We caught up with producer extraordinaire HWIN, who released his single ‘Love Is All I Need’ on 31 January from his forthcoming debut EP Just Like A Flower. The release of the track also marked the launch of HWIN’s community-driven imprint 57 Records.
The New York based artist rose to acclaim through his musical ventures as the producer and songwriter for Cathedrals, an outfit which garnered over 60 million streams, as well as features in VICE, Billboard and The New York Times. In the interview, we chat to HWIN about the creative process behind ‘Love Is All I Need’, the vision for 57 Records and he shares an exclusive 1 hour mix below!
Congratulations on the release of your debut single ‘Love Is All I Need’ from your forthcoming EP Just Like A Flower. On social media you mentioned that many tweaks were made to get to the final version. Can you tell us about the creative process with this track? 
‘Love Is All I Need’ actually started in a dream. I woke up at 3am with this melody that wouldn’t let me go back to sleep – you know that hazy space between dreams and morning? I had to grab my phone right there and voice memo whatever I could catch. By sunrise I was in the studio trying to hold onto that feeling.
The track really evolved through our monthly Circadian Rhythms parties at 57, where we test these works in progress. I’ve been exploring what happens when you bring more intimate songwriting into dance music – how adding vocals can transform a track from just a groove into something that tells a story. But what’s wild is how different music sounds when there are other bodies in the room. You feel what works in a way you never could alone in the studio.
That’s been the journey with this whole EP, really. Making music in isolation, then bringing it to the community, letting it grow through those late night moments together. This song found its final shape through all of us dancing until sunrise. From a dream to the dance floor – that’s the story of ‘Love Is All I Need’.
Stream ‘Love Is All I Need’ below:
When you compose and produce tracks, do you make music for yourself or do you make it with others in mind?
I think the most personal music ends up being the most universal. When I’m deep in the creative process, I’m really just trying to capture a feeling that feels honest to me. But then something magical happens when you share it – people connect with it in their own way, bring their own stories to it. That’s especially true at 57, where I get to test works in progress at our events. The music takes on a life of its own once it finds its audience.
Your newly established label, 57 Records focuses heavily on the importance of community and community building. What influence has your community had on your creative journey so far?
57 isn’t just a community, it’s really an ecosystem where creation and connection feed each other. By day we’re in the studio making tunes, and then one night a month we transform into this nightclub where we get to play works in progress for our friends. So much of this EP was shaped by that cycle – making something, sharing it, feeling how people respond, then going back to refine it. The community doesn’t just listen to the music, they’re part of its evolution.
Before embarking on a solo career you were the producer and songwriter for the hugely successful outfit Cathedrals. Can you tell us what sparked your move to a solo career?
It wasn’t so much about leaving something behind as it was following where the music was naturally leading. With Cathedrals, we were exploring how to blend electronic elements with emotional songwriting. That’s still at the core of what I do, but now I’m pushing further into dance music territory while keeping that melodic, emotional core. Moving to New York and building 57 opened up new sonic possibilities – I found myself drawn to making music that could live both in intimate moments and on bigger stages.
Your forthcoming EP Just Like A Flower took 5 years to create. What’s been the most fulfilling part of producing this EP for you?
The most fulfilling part has been seeing how the music has grown alongside the community. Some of these songs started five years ago when I first moved to New York and found this spot in Brooklyn with a basement studio. Back then it was just me and my roommate Doug jamming until sunrise. Now these same tracks are being shaped by this whole ecosystem of friends and fellow artists at 57. The EP really documents that evolution – from intimate late-night sessions to something much bigger than myself.
What’s the weirdest or most amazing reaction you’ve had to your music?
The most amazing reactions are actually the quieter ones. There have been moments at our Circadian Rhythms parties where we’re testing new tracks, and you’ll see someone just close their eyes and get completely lost in it. Or after a set, someone will come up and tell me how a specific melody reminded them of a moment in their life. Those intimate connections are what it’s all about. Though I have to say, watching a room of 500 people move to tracks that were just ideas in the studio a few months ago – that feeling never gets old.
What inspires you outside of music?
New York’s energy is a huge inspiration – it’s not too different from exploring modular synthesis actually. In both cases, you’re discovering these unexpected combinations, these beautiful accidents. The way the city shifts and transforms throughout the day, how different scenes and sounds overlap and create something new – it’s like patching modules together and finding combinations you never planned. Sometimes I’ll walk home after a late night session at 57, and there’s this magic hour where you see the city transitioning – delivery trucks mixing with club kids heading home, early morning yoga people crossing paths with DJs wrapping their nights. Those collisions of different energies, different rhythms – that’s what inspires a lot of the music. The city, like a modular system, is this ever-evolving organism where the possibilities feel endless if you just stay open to them.
Aside from the release of your EP, what else have you got in the pipeline for the near future?
Beyond the EP release, we’re really focused on building out 57 Records as a platform for the community. We’ve been having these incredible artists come through our FAM Artist Salons – everyone from Barry Can’t Swim to Stephan Jenkins from Third Eye Blind – and those conversations are shaping how we think about artist development. We’re looking at ways to turn our monthly Circadian Rhythms events into bigger moments for emerging artists. We’ve got some special collaborations in the works too, but what I’m most excited about is how the label can become a bridge between the underground electronic scene and more accessible songwriting. The EP is really just the beginning of that vision.
Stream HWIN’s exclusive YourEDM mix below:
Tracklist:
HWIN – You’re Still On My Mind //assuming we decide to keep this in there
Klangsberg – Eiscold (Extended Mix) [Anjunadeep Explorations]
Mild Minds – I NEED U (Original Mix) [Foreign Family Collective]
Alter – Shapeshift [Music Appreciation Club]
Of The Trees, John Summit – Stay With Me (Original Mix) [Experts Only]
Stanton Warriors, Jem Haynes – On Fire [Punks]
Overmono – Everything U Need (Original Mix) [XL Recordings]
Jakatta – American Dream (PROFF Extended Interpretation) [Anjunadeep]
AVAION, Sofiya Nzau – Wacuka (Extended Version) [RCA Local]
Bicep – CHROMA 001 HELIUM (Original Mix) [CHROMA]
Duke Dumont, Clementine Douglas – Aint Giving Up [Club Blasé _ EMI]
Staxia – Ice Cold [Elektroshok Records]
Tiesto, Swimming Paul – VHS RAVE (Extended Mix) [Musical Freedom]
Gorgon City – 5am At Bagleys (Extended Mix) [REALM Records]
Vintage Culture – Find A Way (Extended) [Vintage Culture]
HWIN – Love Is All I Need
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