synth work that evokes classic house music without simply copying past aesthetics, creating track that feels both timeless and contemporary. The emotional content here runs deeper than typical party tracks, addressing real feelings about time, change, and the fleeting nature of perfect experiences. Yet the music never becomes maudlin or overly sentimental—it maintains optimism and energy throughout, suggesting that memories of great times should inspire joy rather than sadness.
Brazilian Soul
“Brazilian Soul” represents HUGEL’s engagement with yet another Latin American musical tradition, this time focusing on Brazilian rhythms and aesthetics. The track incorporates elements of samba and bossa nova, translating their essential swing and sophistication into contemporary house music framework. What’s particularly impressive is how HUGEL captures the relaxed yet rhythmically complex quality of Brazilian music, avoiding the stiffness that often results when electronic producers attempt to incorporate organic Latin rhythms. The production here feels loose and breathing, with percussion elements that swing naturally rather than sitting rigidly quantized. “Brazilian Soul” demonstrates that HUGEL’s cultural fusions go beyond surface-level sampling, showing genuine understanding and appreciation of the musical traditions he’s engaging with.
Amore
Italian for “love,” “Amore” delivers exactly what its title promises—romantic, passionate house music perfect for those moments when dancefloors transform into spaces of connection and possibility. The production emphasizes warmth and melody, with gorgeous harmonic progressions creating emotional resonance alongside the rhythmic foundation. HUGEL’s arrangement here shows maturity and confidence, trusting that the emotional content is strong enough to carry the track without requiring constant intensification or dramatic shifts. The result is music that works across multiple contexts, equally effective in club environments and more intimate listening situations. “Amore” demonstrates that dance music can address the full spectrum of human experience, from pure physical joy to deeper emotional connection.
Shake That (HUGEL Remix)
This remix showcases HUGEL taking existing material and filtering it through his distinct production aesthetic, emphasizing those chunky basslines and driving grooves that have become his signature. Rather than completely deconstructing the original, HUGEL’s approach enhances and redirects, finding new possibilities within the source material while maintaining its essential character. The remix maintains immediate accessibility while adding sophistication and edge that make it work in more discerning musical contexts. This demonstrates HUGEL’s understanding that remixing is genuine artistic practice rather than simply technical exercise—the best remixes honor source material while creating something distinctly new, adding to rather than replacing the original’s value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What defines HUGEL’s signature sound in house music?
HUGEL’s signature sound combines driving, bass-heavy house grooves with cultural influences drawn particularly from Latin American musical traditions. His productions typically feature chunky, prominent basslines that provide powerful foundation for carefully selected vocal samples and melodic elements that reference various global music traditions. Unlike producers who simply appropriate cultural sounds superficially, HUGEL demonstrates genuine engagement with source materials, incorporating rhythmic and melodic characteristics respectfully while translating their essential energy into contemporary club contexts. His tracks balance accessibility with underground credibility, working across diverse contexts from radio to festival main stages to intimate club environments. The production quality remains consistently high across his catalog, with particular attention paid to low-frequency management and how basslines interact with percussion elements to create irresistible groove.
How did HUGEL transition from underground producer to mainstream success?
HUGEL’s transition from underground house music producer to mainstream recognition happened through combination of consistent quality releases, smart collaborations, and cultural timing that saw Latin-influenced house music gaining commercial traction. His breakthrough came with tracks like “Morenita,” which demonstrated his ability to fuse cultural authenticity with contemporary production in ways that appealed to both underground music heads and broader audiences. Rather than abandoning underground credibility for commercial success, HUGEL maintained artistic integrity while making music accessible enough for mainstream consumption. His releases on respected labels like Spinnin’ Records and Armada Music provided platform and promotional muscle while his relentless touring schedule built devoted following across global markets. The streaming era’s democratization of music discovery also played crucial role, allowing tracks to find audiences organically rather than requiring traditional radio gatekeepers.
Which HUGEL tracks best showcase his Latin music influences?
“Morenita” remains the definitive example of HUGEL’s Latin influences, featuring authentic Colombian cumbia elements through Totó La Momposina’s vocals while maintaining contemporary house music framework. “Guajira” showcases his engagement with Cuban musical traditions, incorporating traditional guitar work and Afro-Cuban rhythms into club-ready production. “El Sueno” and “El Mundo” further demonstrate his respectful approach to Latin American musical traditions, blending various regional styles with his signature bass-driven house sound. “Latin Thing” distills his approach to its essential elements, emphasizing percussion and rhythm drawn from Latin traditions. These tracks collectively showcase HUGEL’s ability to honor source materials while creating something genuinely new, introducing audiences to musical traditions they might never otherwise encounter while keeping them dancing throughout. His approach to cultural fusion offers model for how electronic producers can engage with global sounds respectfully and authentically rather than simply mining them for exotic flavors.
What makes HUGEL’s collaborations with Amber Van Day so effective?
The repeated collaborations between HUGEL and Amber Van Day work because they’ve developed genuine artistic chemistry that elevates both artists’ strengths. Van Day’s vocal approach balances pop accessibility with underground coolness, her delivery confident and emotionally authentic rather than simply performing dance-pop vocals by numbers. She understands how to work within HUGEL’s production framework, treating her voice as another instrument in the arrangement rather than dominating proceedings. HUGEL’s productions provide perfect foundation for Van Day’s vocals, supportive and complementary without overwhelming the human elements. Their tracks together like “WTF,” “Mañana,” and “Magnifica” demonstrate how successful producer-vocalist partnerships create results greater than sum of their parts. The commercial and critical success of these collaborations has made their partnership one of contemporary house music’s most reliable formulas, with audiences anticipating new releases that maintain consistent quality while exploring new creative directions.
How can listeners best experience HUGEL’s music for optimal sound quality?
HUGEL’s productions feature particularly strong low-frequency content and careful attention to stereo imaging, making them ideal candidates for high-quality playback equipment that can properly reproduce his meticulous mixing and mastering work. Quality audio gear reveals the depth and detail in his productions, from subtle percussion fills to the way basslines are layered and shaped to provide maximum physical impact without overwhelming other frequency ranges. For home listening, proper headphones or speakers with strong bass response allow you to appreciate how carefully HUGEL crafts his low-end, ensuring it drives the track without becoming muddy or overwhelming. In club and festival contexts, his tracks truly shine on large sound systems with substantial subwoofer arrays that can reproduce those basslines with proper physical impact. Streaming services often compress audio files in ways that reduce dynamic range and detail, so higher-quality streaming tiers or lossless audio sources reveal additional nuance in his productions. Regardless of playback method, HUGEL’s tracks benefit from adequate volume that allows you to feel the music physically rather than simply hearing it intellectually.