Roll of the Dice: 7 questions with HU$H

After dropping the new record Skunkworks on Strange Music recently, genre-fluid artist HU$H is preparing to win over the hearts and minds of listeners across all scenes. The artist spent some time to be a part of our TGEFM’s Roll of the Dice interview series and discussed the record, working with artists like Tech N9ne and what’s next.

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! Congratulations on the recent release of Skunkworks! What should our readers know about HU$H, your history and the new record?
Hey thank you so much for asking me on here, I’ve been so busy lately it’s been crazy. Since the album dropped, I’ve built my own AI video setup and started to get ready for the live shows and creating some visuals using unreal engine footage I animated from the album cover scene. It’s been crazy, I tend to go on these tangents when I get an idea. That really kind of set the tone for the album too, I hit the studio and did as much experimentation as possible. I really enjoy making music I haven’t heard before, something different, and for this first album I really wanted to get that all out there as part of the journey towards the next album Designation. The album name Skunkworks is actually a term widely used in technology and other fields as “an experimental laboratory or department of a company or institution, typically smaller than and independent of its main research division.”

What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do”  Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?

I remember seeing the MTV Music Awards from back in the 90’s with Nirvana, something about that performance really inspired me. I had already loved music, but it made me want to perform. Something about seeing Kurt rolling over the drums and Dave getting on the mic to troll the awards show. idk I just loved it.

You played the role of lyricist, instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter on every track of Skunkworks.  How does that level of autonomy impact your music?  Was there any hesitation to step back when working alongside artists like Tech N9ne?

As you mention I play a lot of roles in the creation music, one thing that has been very valuable to me is learning when and how to step back and support someone else’s talents. It’s a respect thing when playing with other musicians, you take turns out in front, you don’t just all run each other over trying to get to the front of the stage. It’s the same thing in production and writing. Every instrument is there to compliment something that is in the front and focus of the song. Working with someone like Tech N9ne or X Raided, I got to see how they worked with the foundation I laid down and the space that was there. Not a single hesitation. I had one request for the production side to add a double vocal under the second half of Techs verse, which he was all for, but he was leaving for tour the next day and it was due 2 days later. So he said I could do it instead and I went and did it the next day.

Nobody can deny the world has been changing drastically over the last few years.  Where do you see the future of music, for HU$H and also for the scene at large transitioning in light of these events?

Well, it’s been really interesting, so much is changing. We have AI music generators now that are really good and can mimic artists. My friend’s booking agent from before the pandemic said 2000 of his venues, he books for got shut down due to the pandemic. So now we have a much more grass roots community of people throwing shows locally, building their own stages, etc. Plus you have the accessibility of music creation moving to a point where creativity isn’t required at a very high level because AI will create for you. I am not opposed to this at all to be clear, I love AI. I build AI. I think it gives people the opportunity to be more productive, and artistically creative people the opportunity to find new ways of expressing themselves, which is fun and exciting for me. A lot of the really dull, grunt type work that no one wants to spend time on will get handled by AI as things build. The truly creative and innovative work will be what sets artists apart.

One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think
they should?

Some of my favorites right now are Johnny Goth, Automhate, Immune, BossFight, there’s a lot. On the bass music side of things, I built a system that finds new music for me, so I’m loaded with new artists right now

What’s next for HU$H?

I’m working on a tour right now, so the live show is front and center. Been building a midi controller using an Arduino and also putting together a hybrid bass music set with mashups of the album

Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?

Naw not really, I build a lot of technology, so you’ll see me doing some crazy shit if you tap in on instagram or youtube. Some fun AI video projects are coming for reels and TikTok, so check it out @ohshutit on all platforms.

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Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.