hhunter Gets Candid About his Artistic Journey

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Chicago native hhunter stopped by to reflect on his explosive rise in the dance music scene, latest releases, sobriety, and more.

When it comes to dance music’s rich history in the United States, Chicago is a city that can’t be left out. As the birthplace of house music, the city has given rise to some of the most important artists of all time while nurturing the next generation. There’s truly no shortage of talent, and at times, the city may even feel like it’s oversaturated. Still, there are diamonds in the rough when fans do some digging. One of these hidden gems is the techno newcomer, hhunter.

While only active for a couple of years, hhunter has made a case for being one of the best names in the genre today. Boasting an endless list of support, including artists like KAYZO, along with a successful event series dubbed ON THE HHUNT, hhunter is poised to claim his spot at the top of the North American techno scene.

Given his explosive rise, we knew that we needed to talk to hhunter to get the full scoop on his story. Luckily, he was able to stop by for a raw, honest conversation that touched on his journey in the scene, recent releases, sobriety, and so much more.

Check out “Mary Juana” with Polarity on Spotify or your preferred platform, and read on for the full conversation!

To start off, I’d love to dive into one of your new releases, “Round Da Top.” This one feels fairly different from your 2026 releases, being more direct and “in your face.” How does this release fit into your vision for this year on the music front?

“Round Da Top” is definitely leaning into the bouncier side of my sound, similar to “Boom Shak.” It has a lot of the things that have become signature hhunter elements – Latin grooves, unexpected switch-ups, and moments that catch people off guard. I love music that’s fun and playful. Not everything has to be super serious.

A lot of my recent releases have pushed into heavier territory, but with “Round Da Top,” I wanted to bring back that feeling of pure movement. When I make music, I’m always thinking about the crowd. I want people smiling, dancing, and having a moment together. That’s really what this track is about.

You’re also going a little harder with your latest release, “MARY JUANA.” We’ve been hearing this one in your sets for some time now, and it definitely seems like a release that’s on the fun side. What can you share with us about how this one came together with fellow artist Polarity?

Polarity and I are both from Chicago, so the collaboration felt really natural. We’ve actually been trying to make a record together for over a year. I think we probably made five different tracks before this one, and none of them really clicked.

I had the first half of “MARY JUANA” started and sent it to him. We both liked where it was going, but we felt like there was an opportunity to take it somewhere unexpected. That’s where the idea came from to make the second half hit even harder.

The front half has a lot of the Latin groove and bounce that people associate with my sound, while the back half leans into the heavier energy Polarity is known for. That’s what makes the track special to me. It doesn’t feel like one artist featuring another; it genuinely feels like both of our styles meeting in the middle.

You also have an event series, ON THE HHUNT, in Chicago. For new fans, what can they expect at an ON THE HHUNT show, and what is the goal behind creating this platform for yourself?

ON THE HHUNT started as this tiny event with maybe 100 people in a room. At the time, I was just trying to create opportunities for myself. Breaking into the Chicago scene isn’t easy. There are so many talented artists here, and I realized pretty quickly that if I wanted something to exist, I had to build it myself.

What I didn’t expect was how much the community would embrace it. At a certain point, it stopped being about me and took on a life of its own.

Today, people can expect high energy, great music, and a real sense of community. We’re bringing in artists for Chicago debuts, investing heavily into production, and constantly trying to make each event feel bigger and more memorable than the last. We just sold out Cermak Hall, which is something I never could have imagined when we started.

The vision has grown beyond events, too. ON THE HHUNT is becoming an ecosystem—events, music releases, merch, and a community of people who believe in what we’re building. That’s what excites me the most.

Anyone who’s been to your sets also knows there’s a lot of Latin influences that you mix in. What connections do you have to Latin music, and what made you decide to make it a key part of your sets?

My dad’s side of the family is from Mexico, and I grew up in South Florida, where Latin culture is everywhere. As I got deeper into electronic music, I realized there weren’t many artists bringing those rhythms and influences into the harder sounds I was playing. I started experimenting with it, and the response was immediate. People connect with groove. They connect with rhythm.

For me, it’s a way of bringing a piece of my ancestry into my music while also creating something that feels unique. Those influences have become one of the foundations of the HHUNTER sound.

What many fans might not know about you is that a lot of your success came after getting sober and rebuilding yourself. Being such an integral part of your story, what can you share with other artists who feel the pressure to use substances, especially in the music industry?

The biggest thing sobriety taught me is that it’s okay to be bad at something. Before I got sober, I spent a lot of time thinking I needed to be naturally great at whatever I did. If I wasn’t immediately good at something, I wouldn’t even start. Getting sober forced me to become comfortable with being a beginner.

The reality is I never made music before I got sober. I never DJed. I never built a community. Everything people know me for today happened after I got sober.

I don’t judge people who use substances. It’s a huge part of nightlife culture, and everyone has their own path. But I do think there’s this misconception that it’s required. For me, it wasn’t. Some of the best nights of my life have been completely sober. I’ve had more fun, made deeper connections, and been more present than I ever was before.

If someone feels that pressure, I’d just tell them that there’s more than one way to do this. You don’t have to follow someone else’s blueprint.

You’ve always been proud to make it known that you’re from Chicago, but you’ve arguably picked up a ton of steam in international markets, which is still fairly rare for American artists. What does it mean to you to have the backing from the European scene where techno music is arguably its strongest today?

Any support means a lot to me, no matter where it’s coming from, but hearing artists I’ve looked up to for years playing my music on the other side of the world is definitely surreal.

I haven’t played Europe yet, but it’s something I really want to do. Europe has embraced techno in a way that’s made it its own, and seeing those crowds connect with my records from afar is incredibly motivating.

At the same time, I think we’re seeing something special happen in North America. There are so many artists pushing the sound forward right now. My goal is to continue helping build that bridge and make ON THE HHUNT a beacon for this music in the United States.

Speaking of your hometown, Chicago also has deep connections to house and techno music. How does it feel being one of the faces of techno music today in a city that has such a rich history with the genre?

It’s honestly a huge honor. Chicago has such an incredible musical legacy, and there are so many talented artists here who deserve more recognition. I still feel like a fan of this scene before anything else.

If there’s one thing I hope to do with ON THE HHUNT, it’s continue creating opportunities for artists and helping grow the culture. Chicago helped shape dance music for the entire world. Being able to contribute even a small chapter to that story means everything to me.