Contributing WriterHES BRIAN grew up as a sbhujwa dancer in his native Vosloorus, and those early days laid the foundation for his unique sense of rhythm and deep connection to music. He has now been DJing for more than a decade and has had music signed by the Afro house legend Themba, as well as releasing on Connected Frontline, Xibalo Records, and Ase Records. This new EP is built on the idea of origin, not just in a cosmic sense, but in a personal, creative one. It explores the moment where nothing becomes something and sound and identity collide to form a universe of their own. Music Is 4 Lovers sits down with him to discuss his new EP and journey in music.
1. Hey Brian, thanks for joining us today. How have you been?
Hi MI4L, I’m all good, spirits are on high vibration. Hope you’re good too.
2. Your new EP ‘Big Bang’ comes out on Connected. Can you talk us through the process of
making this EP?
The very first track I did was “The Source,” hence the title. Sonically, I wanted the EP to feel expansive
but rooted, something emotional and cinematic, but still functional on a dancefloor. I spent a lot of time
layering percussion, atmosphere, and small details that almost feel hidden until multiple listens. Afro
house is at the center of it, but there are touches of deep house, ambient textures, and experimental
moments throughout.
3. You grew up as an sbhujwa dancer. Can you tell us about your journey from dancer to
producer? Do you feel the two arts go hand in hand?
Growing up in Vosloorus, roaming the streets was part of life. And the streets are where culture is
born. That’s where I first found dance. Like a lot of South African kids, it started outside, not in studios
or stages, but in the township streets. There was a street vendor near Ayanda Crèche who sold
snacks on the corner, and his home radio was always blasting music into the street. Close by was a
high school, so every Friday after school, the learners would gather around, open circles, and start
dancing right there. An older guy from my area, well known locally as a sbhujwa dancer, once saw me
dancing outside a Game Store and thought I had potential. Not long after, he became my dance
instructor. Coincidentally, he was also an incredible DJ.
That became the foundation for everything. How these two coincide, well, dance music has always felt
natural to me because it lives in movement first. It’s in the name itself; you cannot dance without the
echoes of music. The moment the sound plays, your body instinctively searches for rhythm. That
connection between movement, community, and sound is what shaped me long before I ever started
producing music.
4. You’ve said this EP explores the moment where nothing becomes something and sound and identity collide to form a universe of their own. What inspired you to make an EP on this topic?
The EP was started around March 2025. The previous month, February, was a pretty testing time for
me. I had just gone through a breakup with someone I really loved, and the hard drive I’d been using
for years crashed completely. I couldn’t recover any of the data, so for a while I was honestly afraid to
go back into the studio because I knew I’d have to start from scratch. But eventually, I sat back down
in my bedroom studio, opened the DAW, and made a decision to stop thinking about everything I had
lost while creating. The first track I made on the new hard drive became “The Source”, which is why
the title means so much to me. Every song that came after on the EP was born from that moment.
In a way, the project became less about recovering the past and more about rebuilding myself
creatively in real time.
5. You were signed by Afro House legend Themba. How has it been to release and work on
music with such a big artist?
What made the loss of the hard drive even heavier was that one of the tracks on it had received a
co-sign from Themba, not a record signing, but a moment of validation from someone who had been
in the game for years. That co-sign meant a lot to me. It was confirmation that I was capable of
creating music at the highest level, and even though the track was lost with the drive, the belief it gave
me stayed.
6. As well as a producer, you also DJ. What’s your favourite way to dig for music, and what are your favourite Afro House tracks to play out?
I mostly dig for music on online stores like Beatport and Traxsource. I also follow a lot of record labels
closely, so whenever they release new music, I’m always on alert. Keeping up with new drops is a big
part of how I stay inspired and connected to what’s happening in the scene.
7. Your music holds a lot of depth and deeper meaning for you. How does your music help you to express yourself and tell a story?
Music became a way for me to document my life without having to explain everything directly.
A lot of the emotions, memories, and experiences I struggle to say out loud end up living inside the
music first. Sometimes a title, a texture, or even a drum pattern carries a whole story behind it.
8. Thank you for sitting down with us today. What can we expect to hear from you next?
Right now, I’m focused on building momentum and telling my story properly through the music.
I want every release to feel intentional and connected to a bigger journey rather than just dropping
songs for the sake of it. More than anything, people should expect growth. A lot of the music coming
next is inspired by transformation, rebuilding, and where I come from in Vosloorus. Thank you for
having me on your platform. Much love MI4L
