Trilucid, the electrifying London-based duo of South African Hilton and Scotsman Andy, have skyrocketed to the top of melodic house with their genre-bending sound and magnetic presence. With over 22 million Spotify streams in the last year, and chart-topping hits, they’ve earned the backing of both underground pioneers and global tastemakers. From their five-year residency at the legendary Ministry of Sound to sold-out shows at Pacha, Amnesia, and Egg, the pair have mastered the art of crafting hypnotic, forward-thinking tunes. Known for their experimental Sunrise and Sunset mixes, and a slew of standout releases on Proton, UV, Anjuna, and their own Ionica Audio label, Trilucid are undeniably one of the most exciting acts in the progressive scene today.
Read our exclusive illuminating interview with the pair below.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
Andy: Haha, kicking off with a tough question there! I don’t know if there was ever a conscious choice of wanting to be in the arts, but I definitely gravitated towards electronic music from a young age. I think there were a series of circumstances that led me deeper into music until it eventually coalesced into a “career.” I started producing when I was 11 and got really into rave around the same time. My friend James introduced me to clubbing a few years later, going to clubs like Basics at the Mint and Gatecrasher, and it really became obvious from there that making music was how I wanted to spend all my spare time. At the time, I had a job in finance but really hated it and hated having to answer to petty bosses, so I left and threw myself wholesale into music. It was tough for the first few years, but 20 years on, and it was definitely the right decision.
Hilton: Music is in my blood. My grandmother was a piano teacher who taught hundreds of people and played in the church band, so I grew up surrounded by music. In primary school, I was always the kid supplying the music for concerts and school shows—I loved being the one to set the vibe. By the time I was 12, I was DJing for friends and started following DJ Cat, a well-known Cape Town DJ. I carried his vinyl bags to gigs, watching how he worked a crowd, controlled energy, and mixed records. That experience stuck with me, and from then on, I knew music was what I wanted to do.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
Andy: It really varies from track to track. Often we’ll have a rough idea of what we want to make and will get a groove and bass down pretty quickly as a foundation, then try various ideas over the top of that. Other times we’ll just be playing around with sound design ideas, and a theme or melody will form organically from that. And on very rare occasions, a melody will form in my head (often when I’m out for a walk) and I’ll have to get back to the studio double quick to get the idea down. Often, these ones end up being our best tracks as they start from a flow state, rather than trial and error and experimentation, and so the rest of the track often comes together very quickly, which is what happened with ‘See Through You’.
Hilton: Usually, we start with a groove. Once we have a solid rhythm, the rest kind of falls into place. Sometimes, though, a melody or a sound will spark an idea, and we’ll build around that.
Does your material feature any collaborations?
Andy: Yeah, we do collaborate from time to time. We’ve got a few friends that we love writing music with. Our friends Phil Martyn and Esque are both great artists to work with as they pull the sound in unexpected directions, and that’s really exciting to experience when we’re vibing in the studio. Now that we are a bit more established as artists, we are finding that we have more time to work with other artists and so have several really nice tracks coming together that we started over the last few months. Collabs always take longer, so it is great to have the time to work with other artists and not feel pressure to deliver a track in a session, which is how it used to be. Although that can be a good motivator in itself.
I think one big change recently is having our own record label. We’ve found that we’re writing a broader range of sounds as we have the freedom to release whatever we want and just see how it goes, without having to tailor the music to a particular sound to fit on a label.
Hilton: Yeah, we love collaborating. It pushes us in different directions and keeps things fresh. We’ve worked with some great artists recently, and there are a few exciting collabs in the works.
What’s on your current playlist?
Andy: I can give you a link to some playlists if you like?! We have a playlist called Trilucid Selects that we update pretty regularly. A couple of recent favourites are on there from Huminal, Robby East, Booka Shade, Icarus, My Friend, and loads more. Outside of melodic and progressive house, I listen to a lot of neo soul and nu disco, two of my favourite bands being Jungle and Maribou State. And beyond that, because I run a mastering studio, I get to work with a really wide range of artists, so I constantly discover new sounds through that. Booka Shade, Demi Riquisimo, FJ9, Dombresky, Solardo, and Shermanology are some of my favourite artists I’ve worked with recently.
Hilton: I listen to a lot of club-focused music—tracks that have energy but still feel deep and hypnotic. Right now, I’m into a lot of Afro house and groove-heavy melodic stuff. Artists like Da Capo, Enoo Napa, Atmos Blaq, and &ME are always on rotation. I also love deeper, clubby sounds from guys like Jamiie, West & Hill, and Argia. When I’m not listening to electronic music, I’ll throw on some old-school funk, soul, or even hip-hop—it’s all about good groove and rhythm for me.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
Andy: This is really a question for Hilton to answer. He takes the lead when we play live, he’s such a talented DJ and that’s where he shines, I really just come along for the ride! You’re as likely to find me on the dancefloor as behind the decks, and I love getting chatting with anyone and everyone. If you’re ever at our gigs and you spot me, come and say hello!
Hilton: For me, DJing is all about connection. Reading the crowd, feeling the energy, and taking people on a journey. I like to be fully present when I play, really tuning in to what’s working and what the crowd is responding to. When the energy is right, there’s this unspoken communication between the DJ and the audience—it’s something you can’t replicate anywhere else. Seeing people lost in the music, hands in the air, eyes closed—that’s what it’s all about for me.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
Andy: Hmm, good question. I think again it really varies. Often we’ll write the melodic core of the track, along with the drums and bass, and get a few minutes of arrangement made. Then we’ll cycle through hundreds of samples in the same key with the track looping in the background and see if anything jumps out. We’ve been doing this for a few years, and sometimes it yields some magic. A good example is the plucked synth line in ‘One Day at a Time’ (comes in at 1:52). That is actually an analogue synth sample that worked amazingly well with some small adjustments and note tweaks.
This hybrid of our own production and sound design, coupled with using samples, means we’re bringing in techniques and aesthetics that we wouldn’t necessarily do ourselves, and it often gets really nice results. Melodically, a lot of our tracks are just us noodling about with making note patterns in the midi roll in Cubase (something I’ve been doing for 30+ years), often refined over a few days or weeks. We’ll usually start with a basic vibe (i.e., an atmospheric pad and bassline) to give us a feel for the track, then develop from there. Generally, though, there are probably 20 different approaches and some work on some days, others on other days. Like days where no matter how hard you try, there’s no melody or synth that sounds good, so instead we’ll make a load of drums and get into a groove that way.
Hilton: Andy is the real genius when it comes to the technical side of sound design, but every time we’re in the studio together, I pick up something new. I bring more of the DJ mindset—thinking about how a track will hit on the dancefloor, how the groove should flow, and what will keep people moving. My approach is more about energy and feeling, whereas Andy dives deep into the details of synthesis and arrangement. That balance works really well for us. Whenever I learn something new from Andy, I take it back to my home studio and refine my production skills. Every session is a chance to experiment and push myself further. Over time, I’ve developed my own ear for what works and how to blend those deep, driving grooves with melodic elements. I’m always inspired by the Afro house scene too—those rolling rhythms, percussive elements, and emotive melodies play a big role in how I shape my own productions that we use as part of our Trilucid project.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
Andy: Haha, when we meet up we usually spend the first hour or two chatting! We’ll make a start on something to get a feel for what sort of track we’re going to make and then usually break for lunch not long after. Weirdly, stepping away from the studio can be more inspiring than actually being there, we’ll talk about some ideas, reference tracks, etc., and then come back and test all those ideas out. Sometimes tracks come together effortlessly (Athena is a great example, just a couple of hours), and then we’re finished for the day at like 4 pm and can go and get a pint! Other tracks don’t get going for hours, and just when we’re about to wrap up for the day, there will be a spark of inspiration, and those ones turn into late nights.
One of the main things that we do when we’re in the studio is go over strategy and ideas for the broader projects, Trilucid, the label, events, etc., which in and of itself is quite motivating. And we can talk and write music at the same time, which is very handy!
Hilton: It usually starts with a lot of talking! We’ll catch up, throw around ideas, maybe listen to some reference tracks to set a mood. Then we’ll get a basic groove going—drums and bass usually come first. If things are flowing, we’ll build on that and start experimenting with melodies and textures. Some days, the ideas come easily, and the track falls into place quickly. Other days, nothing seems to work, so we’ll shift gears, work on drums, or just take a break and come back with fresh ears. There’s no strict process—just following the inspiration and seeing where it leads.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
Andy: Yeah, definitely, as mentioned earlier, there are a few moments that really were pivotal. A rough timeline:
- Discovering FastTracker (check out some vids of it on YouTube, it looks basic but it really was inspiring to use).
- My mate’s older brother giving me a tape called The Ultimate Rave. It blew my 11-year-old mind and I never looked back. Shout out to Simon Jordan for giving me that tape, it changed my life!
- My teacher telling me I wasn’t good enough to do music at GCSE (it just made me want to pursue it even more).
- Seeing a 6-hour Paul van Dyk set at Gatecrasher, just incredible. And then a few months later seeing John Digweed at Gatecrasher, also incredible and etched in my memory forever.
- Quitting my job and hustling for years to make some money from music. Being skint is a great motivator.
Hilton: There were a few key moments that made it clear to me that music was my path. From a young age, I was already deep into it—DJing for friends, handling the music for school shows, and even carrying records for DJ Cat in Cape Town. But the real turning points came when I experienced dance music at a bigger scale. The first was my first-ever NYE party in Cape Town, where Orbital was headlining. Seeing them perform live, with that energy and those visuals, completely blew my mind. Then there was Judge Jules at a beach party on Silverstroom Beach – Vortex. That was another moment where I felt the pure magic of electronic music. But what really solidified my decision was seeing Carl Cox live. His presence, the way he controlled the crowd, and the sheer power of his set—it was on another level. That’s when I knew, without a doubt, that this was what I wanted to do.
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
Andy: Hilton!
Hilton: Bottles of water, a hand towel, extra T-shirts, and a bag filled with 20 USBs and an extra pair of headphones!
Any emerging artists on your radar?
Andy: I run a mastering company (AMPM.audio) and hear a constant flow of emerging artists through the various labels we work with. A couple off the top of my head are Anriu, who did a stunning remix of For Another Life for us last year, Flourish & Will Watt also, they make really different music but are really polished and really catchy. Tim Cullen makes fantastic bumpy house music (and is also an outstanding mastering engineer), Obsidian Wave makes heavy af techno and breaks, Sei A makes stunning atmospheric house and techno.
Not necessarily emerging anymore but Made by Pete is superb and is going from strength to strength. Again, probably not emerging as he’s been producing for a while but Jamie Stevens makes outstanding music, same with Alex O’Rion, Pambouk, FJ9, I could go on and on!
Hilton: I’m really into artists who bring fresh energy to the club scene, especially in Afro house and deeper melodic house. Names like Atmos Blaq, Lemon & Herb, and Shimza are doing great things. I’m also following guys like Jamiie, West & Hill, and Darksidevinyl – really cool, deep, and percussive sounds. It’s always exciting to hear new artists pushing boundaries.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Andy: Lunch. A nap. A walk. A pint. Listening to new music definitely. Sometimes even actually trying to write some music!
Hilton: Travel, good food, and being in the right headspace. Also, just listening to great music—hearing something fresh always sparks ideas.
Take us through your collection of gear, tech, or software that accompanies your creative expression.
Andy: We really have quite a streamlined studio, just a PC, the audio interface (SPL Crimson 3), a Korg Minilogue, Aston Stealth mic, and Hedd Type 20 Mk II (which sound incredible). I’ve been working with Cubase for well over 20 years, so it is second nature now and one of the best things about it is that it makes the writing, composition, and arrangement process so streamlined.
A couple of favourite synths are definitely Spire (the lead on ‘For Another Life’ was made with this), Retrologue (great for fat leads and basses), Synplant 2 (check out the Genopatch feature on this, truly incredible). We tend to use synths that are reasonably straightforward to program but have deeper functionality when you understand what everything does. That being said, we’re happy with using presets too, for example, the lead in ‘See Through You’ is the init patch of Synplant.
Hilton: My home studio is designed to be both a DJ performance space and a production hub. For DJing, I have a pair of Pioneer CDJ-3000s and a Pioneer DJM-900NXS2 mixer—essentially a club-standard setup that lets me refine my sets with the same feel as a live environment.
On the production side, I use Logic Pro X as my main DAW, running on a fully specced-out Mac setup with all the necessary processing power to handle complex projects. My monitoring setup includes Focal studio monitors, which give me precise, detailed sound for mixing and arrangement. The studio is fully treated with acoustic soundproofing, making it an ideal space to work without external noise interference.
I’m always refining my production workflow, and every time I learn something new from Andy in the studio, I take it back to my own setup, experiment, and push my sound forward.
Any side projects you’re working on?
Andy: Always! I co-produce a couple of artists, one is straight up trance, the other deep and moody house which is great to add some variety to my days.
AMPM.audio is a big project, there are 3 engineers (including myself) now, so that takes a lot of management to keep it ticking along.
Running Ionica Audio has been great fun since we launched it 14 months ago. We’re definitely going to expand it and we have brought in our friend Sean as label manager to run the day-to-day on it.
And I have a techno project that should, all being well, be launched this year.
Hilton: Right now, most of my focus is on Trilucid and Ionica Audio, but I’m always experimenting with different sounds. I’ve been playing around with more groove-driven, club-focused music, and I’d love to explore more Afro House projects in the future.
I’m also part of the techno project we’re working on, and as it develops, I’ll be getting more involved in shaping that sound and direction. It’s exciting to be expanding into different areas while still keeping the core of what we do with Trilucid strong.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
Andy: I think one of the keys to a sustainable career in music is about constant refinement. It is so competitive and other artists are so dedicated that it often feels like you have to sprint just to keep up. We’re always reading magazines, watching videos, attending conferences, trying new software, teaching ourselves new synths, new techniques, to keep up to date. It’s really one of the great joys of being a musician that there is always so much more to learn, and no matter how accomplished and experienced you are, there’s a universe of knowledge and understanding out there still to be discovered. That is incredibly motivating.
Hilton: Constant learning. The music scene moves fast, and you have to stay ahead. I’m always listening to new sounds, studying other producers, and trying out different techniques. Having our own label has also pushed us to develop a more refined sound since we have total creative control. And of course, playing live regularly teaches you a lot—what works on a dancefloor, how to build energy, how to keep people engaged. It’s a never-ending process of growth.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
Andy: Over the next few months, we have a 4-city tour of Australia supporting Duke Dumont, which is going to be amazing.
Our next release is a remix of Quivver, Dave Seaman & Leo Wood’s ‘Voice Recognition‘ coming out on Music To Die For (a quality label, well worth checking out). That’s actually out on pre-order and is coming out 21st of Feb.
Then an old-school 90s-inspired remix of ‘See Through You’ on Ionica in March.
A London gig at Brixton Jamm on 1st March alongside Maur & Ordley, both of whom have been on our radar for a while (I mastered some of Maur’s biggest tracks on Sola).
And a lot of new music that we’ve been cooking up over the last couple of years is finally coming together, so hopefully, we can get that finalised and released this year.
Hilton: As well as the above we’ve got some major gigs lined up – including a Poland show in July, and we’re working on a potential South African tour and Mexico dates. There are also big things in the pipeline for Ionica Audio, including launching our own radio show on London’s biggest dance music station, Select Radio. We’re also pushing to expand our radio syndication worldwide and are getting back to putting on our own events. So far 2025 is shaping up to be another great year!
Famous last words?
Andy: “This track is finished”. Followed by months of tweaking the mix and master.
Hilton: Keep your eyes on the music and your feet on the dancefloor—everything else is just noise. Here’s to more surprises, more beats, and a hell of a ride ahead.
Follow Trilucid:
Spotify – Beatport – Youtube – Facebook – Instagram
Follow Ionica Audio:
