This is a true story. In 2022 I had a laptop with all my sample packs, all my plugins. Everything I needed to make music. I thought that laptop was the key to my sound.
Then one day it just died. Stopped working completely. And I remember thinking: this is bad.
I had an old laptop at home. It still had Ableton on it, but no sounds, no plugins, nothing. The one thing it did have was an MP3 of a random rock song, and that song opened with a little guitar riff.
So there I was, trying to make music with Ableton, no plugins, no sounds, and one MP3 with a guitar riff in it. I sat down for about half an hour, sampled that riff in the weirdest way I could, and ended up making a track.
That track got signed to a proper label. It's done over seven million streams.
I'm not saying it's the best thing I've ever made. But there's something to what limitation does for your creativity. I was panicking. Convinced I'd never make anything as good as before, because I didn't have my sounds.
But the truth is, it was never in the laptop. It's all up there. And sometimes the limitation is exactly what pushes you to do something you'd never have thought of if you'd had everything.
I think I accidentally found a cheat code. When I was 18, I went into every bar in my hometown with my DJ mix, hoping someone would give me a chance. No one did.
One bar owner actually got back to me. He'd listened to the mix, and all he said was: it's not good enough. At the time, I thought I'd failed.
What I didn't realise was that every rejection would become my motivation. Every person who doubted me made me work harder. I was determined to prove that guy wrong.
Somewhere along the way I stopped fearing the word no. When people say yes, it's great — it gives you the opportunity. But when people say no, it gives you the hunger.
If you can train yourself to turn rejection into fuel, it doesn't matter whether you get a yes or a no. You can't lose.
Bedroom DJs I’m giving you a chance 👀 swipe through
When I was 18, I came to Ibiza with no hotel.
I had a cheap flight, a few hundred pounds, and this stupid plan that if I didn’t spend money on accommodation, I could spend more money getting into the clubs.
So I slept on the beach.
I put my passport in my boxer shorts so nobody could steal it while I was asleep, and the first night I went to Space.
I’ll never forget that feeling.
The music. The sound system. The people. The size of it all.
I’d only ever been to one proper big club before, BCM in Mallorca, and Ibiza felt like another world.
After that trip, I came back every summer.
Not just to go out.
To try and get in the DJ booth.
I messaged everyone I knew. I messaged people I didn’t know. I offered to play anywhere, for free, just to say I’d DJ’d in Ibiza.
Most people ignored me.
One year, while I was out there trying to make something happen, all my DJ equipment got stolen from the back of a rental car.
Everything I needed to keep going was gone.
I had to borrow money just to start again.
But I kept coming back.
Free gigs. Empty rooms. No guarantees. Just this belief that one day I might get a real chance on that island.
Years later, Hï Ibiza asked me to play.
The same building as Space.
The first club I ever went to in Ibiza.
Now I have my own residency in the main room.
Every time I walk into that room, I remember the kid who slept on the beach just to get inside.
Ibiza changed my life.
So this summer, I want to bring one DJ out here for four days.
I’ll pay for your flights and accommodation. You’ll come to the show with me and my team, see what it’s really like backstage, meet people, feel the island, and then spend the rest of your trip doing what I used to do:
When I was 16, it wasn’t cool to be a DJ. I didn’t know a single other person who wanted to be one, I just knew when all my mates went to parties I wanted to be the one controlling the music. This photo is from a mate’s 16th birthday when it was clearly still cool to wear a shirt 😆 The message here is if something keeps pulling you in, even when no one else gets it, don’t ignore it. It’s a sign that you’re meant to chase down and if you work hard and get lucky your calling could just impact people all around the world 🤯❤️
Another year older.. Message to the boy in the first picture. Give it everything you’ve got, break the rules, don’t stop and remember NO just means not yet.
This year I want to give more of myself, be healthier, stop avoiding boring grown-up stuff, be better in my relationships, and chase the music and moments I’ve always imagined. If I manage even half of it, I’ll be proud of where I land.
If your “studio” looks like this.. YOU can make it. This is the room I rented when I left my life behind and moved to London to be an artist. This is the room I slept on the floor of before I even had an apartment. This is the room I recorded my first big song “More Than Friends” in using a mic that came free with an audio interface. Fxxk private jets and festival headlines, these are the stories we need on social media!
James Hype
This is a true story. In 2022 I had a laptop with all my sample packs, all my plugins. Everything I needed to make music. I thought that laptop was the key to my sound.
Then one day it just died. Stopped working completely. And I remember thinking: this is bad.
I had an old laptop at home. It still had Ableton on it, but no sounds, no plugins, nothing. The one thing it did have was an MP3 of a random rock song, and that song opened with a little guitar riff.
So there I was, trying to make music with Ableton, no plugins, no sounds, and one MP3 with a guitar riff in it. I sat down for about half an hour, sampled that riff in the weirdest way I could, and ended up making a track.
That track got signed to a proper label. It's done over seven million streams.
I'm not saying it's the best thing I've ever made. But there's something to what limitation does for your creativity. I was panicking. Convinced I'd never make anything as good as before, because I didn't have my sounds.
But the truth is, it was never in the laptop. It's all up there. And sometimes the limitation is exactly what pushes you to do something you'd never have thought of if you'd had everything.
1 month ago | [YT] | 1,005
View 36 replies
James Hype
I think I accidentally found a cheat code. When I was 18, I went into every bar in my hometown with my DJ mix, hoping someone would give me a chance. No one did.
One bar owner actually got back to me. He'd listened to the mix, and all he said was: it's not good enough. At the time, I thought I'd failed.
What I didn't realise was that every rejection would become my motivation. Every person who doubted me made me work harder. I was determined to prove that guy wrong.
Somewhere along the way I stopped fearing the word no. When people say yes, it's great — it gives you the opportunity. But when people say no, it gives you the hunger.
If you can train yourself to turn rejection into fuel, it doesn't matter whether you get a yes or a no. You can't lose.
2 months ago | [YT] | 2,549
View 70 replies
James Hype
Bedroom DJs I’m giving you a chance 👀 swipe through
When I was 18, I came to Ibiza with no hotel.
I had a cheap flight, a few hundred pounds, and this stupid plan that if I didn’t spend money on accommodation, I could spend more money getting into the clubs.
So I slept on the beach.
I put my passport in my boxer shorts so nobody could steal it while I was asleep, and the first night I went to Space.
I’ll never forget that feeling.
The music. The sound system. The people. The size of it all.
I’d only ever been to one proper big club before, BCM in Mallorca, and Ibiza felt like another world.
After that trip, I came back every summer.
Not just to go out.
To try and get in the DJ booth.
I messaged everyone I knew. I messaged people I didn’t know. I offered to play anywhere, for free, just to say I’d DJ’d in Ibiza.
Most people ignored me.
One year, while I was out there trying to make something happen, all my DJ equipment got stolen from the back of a rental car.
Everything I needed to keep going was gone.
I had to borrow money just to start again.
But I kept coming back.
Free gigs. Empty rooms. No guarantees. Just this belief that one day I might get a real chance on that island.
Years later, Hï Ibiza asked me to play.
The same building as Space.
The first club I ever went to in Ibiza.
Now I have my own residency in the main room.
Every time I walk into that room, I remember the kid who slept on the beach just to get inside.
Ibiza changed my life.
So this summer, I want to bring one DJ out here for four days.
I’ll pay for your flights and accommodation. You’ll come to the show with me and my team, see what it’s really like backstage, meet people, feel the island, and then spend the rest of your trip doing what I used to do:
Trying to make something happen.
Ibiza.jameshype.com to enter
4 months ago | [YT] | 2,093
View 97 replies
James Hype
When I was 16, it wasn’t cool to be a DJ.
I didn’t know a single other person who wanted to be one,
I just knew when all my mates went to parties I wanted to be the one controlling the music.
This photo is from a mate’s 16th birthday when it was clearly still cool to wear a shirt 😆
The message here is if something keeps pulling you in, even when no one else gets it, don’t ignore it. It’s a sign that you’re meant to chase down and if you work hard and get lucky your calling could just impact people all around the world 🤯❤️
10 months ago | [YT] | 3,635
View 107 replies
James Hype
Another year older.. Message to the boy in the first picture. Give it everything you’ve got, break the rules, don’t stop and remember NO just means not yet.
This year I want to give more of myself, be healthier, stop avoiding boring grown-up stuff, be better in my relationships, and chase the music and moments I’ve always imagined.
If I manage even half of it, I’ll be proud of where I land.
11 months ago | [YT] | 2,081
View 106 replies
James Hype
Good morning from London.. just released my first full set on the CDJ 3000X 🔥 https://youtu.be/saEEH-NPUMc?si=xXblY...
11 months ago | [YT] | 1,599
View 33 replies
James Hype
I used the new CDJ 3000X live on the main stage of EDC 😁🤯 full set just dropped: https://youtu.be/saEEH-NPUMc?si=ut1eg...
11 months ago | [YT] | 338
View 20 replies
James Hype
Still can’t believe I used the CDJ 3000X at EDC main stage 😆🤯 full set just dropped: https://youtu.be/saEEH-NPUMc?si=yUy31...
11 months ago | [YT] | 1,002
View 63 replies
James Hype
If your “studio” looks like this.. YOU can make it.
This is the room I rented when I left my life behind and moved to London to be an artist. This is the room I slept on the floor of before I even had an apartment. This is the room I recorded my first big song “More Than Friends” in using a mic that came free with an audio interface. Fxxk private jets and festival headlines, these are the stories we need on social media!
11 months ago | [YT] | 1,862
View 57 replies
James Hype
Some WILD tracks were dropped at the end of this set 😆🤯🔥
1 year ago | [YT] | 95
View 3 replies
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