Ones to watch: Hilit Kolet

In our Ones To Watch series, we spotlight exciting new producers who are shaking up the game and progressing dance music culture while they do it.

Classically trained musician, DJ and producer Hilit Kolet combines technical mastery with a sharp underground instinct. She spent her childhood playing grand piano and her youth working at legendary London record shops and studios. This helped her launch a global DJ career, alongside a production style that blends musical sophistication with raw, club-driven energy.

From Conservatoire to Night Club

Growing up, music was the centre of Hilit’s life. “Music was the absolute heart of my home,” she says. “My mum was a piano teacher, so the sitting room was dominated by a grand piano, and I spent my afternoons soaking up the lessons from the sofa. By age five, I was begging for my own lessons.”

Years of classical training followed: theory, orchestras, recitals, conservatoire discipline — the full works. DJing came later, almost accidentally, while Hilit worked at a now-closed record store in central London.

“I started DJing occasionally while I was working at Black Market Records in Soho, London,” she remembers. “I already knew promoters and key scene faces from working behind the counter so the offers to play gigs just started coming in.”

She soon found DJing was the form of connection she’d been dreaming of. “I was originally very much in love with the idea of radio DJing and sharing music that way, then I realised club DJing is pretty much the same thing,” she says. “It's about sharing the pure joy and passion that this music is all about and drawing others to discover it with you, which is such a privilege.”

Her first gig wasn’t in a club, but at a friend’s wedding. “My first ever gig was actually a wedding of really close friends who absolutely insisted I play throughout their special day,” she says. “I was extremely nervous because it was so meaningful, but once I got started, I had an absolute blast. To this day, they keep joking that I owe them commission on all my gigs... they're probably right.”

The Production Journey

“I started producing when I was running a high-end recording studio in London,” Hilit says. “The studio had a massive synth library and a beautiful Neve desk, so I was constantly surrounded by incredible toys and was mainly just jamming and experimenting. I was actually producing for many years before I ever released anything.”

But she soon found her classical training came with baggage she needed to shed. “For production, I had to unlearn the strict rules of the conservatoire,” she says. “Producing became a way to let go and embrace happy accidents, which felt incredibly liberating.”

The results speak for themselves: chart success, global remixes and releases on some of the most respected labels around.

“Getting that #1 on Music Week's Upfront Club Chart was a huge moment,” says Hilit. “Releasing music on incredible labels like Rekids and M-Plant is really meaningful for me. Having absolute legends like Mike Dunn and Floorplan remix my own music is huge. Collaborating with the baddest queen of them all, DJ Minx, recently is also a highlight. Playing fabric Room 1 and Amnesia in Ibiza and touring cities like Shanghai and Toronto were also major highlights.”

How London Shaped her Sound

London has always been Hilit’s spiritual home, and she can’t imagine a better city to live in. It gave her cultural depth, energy and cross-genre fluency. “London gave me that essential, street-level knowledge of UK subcultures, giving my music that tough, UK-tinged bassline influence,” she says.

But it also offered new inspiration. “London is also where I've discovered Brazilian culture and Samba, which fuel some of the rhythms and energy you hear in my DJ sets and certain tracks like 'Snap Talk.’”

Finding her Voice

Before releasing her music, Hilit spent years creating privately. “When I first started, I produced what I call ‘for the drawer’ for many years without releasing anything,” she says. “That time gave me the option to explore my own pool of inspiration and influences and shape something that genuinely felt like me.”

But in order to share her music publicly, she had to let go of perfection. “The biggest challenge for me was unlearning the strict rules of my classical training and embracing the freedom to let go,” she says. “I feel really good about where my sound is at because it synthesizes everything I've soaked up over the years – from the conservatoire to the carnival via underground clubs.”

What’s Next

Hilit says there’s plenty on the creative horizon. She’s just been nominated for Beatport's Breakthrough Artist of the Year and has a ton of new projects coming up.

“I have some very exciting remixes and collaborations in the works,” she says. "I’m also looking forward to touring in new territories next year. And I’m currently revamping my studio setup.”

Advice for Artists

With decades in the industry, Hilit shares some powerful advice for those just starting out:

1. The absolute first piece of advice is to be you. Authenticity is your superpower.

2. Measure your progress against your own history.

3. And finally – follow the music… let your sound be your only compass.

For Hilit’s latest gigs, news and updates, follow her on Instagram.