ARTIST OF THE MOMENT: Hame

A big part of why we do what we do at Delayed is to create a platform for like-minded artists as well as to connect in a worldwide community with music lovers who also appreciate a more soothing sound. It’s a best case that we are now able to feature Hame, an artist that comes straight from this community. He appeared in 2022 with his first release, “Compathy” on Lola Haro’s new born label Small Steps - and immediately touched listeners, bookers and us. Unsurprisingly he got booked for a live set at DOEL Festival and we strongly believe that all of you shall get to know the Amsterdam-based artist and get an impression of his approach, journey and of course, his music.

We are super happy to feature you with an interview and a mix - you were one artist we felt we really should have an eye on since 2022! For the ones that may not know you yet, can you please share a few words about yourself?
Thank you for having me. Delayed has been one of my favorite ‘spots’ to explore new mixes, which makes me excited to become a part of it. When it comes to the person behind Hame, I am quite private. This is not to be mysterious, but because experiencing music, dancing and enjoying the moment on a dance floor is dear to me. I like the idea of being able to keep those moments as they are. I also believe that when music is not linked to a personality, there is more room for someone’s own interpretation of the music - making it easier to connect. 
This connection through music is what I enjoy the most. Some days of the week, I work as an applied psychologist and talk to all kinds of people of different ages. Kids, young adults, adults. As long as I remember, I’ve been interested in people’s behavior and motives. Even though every mind is unique in its complexity, people are quite similar. We all share the same - not so extensive - set of emotions. Music has a way of penetrating through the complexity we’ve built around those emotions. This is, for me, the magical part of music without lyrics.

You played Doel Festival in Belgium last year and it was your first live set for a larger crowd this knowledgeable. How did that feel? Can you also share a bit about your setup and any insights you gained from production versus then sharing it live?
Doel was the first time I ever played live - meaning it was also the first time I saw how people interacted with my music. I remember feeling ready. I’ve been in touch with the passionate and friendly team of Doel long before the set. They knew I had a lot of material, and that I didn’t have a live set yet. ‘Now you have a deadline, maybe that’s nice’ - Gilles (the programmer of Doel)  said. And he was right. From then on, I turned down new jobs, went back to peanut butter sandwiches, and worked daily on the live set.
Building a live set started out as a confusing and explorative process. It is a personal process, tailored to your own music. Producing and building the live set were entwined. Sometimes I produced a track specifically for the live set to make more sense of the story. Other times, I had to kill my darlings in order to make them work on the set. It was a constant back and forth. Often a painful process. 
I felt like it was important to work with group loops with no automation in the composition. This way I can create a composition on the go, based on the timings that work with the audience. My setup is simple; faders, launch pads and some effects. This keeps it focused and fun: I can make slightly different transitions every time, and the energy of the audience influences the composition of a track - making it a shared effort in a way.
Many things happened at Doel that I will never forget. The trust of the organization to book a non-existing live set. Seeing my friends and family dance with friendly strangers. But also seeing how people reacted to the music. There was something special going on, and towards the end of the set, I noticed it had been quite an emotional experience, not just for me, but for the crowd as well. That made me feel like my music was being understood.

Under the name SYN collective, you aim to bring “unusual combinations of skills together to create new forms of art”. One of your last ventures was together with a well-known winery from Germany. Tell us more, please!
The idea came from an urge to make music as recognizable as art as a painting. Then the idea grew that it would be fun to work together with different artists to enhance each other’s art. Synergy, basically. The second release was the wine project. Rudolf and Rita Trossen create tasty natural Rieslings in the Mosel Valley. I always had a romantic idea about winemaking, and talking to a storyteller like Rudolf Trossen only confirmed this idea. Making wine is very much like making music. The right balance and the timing to add or subtract - all leading to a final composition. That’s why I thought it would be nice to translate that process into music. Making you feel like being in the flow of wine making. Maybe even like a little bubble in the fermentation tank. 
The sound of the fermentation process in the tanks of the Trossen winery was recorded and used as a rhythmic backbone of the composition. We then made it possible to find that composition by scanning the SYN edition bottles of these Rieslings. It’s a spacious track with a slow but growing flow, made of the sound of the fermentation process of the wine. It’s like you can hear the wine - or taste the music. Both at the same time- like synesthesia. 

Your first release as Hame “Compathy” was the inauguration of Lola Haro’s Label “Small Steps”. What I loved most about the record is that your sound is very gentle, still 100% fitting the dancefloor. How would you describe it yourself and what are your primary inspirations?

You describe it nicely. Music that I enjoy is music that can keep the attention without shouting too loud. This is what I hope to do. I think this way of making music is very similar to a fireplace. Fire is just fire - yet it is constantly interesting to look at. What is that all about? Probably because you never see the same shape twice. I enjoy playing with this idea. Subtle Lfo’s, volume changes, panning changes. It’s subtle, but I believe it helps to keep a track interesting in its repetitiveness. I am looking forward to using more analog gear and rerecording techniques for this effect.
When it comes to describing my music, it’s always a struggle. It’s clarifying to read what others write about it, now it’s out. But there is a feeling that I enjoy a lot in music, which I try to transmit in some of my productions. It is a combination of melancholia and hope. This is very comforting to me, because it sums up the good part of life: a feeling that we can shake hands with the tough parts and look forward. I think ‘Relieve’ is a good example of this. Which makes sense because I created that track around 4-5 years ago while leaving a difficult period behind.
When I buy a record, I put a yellow sticker on the records that evoke this feeling. I notice that some artists have more yellow stickers than others. Examples of these artists are Map.ache, Traumprinz, Tren, Orion and Boaksi. Even though they all do it in their own style, their music touches me in a similar emotional way. An artist who combines many things I enjoy in music is Traumprinz. My brother, who became a dad not that long ago, would put on womb sounds to relax the baby. To me, there are similarities to the musical context that Traumprinz creates. He seems to combine that relaxing uterus feeling with meditative polymeters while creating this feeling of emotional acceptance in his music. Writing it down like this makes it sound like going through a successful mindfulness practice. In this idea, it seems understandable that people experience a sense of healing after listening to his music. I think that is beautiful.
Another inspiring artist to me is Leafar Legov. I enjoy his warm sound and the diversity of his productions and live sets. There is a sophisticated playfulness in his sets. It feels straight from the heart with a thought-through, delicate touch. Orion, Tren and Boaksi were my favorite discoveries of the recent past. Orion is inspiring in creating these subtle textures and endlessly interesting tracks. Their music has that same effect on me as looking at that fireplace. 

“Compathy” - as a word, means to “feel someone’s emotions as if with the same heart”. A beautiful term. How did you come to choose it?
This word describes what makes a dance floor so special. The right track at the right time can create a connection by sharing a feeling. We experience similar emotions without the need to understand each other’s context of these emotions. Where words can sometimes make it difficult to truly connect, music can do it instantly. 

(There’s a beautiful scene in the movie Waking Life that shines light on the complexity of words called ‘Words are Inert’.)

For our “Delayed… with” mix series, you have shared a beautiful journey with us. In what state of mind did you produce the mix? 
I am from Amsterdam. Lately, most of the music around here is leaning more towards the ‘raw energy’ side of the spectrum. Sometimes I can enjoy that a lot, but I like it a bit more subtle and moody. This means I go out less and can spend more Friday nights with my music over a cup of tea. This was such a Friday night.
When I do a mix for home listening, I enjoy telling a story with a big contrast in the intensity throughout the mix. Starting out with an interesting track to calm the brain and set the stage and then slowly sucking the listener into a more intense state of listening throughout the mix. Then slowly taking you out of it again with more clarity towards the end and a nice soft landing. Like a slide. Artists in this mix are: Rising Sun, Jacques Bon & Drux, Yagya, Orion, Edmondson, Arkajo, So Inagawa and Boaksi.

The mix also contains some unreleased material of yours. Obviously, that makes us very curious what 2023 has in store in terms of releases and projects?
Indeed, the “Compathy” EP is in the mix alongside three unreleased tracks. At the moment, I am working towards another release on Small Steps and a Various Artist release on Lost in Translation. Also, I am looking into doing some collaborations with other artists. 
Since there is quite a lot of unreleased material, I can imagine some more releases coming this year. At the same time, it’s nice to take it slow. Releasing music is a shared effort, and I am thrilled with the people who helped me start this adventure so far. It also gives me time to experiment with tracks in the live set.
 The best way to discover new material this year is to keep an eye out on my SoundCloud for mixes with unreleased music or to visit a live/dj set. There are some nice ones coming up. For example: Above Below Festival (UK - live set), Paradise City Festival (BE - dj set) or one of the Small Steps future showcases. Beyond that, there will be some gigs coming up in Belgium, The Netherlands and possibly Germany later in summer.