HAPE

In the mid to late 90’s, the dance scene in Wellington was a fully fledged adolescent with an ever-growing foothold on the local nightlife. Dance itself was about to go through a global cultural shift which would see it’s popularity explode and it become completely integrated into the musical landscape, but for the most part it was still an underground movement. It was an exciting time to go out and discover a new evolving sound, something the bars that plied the likes of R’n’B, Top 40 and Rock music were unable to provide or keep up with.

It was in this new melting pot of sound that HAPE first heard the pulsating rhythms and melodies that would go on to change his life. Being a punter first and foremost for a few years allowed him to refine the sound he liked to listen to and discover the venues that best catered to it. Golden era bars and clubs such as Tatou, Phoenix, The Nine Complex, Vurtigo, Paradiso, and a multitude more all touted the way forward for Wellington dance. 

Looking back it’s now obvious that HAPE was going to naturally progress from being a punter on the dance floor to being behind the decks, such was his appetite and voracity for the music. With an ever growing collection of records it wasn’t long before he got some 1210’s, delved into learning the craft, honing his skills and playing alongside friends. Some of whom were, and still are, heavyweights in the scene today. He cut his teeth at the likes of Paradiso and Mercury Lounge alongside Dannyboy and Mr. Oz before holding his first residency at Terrace Bar for 4 years. It was here that he would come into his own and develop the sound he’s known for today. This is also where several club nights were born, his own High Calibre, and with the rise of Heylady, Back On Track. Both going from strength to strength. HAPE was soon a regular on club nights and outdoor party line ups all around the capital and further afield. 

In recent times, HAPE continued to make a name for himself during a 4 year stint in Auckland where he ran monthly club night Pitch n’ Faders at Red Bar with old Terrace Bar cohort Matt Empyre. Together they also found a new space to continue the High Calibre club night, at Auckland’s ancestral home of house music, the infamous Ink Bar. HAPE continued to play across the city for some of the Auckland scene’s most loved and well respected club brands and venues before returning to the capital in 2018 where he has been a regular face behind the decks, most notably at Dirty Laundry alongside long time friend Mr. Oz. 

From those early hedonistic nights in the plush surrounds of Wellington clubland to the gritty freedom that only a large outdoor rig can provide, HAPE is a through and through beat merchant with an absolute passion for storming any dance floor you give him. Constantly striving to both push himself and take the audience on a journey through dark vocal prog with lush servings of deep tribal tech and everything in between, it’ll always be infused with his own twist of high energy funk.