17/07/2025
Toolroom welcomes back the original ‘Spaced Invader’ Hatiras back to the label with his latest mesmerising production ‘Hypnotized’. Originally routed in the early North American Rave scene, Hatiras shot to fame with his global smash ‘Spaced Invader’, released on Defected at the turn of the millennium. Launching his career globally, Hatiras performed across the globe and over the years has amassed a staggering 500 releases and 5 albums.
‘Hypnotized’ is a return to straight up club destruction that’s been a secret weapon for a handful of DJs over the last few months.
Q: Please introduce yourself
I’m Hatiras – I’ve been deeply involved with the rave and house music scene since the 90s. I started out as a rave organizer and evolved into a music producer and DJ. I’ve released over 500 singles over the years and have been pushing funky / Jackin House music for years. I’ve released music on Toolroom, Defected, Dirtybird, and am now running my third record label and party brand Spacedisco Records.
Q: One person you'd dream to have a coffee with?
Probably Daft Punk (Thomas Bangalter). I’d pick his brain about how they achieved their sound including plenty of technical questions about mastering, compression, hardware and tone. It would also be interesting to learn how they achieved such meteoric success and what that whole ride has been like.
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
I don’t really want to have the typical superpowers like invisibility, super-hearing, x-ray vision, flying etc. That would quickly make life boring and meaningless. Maybe having super energy levels and needing hardly any sleep would be cool. That way I can get everything done, enjoy the parties and have extra time in each day to do things while never getting tired.
Q: If you would have been given the chance to do a film score, what movie would you choose and why?
Definitely a zombie movie – maybe something like the 28 Years later series or Dawn of The Dead. I grew up watching those movies and absolutely fell in love with the quirky and weird analog synthesizer sounds they’d use in those movies. I love those strange synth sound and those old keyboards. I’d have so much fun creating strange and scary sounds.
Q: Who has been the most influential in your music career? And why?
Daft Punk. Their early releases on Crydamoure, Roulé Records plus the Homework album left a massive impression on me. After them, it would be Green Velvet and then Michael Jackson (his Thriller album really shaped my early years). They all have an element of soul and rhythm that brings them together.
Q: Tell us about your journey, what got you to where you are today?
I started a smoothie business at raves in the early 90s when I was super young. It was called Liquid Adrenaline and I’d be at every rave, every weekend, in the Toronto. I spent so many hours at parties that the music became deeply embedded in me.
After doing that for a couple of years I decided to throw my own raves called Liquid Adrenaline. I didn’t intend on being an artist – I simply organized the parties to showcase the music I loved (house, techno, drum and bass, etc) and hired a bunch of the best locals and a few international artists for each event. My parties always had a House & Techno room with the second room focused on Drum & Bass / Jungle.
The parties got quite large and attracted upwards of 5,000 plus at train depots, warehouses, airplane hangars and banquet halls. After doing that for a few years, I experimented with producing music in the late 90s. I was lucky enough in that my third EP was a massive hit called “Spaced Invader” released on Defected Records. That launched my career as a touring artist.
I haven’t slowed down since. I’ve been releasing music, playing shows, touring and organizing events for 30+ years now. Crazy how time flies by so quickly.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out their career in music?
Stay cool, stay focused and work hard. Learn to enjoy or embrace the hard work that comes with being successful. Don’t get too high or too low and don’t burn bridges. Study and understand Stoic philosophy as an approach to life and work. The ancient Greeks and Romans had it right back then. It’s all about staying calm, and getting things done despite the whirlwind of distractions circulating at all times.
Q: Can you recall a DJ set or performance of yours that remains unforgettable to you? Where did it take place, and what makes it stand out among all others?
I remember the first time I saw Green Velvet perform live in Toronto at a nightclub called Industry. This was in the 90s. I was a big fan of his at the time and he had so much stage presence, personality and such fun, bass-heavy and quirky music. I recall he took off his t-shirt after his set and threw it into the crowd. It was a Relief Records shirt (his record label). I leaped over people and wrestled a few dudes to catch that shirt. I did get it and stored it away as a memento for years. Sadly, now I have no idea where it is. But the memory remains.
Q: How has your music style evolved over the years?
When I started originally in the late 90s my style was very much sample-based and dictated by the technology I had access to (a Roland drum machine, an EMU sampler, a Mackie mixer and a DAT machine). As technology progressed and things went “in the box” – I had access to more tools, more virtual instruments and more production tricks.
Around 2007 – 2015 I went into more of an electro-house phase. In 2015 I was so fed up with where the music had evolved to (EDM and commercial music) that I decided to go back to my original roots and make straight-up Chicago House / French Touch influenced sample-heavy funky Jackin House again.
I launched my 3rd record label (Spacedisco Records) in 2016 with the intention of focusing on that original 90s sound again and presenting it to the new generation. Now the label is 500 releases deep with over 150 artists on board. It’s still growing but it's a recognized force now in the House Music community globally.
Q: If you were to venture into another music genre, which one would you choose and why?
Techno – raw, percussive, repetitive techno. Not the trancey / overly synthy cheesy stuff. I love and appreciate rhythm, repetition, minimalism, deep bass and a hypnotic vibe. Techno fills that void.
Q: Could you name 3 tracks that got you into electronic music and why?
Only three? That’s tough! I have thousands in mind, but I’ll try to pick just three.
It’s almost impossible to choose just three because there are so many good ones. Three early tunes that quickly come to mind are: “Magic Feet” by Mike Dunn, “Voodoo Ray” by A Guy Called Gerald and “Follow Me” by Aly-us.
I equally loved soulful garage house back in the day as well as the fast-paced ravey Prodigy-style hardcore as well.
Q: Can you recommend a hidden gem in your home country that would be perfect for a rave?
Toronto has an iconic tower at the center of the city called the CN Tower. It’s totally a tourist spot but there actually was a rave inside of it many years ago. There hasn’t been much there since. It would be cool to have another rave in there again some time.
There was also another cool venue in the city called the Ontario Science Center. It’s a sort of learning center / amusement / tourist / science venue for kids. There were also a few parties in there back in the day but nothing since.
Both of those venues are super cool and unique. After that, I’d say a forest party somewhere near the city is always a fun adventure.
Q: Could you tell us about your upcoming releases and plans for the year?
I plan to keep dropping singles every two to three weeks on both my label Spacedisco Records and am also working on a follow up to “Hypnotized” on Toolroom Records. I’m also releasing a single every week on my label from other talented artists. I’m throwing a big party on August 30th in Toronto at a cool warehouse space with Angelo Ferreri from Italy for my label’s 9 year anniversary.
I also have dates in Bermuda, a week in Ibiza this fall, ADE Amsterdam plus a bunch of shows across the US and Canada locked in. I’m also organizing a few more parties this fall bringing Seamus Haji from Glitterbox to Toronto as well as several other dope artists TBA.
It’s basically nonstop, all the time, every day for me. Gotta keep pushing on. Every day is a new “to-do” list of music, travels and events.
Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself that most of your listeners are probably unaware of?
I didn’t intend on being a music producer or artist at all. I studied biology and pre-med in University and completed my degrees. Right before having to step fully into the medical world, I had a hit record “Spaced Invader” that launched my career as a globe-trotting artist. To be honest though, medicine wasn’t for me. I remember sitting in the university lecture halls bored by the content the professors would spew. Instead, I was always thinking about electronic music and organizing raves. I haven’t looked back since those days and intend on staying fully on this music path until my final days on this planet.
Hatiras - Hypnotized [Toolroom Records]