Mad About You

Swiss DJ/producer Cyril Hahn has become the hippest identity in house music by remixing R&B tunes such as Destiny's Child's classic Say My Name and Mariah Carey's Touch My Body into atmospheric grooves with reverb aplenty and pitch-shifted vocals. But he's no old soul boy. “I didn't listen to R&B at all growing up,” Hahn admits. “When I was a teenager I was really into punk and hardcore and post-rock and just more indie music.” A Bonnie Prince Billy devotee, he once aspired to be a banjo-toting folkie. However, Hahn eventually listened more closely to MTV. “When I was younger, I was very narrow-minded with my tastes. Then slowly over the years my tastes would change. I would listen to electronic music and then slowly to hip hop and R&B. I would allow myself to listen to pop music, which is something I would not have done before – even though sometimes it would be almost ironic, why I would like a certain pop song!”

While Hahn originates from Bern, Switzerland, he relocated to Vancouver about seven years ago. “After high school I wanted to move away a bit further than Europe, 'cause I'd been to a lot of places growing up and travelling,” he says. “I was just gonna go there for eight months and take some English classes. Then I went back to Switzerland and just wasn't happy anymore, so I moved back to Vancouver for and started university there.” In 2012 Hahn began to upload his bootleg R&B remixes to SoundCloud. He'd soon attract a cult following beyond even the blogosphere, with The xx, Diplo and Annie Mac all fans, while Hahn has also been lauded by The Guardian and NME. “I'm still in disbelief 'cause I was a student when I did those remixes,” Hahn laughs. “I just did them for fun and would show them to my friends. They liked them, so I put them on the internet.”

Hahn has since officially tweaked the likes of Jessie Ware (Sweet Talk). And, signing to the UK's PMR Records (home to Ware, Julio Bashmore and Disclosure), he's lately issued his debut EP, Perfect Form, the title-track featuring Portland's Dan 'Shy Girls' Vidmar. There's been talk of an album, too. “I don't usually come up with a concept or anything for a release,” Hahn says. “Usually it's just a matter of me being back in the studio and playing around and seeing what happens. I just let whatever happens take direction. I don't like to pre-plan things too much.”

Regardless, Hahn hopes to shortly cut a new single with PMR vocalist Javeon McCarthy to play out in Australia. Hahn, only DJing globally as of this past year, will hit Falls Festival, plus the boutique dance festival Let Them Eat Cake (joining the equally hip Bashmore). Expect a set loaded with his productions. “I find when I don't play my own music, people almost get mad and shout at me,” Hahn says drolly. “I don't wanna have angry people at my shows!”