DJ Habibeats talks about his new music, which includes his new single “Hayati,” future plans, and being a part of the digital age.
How did “Hayati” come about?
Honestly, 90 percent of the song happened in about four hours. Felukah and I are friends so we’re familiar with each other’s art.
When we met in the studio, we both happened to have a very similar concept in our heads about the type of track we wanted to make. I whipped up a skeleton version of the beat and Felukah just started writing.
The song kind of just poured out of both of us so effortlessly.
Four hours later we had all the vocals and writing 100% done and recorded. I took it home and finished the music production over the next couple weeks and that’s it!
What inspires your music and songwriting?
I’m inspired by a lot of things from the music my parents showed me as a kid, to the music I grew up around in the Bay Area, to music and cultures from all around the world.
I think in general I try and make the kind of music that I wish existed. Sort of a combination of all the different genres, cultures, rhythms, and sounds that I find fascinating and get me excited.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent)
It’s definitely a blessing and a curse (but I think mostly a blessing). On the one hand, because of technology, there is a lot more to being an artist aside from your art.
You have to be constantly active on social media, making different types of content, self promoting all the time. At the same time, technology really allows us to have access to the world in a way we never had before.
Without it, I don’t think my career would exist the same way it does today, so I’m eternally grateful for it and try and utilize it as much as possible.
What is your advice for young and emerging artists?
My advice to emerging artists is to be true to yourself in your expression and focus on your art being authentic to you rather than trying to give people what you think they want to hear.
The art that resonates deepest with people is the art that feels authentic. If you try and make art based on what you think others want, it inherently won’t be that authentic to you and won’t resonate as deeply.
What do your plans for the future include?
My future plans include a lot more music. I’ve already released two songs this year and Hayati will be the third.
I have a lot more music on the way in all kinds of different genres, vibes, languages, and rhythms.
I just want to keep rounding out my catalogue so that I have tracks for every context and can keep building the story of my art.
Where do you see electronic music in the next five years?
I think Electronic music will continue to become more of a combination of styles, cultures, and sounds.
We’ve seen in the past few years so much coming out of Latin America and Africa in ways we never saw before.
I think Middle Eastern and South Asian musical culture is having a moment right now and will continue to.
I think we’ll continue to see all these different cultures and vibes influencing dance music across the world.
Which artists would you like to do a dream collab with someday?
It would be so sick to collab with Skrillex. He is somebody who I’ve always looked up to both as a DJ and a producer because he continually pushes the boundaries and is always up to something really interesting and fresh.
What do you want to tell our readers about your new music? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
My goal with “Hayati” is to push the envelope with Arabic-language music in a direction that I haven’t heard before.
It’s not supposed to sound like a traditional Arabic song at all. It’s a true representation of my musical influences as a first generation Arab-American in the diaspora.
“Hayati” is available for pre-order on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about DJ Habibeats, follow him on Instagram.
