Hats & Klaps’(@hats_and_klaps) Motions started as four separate studio sessions rather than a planned EP, which already says a lot about how Amin and Hamza work. The release was built around drum machines, analog synths, and a decision to follow the rhythm until the tracks began to reveal their own direction.
That process gives the project a very direct feel: hardware at the center, software used only where it made sense, and four cuts shaped by motion rather than a fixed concept.
The title fits so well because it does not try to overcomplicate the record. Motions is about music moving through a groove, through a night, and through the small decisions that turn a loop into something finished. One late session became the backbone of the release when the room quieted down and the sound they had been chasing finally clicked.
You can hear that kind of focus in the way the EP sits between floor function and a more patient sense of depth.
In the interview below, Hats & Klaps talk about what depth means in DJing and in DJ culture overall, how they avoid hype cycles, and why the unseen hours in the studio still matter more than the visible moments around a release. Their answers circle back to a simple idea: the work that lasts is usually the work that grows naturally.
After more than twenty years, they seem far less interested in being the loudest act in the room than in refining a sound people can recognize, one built slowly and honestly.
Interview With Hats & Klaps
How do you define depth in your work as a DJ?
Depth is not something we try to create. It is something we allow to happen.
A set should unfold naturally, almost like a conversation, where every record has a reason to exist. It is not about playing the most complex records, but about creating a feeling that slowly unfolds throughout the journey of storytelling.
Every track has to earn its place, whether through its groove, its space, or its emotion.
Have you ever had to consciously step away from hype cycles to protect your process?
More times than we can count. Trends move at a speed that rarely leaves room for reflection.
We have always believed that your own sound deserves more attention than the latest wave. We would rather spend extra time shaping something that feels honest than rush to stay relevant.
In the end, authenticity lasts longer than hype.
What is something you have built over time that you are proud of, even if it did not trend?
The trust people place in our sound. Our sound is probably what we are most proud of.
It was not built overnight. It came from years of experimenting, making mistakes, and trusting our instincts. People who know our music can usually recognize it, and that means more to us than any viral moment.
It is something that grew naturally, and we are still shaping it every day.
How do you cultivate growth that feels real, not performative?
Real growth is usually invisible while it is happening. It comes from consistency, listening more carefully, and accepting that some ideas simply are not ready yet.
We do not measure progress by visibility. We measure it by whether today’s work feels more honest to us or not.
We focus on becoming better musicians, not just more visible artists.
When you look back, what do you notice about the things that aged well versus the things that burned out fast?
The music born out of genuine curiosity always survives.
Those tracks were not trying to fit into a moment. They simply reflected where we were creatively at that point in our lives, and they are still music people connect with today.
Is there a part of your work that the public does not see, but fuels everything?
The hours in the studio that never become a release. The loops that go nowhere. The countless hours spent chasing tiny details. The groove that suddenly clicks after twenty different versions. The projects that never leave the studio because they were not ready.
That is where the real work happens. It is quiet, repetitive, sometimes frustrating, but it is also where every meaningful breakthrough begins.
How do you stay committed to the long game when hype is louder than craft?
We keep our heads down and remind ourselves why we started in the first place.
It was never about chasing attention. It was always about making music that feels genuine and original to us.
After more than twenty years in the game, we have seen hype come and go, but good craftsmanship always finds its place. The artists who endure are not necessarily the loudest. They are the ones who kept refining their work long after nobody was paying attention.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
