HotLap On Stepping Forward, Shared Instinct, and Letting Groove Do The Talking
- Undrtone Blog
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
HotLap did not arrive through urgency or reinvention. The project quietly formed after years spent shaping music for others, and recognising that something different happened when Chris Mears and Joris Mur worked side by side.
“It didn’t come from a big moment,” they explain. “More a quiet realisation.” Both had long careers behind the scenes, but the connection felt distinct. “When we worked together, the results felt very different. There was a shared taste and patience there that didn’t really belong anywhere else.”
That patience sits at the heart of HotLap. Rather than stepping out to chase attention, the duo framed the project as a continuation. “It felt less like a risk and more like the logical next step,” they say. A chance to apply years of instinct, restraint and craft to something entirely their own.
In the studio, those instincts meet without friction. “There’s a lot of trust, which makes the collisions productive rather than chaotic,” they explain. Their roles naturally balance. “Chris tends to listen for harmony and is faster, whereas Joris is more meticulous and detail-oriented.” That dynamic creates an internal filter. “If something feels good but says nothing, it gets questioned. If something says a lot but doesn’t move, it gets reworked.”
The result is a sound that feels intentional without being rigid. HotLap’s music sits between Afrohouse swing, Berlin minimal precision and melodic house structure, but those references were never pinned to a board. “It definitely emerged rather than being planned,” they say. “Those influences are just part of our listening habits and histories.” Without a brief, the music found its own centre. “We just followed what excited us and what felt fun to play live.”
That sense of play extends to how tracks begin. “Almost always melody,” they admit. “If the message or story doesn’t feel good on its own, nothing else will save it.” Bass grounds the idea physically, while rhythm often arrives later. “Ironically, rhythm takes the longest to perfect.” Their songwriting background keeps the process fluid. “We’ve started with rhythm or vocals plenty of times, too. Having that flexibility matters.”
Early support from respected selectors confirmed that the instinctive approach was landing. “There was a point where we started hearing the records in rooms we actually cared about,” they recall. “Played by people whose taste we trust.” That moment mattered more than metrics. “It felt like DJs connecting with the song.” One surprise stood out. “We got shouted out by Axwell completely organically on a podcast. That was pretty amazing, especially from someone who got us into this in the first place.”
2024 marked HotLap’s first European tour, taking them across Turkey, Morocco, Belgium and the UK. It was not the biggest stages that left the most profound impression. “Some of the smaller, darker club rooms surprised us most,” they say. “You expect festivals to react, but in those intimate spaces you could really feel people locking into the groove.” The patience of those crowds reshaped their thinking. “Everyone was just there for the music.”
That experience fed straight back into the studio. “Seeing how subtle changes in rhythm or texture could hold a room made us less interested in forcing big moments,” they explain. Space became a tool rather than a risk. “We came back more comfortable trusting repetition and a solid groove.”
Their next single reflects that philosophy. A reshaped version of ‘Feel The Love’ for Insomniac moves away from impact chasing. “The original already had impact,” they say. “Pushing it harder felt unnecessary.” Instead, they focused on invitation. “We wanted to give it a new rhythm on the dancefloor. Leaning into the warmth of the vocal invites people in rather than demanding attention.”
Despite global credits and growing tour momentum, HotLap measure success differently. “Longevity,” they say simply. “If the records still make sense in a few years, and DJs keep reaching for them because they feel good rather than because they’re new, that’s success.”
Looking ahead, they are clear about what matters most. “The project is about feel and intention,” they say. “It’s always about the song and the feeling it gives.” More depth is coming, but the foundation will not change. “It will always be rooted in danceable grooves.”
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