Brighton-based trap producer Ollie O’Neill (a.k.a. Hucci) has come a long way since his humble beginnings in 2012. Drawing on influences that range from Flosstradamus to AraabMuzik, Hucci continues to blaze his way to the top of the charts with infectious melodies and speaker-bumping beats that prove he’s not only a force to be reckoned with, but a glimpse into the ever-evolving future of the genre.
Even with a new record label, Veyron Arche, under his belt, a new merch line in the works, and a grip of new tunes due to drop any day now, we wanted to dig a little deeper ahead of Hucci’s February 25 appearance at the Bassrush takeover of Exchange LA, so we sat down for a chat with the man himself.
Let’s start from the top; tell us about your early beginnings as a producer.
I used to experiment with early dubstep around 2010 when I was 14 and 15. We used FL Studio 7 and Reason and it was just as a fun hobby with a couple of friends. Nothing sounded amazing and I remember changing my artist name all the time; we were hyped to even just create tracks. We were using SoundCloud back then and my account now is basically still the same one with a different URL.
When did trap enter the picture for you?
I actually stopped producing for a couple of years, but my brother got me back into it right around the end of 2012. At the same time TNGHT and Baauer’s work was buzzing on the internet and I just tried making similar stuff. My first trap release was “Hustle” when it went up on All Trap Music’s YouTube channel; from then on I just kept going and making beats.
You have new record label, Veyron Arche. From what I understand it’s not just a label, is it?
I started VA because I wanted a platform to work with music that wasn’t just mine. Now I have the team on board and we’re establishing it as a record label. Aside from the exclusive releases and label showcases, this year we are launching garments of the highest quality that are manufactured from scratch at an ethical source that doesn’t utilize child/sweatshop labor. These items will include the first official HUCCI clothing branded by VEYRON ARCHE as well as original VA-branded merch. In the future, we will be working on clothing for various artists and we plan to build a brand that is focused around music and fashion. The first run we’ll be dropping a limited stock of tees and hats.
Sounds dope! Any plans to build up the merch line beyond that?
Eventually we will be coming out with all sorts of clothing all made from scratch—crewnecks, hoodies, shirts, accessories and more—but for now we are testing the waters and will be dropping the tees/hats shortly. We plan to create merchandise that drops seasonally; it will be exclusive and the products will be limited. There’s been a lot of hard work put into creating it. We’ll also be having a series of label showcases taking place across a number of cities around the world featuring the incredible music that’s in the pipeline, so there’s lots of other things to be excited about.
We can’t wait to catch you next Thursday at Exchange LA!
I’m super stoked to be coming. Los Angeles is always wild and this club looks massive! I will be playing at least one exclusive track for sure and it’s also my first US show of the year.
Before we split, what else should we be looking out for?
I have various projects in the works; a new track is coming soon and I also have an EP in the pipeline, which I’m very excited about releasing on the new label.