HUGEL. FROM MARSEILLE TO IBIZA, THE DJ WHO TURNED UP THE HEAT THIS SUMMER

Some tracks you recognize instantly. Even when you have no idea who made them. HUGEL built part of his success on that familiarity: vocals that stick in your head and beats that carry you from an afternoon at the beach straight onto the dance floor. In summer 2026, it happened with Jamaican (Bam Bam). He made it with SOLTO, sampling Sister Nancy’s 1982 classic. The afro house rework hit number one on Spain’s LOS40 chart on September 5.

Behind the name HUGEL is Florent Hugel. French DJ and producer. Raised in Marseille in a family with Spanish roots. The port city, with its diverse communities and musical cross-pollination, explains a lot about his sound. His journey started with a DJ course in Cannes. His father paid for it—on one condition: finish school first. Then came years of buying vinyl. He even made trips to Barcelona hunting for Latin house records.

A turning point came in 2024 with I Adore You. He teamed up with Topic, Arash, and vocalist Daecolm. The track shows how his mind works. HUGEL spotted the melody’s potential. He reworked the production. Then he went back to the studio to beef up the percussion. He remembers the first time he played it live. People had their phones out, searching for the title on Shazam. The crowd gave him his answer right there.

Ibiza became the place where he reconnects with audiences every week. In summer 2026, HUGEL held down Thursday nights at Hï Ibiza. Three-hour sets. Enough time to test new productions and build the night. Meanwhile, his album Twenty One expanded his range. He tapped into the hip hop influences from his early years. Snoop Dogg, French Montana, and David Guetta all made appearances.

His edge? A relentless rhythm paired with melodies anyone can grab onto—even people who rarely listen to electronic music. That’s the key to his success. The track works in the club. It keeps playing in your head after the night ends. It becomes part of the memory. A vacation. A place. The people you danced with.