Mixing cultures: HBB’s rise in the electronic music scene
Usama Douglah, known professionally as HBB, is a DJ and producer whose multicultural background has shaped his distinct sound. Born in Baghdad and raised across the Middle East and East Africa before settling in Los Angeles, HBB’s journey is as diverse as his music.
Photo credit: Ryan Collins
With a day job as a project manager in industrial real estate, HBB has managed to carve out a significant presence in the electronic music scene, particularly in 2023 with the release of several chart-topping tracks.
HBB’s sets are a testament to his eclectic influences, skillfully blending progressive, minimal/tech, and organic tracks. Recent successes include his track ‘Gayab,’ which hit the top 50 on Beatport’s Organic House chart, and collaborations that have reached the top 10.
In this exclusive interview with EG, HBB opens up about his recent EP ‘Mirada,’ his collaborative processes, and the impact of his multicultural upbringing on his music. He also shares insights into balancing his music career with his day job and his vision for the future, including upcoming releases and performances in Los Angeles.
EG: Hi, Usama! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
HBB: Hi, thank you so much for having me, it’s a pleasure! I am doing very well, thank you. I am currently in Houston for a show tonight at Bauhaus.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of ‘Mirada’, your new collaboration with AM!NA JAGUAR and Sauaro! You must be glad to have this one out. What was the initial reception like? Do you remember the first time you played this one live?
HBB: Thank you! I was very excited to get this one out because it’s an EP that we have been working on for a while now, and it includes a couple of remixes as well by the talented KMNI and Leo Guardo. I think the first time I played it was actually at my birthday party last month in September. Sauaro also played it in his opening set for Francis Mercer, which was really cool seeing the crowd vibing and grooving to it. I was happy to see that it was well received, and we got so many compliments on it.
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Mirada’? Is there an emotional trigger or concept driving ‘Mirada’?
HBB: Yes, ‘Mirada’ has a very Spanish/flamenco vibe to it, which you can feel from the live guitar and Spanish vocals by Am!na, while still being driven by afro/organic percussion and rhythm.
EG: And what was the recording process like? How did the relationship with AM!NA JAGUAR and Sauaro come about?
HBB: Hicham (Sauaro) and I have been really close friends for some time now and spend a lot of time in the studio together. Am!na reached out to Hicham with her vocals to see if it inspires anything, and as soon as we heard it, we started producing a track around the vocals. That’s when we also reached out to our friend Nacho Arimany, who is an extremely talented flamenco guitarist from Spain, to lay down the guitar main riff and solo.
After we finished the track, our producer friends KMNI and Leo Guardo heard it and immediately wanted to do a remix. I’m glad we turned it into an EP because the remixes turned out amazing too and were very complementary to our original production.
“I find it very efficient when I get together with producers that have strong skills where I am lacking and vice versa. That way, we bring out the best in each other and make it a fun collaborative experience”
EG: Since we’re on the production front… congratulations on the success of ‘Gayab’! Were you expecting your Cafe De Anatolia collaboration to do so well in the charts?
HBB: Thank you! ‘Gayab’ has been a track I was working on and off all summer. I wanted to experiment with more oriental sounds and go a bit more east of my origins. That’s why I decided to use Indian vocals. I like this track because of its energy. Every time I play it live, it’s usually at the peak of the set because of its grooviness. I am happy to hear that many DJs have been supporting it and playing it all over. It hit the top 50 on Beatport’s Organic House chart.
EG: What would you say are some of the keys to a good collaboration?
HBB: I think collaborations are successful when the producers involved are on the same wavelength (no pun intended). I find it very efficient when I get together with producers that have strong skills where I am lacking and vice versa. That way, we bring out the best in each other and make it a fun collaborative experience.
I’ve also had some collaborations with producers that I’ve never even met on the other side of the world, like Omerar Nanda. We produced ‘We Better Run,’ which is my most successful track to date, and hit the top 10 on Beatport’s Organic House chart. That was done by sending each other stems back and forth over a period of months. I think we were able to make it work because we both had the same intention at the time and the type of song we wanted to make. I also knew I wanted deep raspy vocals and live guitar, which he has.
EG: Now, let’s dive into your origins for a bit. When and why did you decide to become a DJ/producer? What were your first interactions with electronic dance music like? You’ve had a rather eclectic upbringing, right? How has it influenced your music today?
HBB: I was born and raised in Iraq and lived in East Africa for some time too before moving to Los Angeles to pursue my undergrad and master’s degrees at USC. So my music has been influenced by multicultural experiences and upbringing. That’s why you hear a lot of organic, Arabic, and Afro sounds in my tracks. I didn’t realize I had a knack for DJing and producing until I borrowed my friend’s mixer back in 2016.
As soon as I started messing around with it, I got hooked! People around me started encouraging me to do it more as well, and that’s why I decided to keep experimenting and see where I could go with it. In 2023, I started to produce on a professional level and publish music, and that’s when my production journey started. I still have a day job as a Senior Project Manager for an industrial real estate developer. It has not been easy to find the balance between both worlds, but I love to push and challenge myself, and that’s how I find my growth.
EG: And is there a ‘dream’ achievement still out there for you? If possible, who would you like to collaborate with and why do you think that would make for a good link up?
HBB: I started Among Friends Records with a few of my producer friends in LA: Hicham, Charbel, Kameni, and Pedro. Our vision aligned in that we all wanted to create an outlet to showcase and promote the local talents in LA. We craved more than just producing and DJing and wanted to make an impact on the music scene in LA.
So far, it’s been off to a great start! Most of our releases in just a few months have charted in Beatport’s top charts, including Organic House / Downtempo and Afro House. We have had some incredible talents released on our label, including Omerar Nanda, Samson, Pyramido, Jean-Marc, Yemanjo, and many more great ones coming up soon.
“My music has been influenced by multicultural experiences and upbringing. That’s why you hear a lot of organic, Arabic, and Afro sounds in my tracks”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from HBB in the next few months? Where can your fans catch you next?
HBB: In the coming months, I have several exciting releases in the works, including ‘Sadhana’ and ‘Ya Salma’ with Sauaro, a fun ID with Pyramido, and ‘Stay Cool’ with Omerar Nanda.
I’ll also be performing in LA for Halloween at the Minimal Effort X Sbcltr X Rasa event, sharing the stage with Lee Burridge, who I’m a huge fan of, and playing with Set Underground as direct support for SOEL with Afterlife.
Additionally, I’ll be performing at Exchange LA on December 7 for Insomniac X Factory 93 and Naach Events on December 13. My team is also finalizing agreements for more upcoming events, so stay tuned! All will be posted on my Instagram and website.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Usama! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!HBB: Thank you so much for having me again, and I appreciate your time! Hope to talk again soon in the future.
HBB’s ‘Mirada’ is out now on Among Friends Records. Stream and download here.
Follow HBB: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram | Website
