From marathon sets to genre-defying studio work, Hard To Tell shape their own orbit with debut album ‘Hidden Traffic’

Hypnotic, soulful, and unbound by genre, Hard To Tell have earned their place among the underground’s most respected names.

After years of refining their sonic identity through labels like Innervisions, COD3 QR, Siamese, and their own Vitrage Records, the duo now unveils Hidden Traffic, their first full-length album.

From extended DJ sets across continents to sharp studio wizardry, Roy and Roi are shaping club culture with both feeling and fire.

We caught up with the duo to talk roots, rhythm, and what lies beyond the traffic lights.

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What brought you together musically, and how did Hard To Tell take form back in the early days?

Hey everyone, happy to be here with you! :) We first met 9 years ago and quickly realized we shared the same passion for music - everything from Detroit house and techno to breakbeat, Chicago sounds, and more.

We decided to try playing a few gigs together and producing in the studio. Right away, we felt a really strong connection, and things naturally evolved from there. That’s how Hard To Tell was born!

You’ve just released “Can’t Stop,” the first single off your debut album Hidden Traffic. What made this track the perfect opener for the new chapter?

Wow, this track was made quite a while ago - around 4 years back.

It’s been supported by some huge artists who played it in almost every set, and for us, it always works beautifully on the dance floor.

A lot of people already know it, so we felt it was the perfect track to introduce the album and set the tone for what’s to come.

Hidden Traffic spans house, techno, breakbeat, ambient... How did you approach the album format as club producers?

We don’t really like being labeled just as “club producers” - that’s not the full picture. We love creating all kinds of music.

With this debut album, we wanted to show people the many different “colors” of our sound. That’s why it moves through different genres - it’s about sharing our full range of influences and emotions.

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From Laurent Garnier’s COD3 QR to multiple drops with Innervisions, your sound clearly resonates with tastemakers. How do you process that kind of support?

We’re extremely grateful and thankful for that kind of support, especially from artists we love and respect so much!

We work really hard to create a sound that feels unique and to always bring something fresh, so seeing it resonate like that means the world to us.

Tracks like “Area 88” and “Last Forever” became secret weapons for Innervisions sets. What’s your take on making functional tracks vs. emotional ones?

We honestly love making both. When we’re creating an emotional track, we can get really deep into it - sometimes even crying in the studio because we feel it so strongly. We work slower and with a lot of care.

On the other hand, when we’re making a functional, dance floor-focused track, the energy is faster, and we often find ourselves dancing while we work.

To be honest, we never plan what we’re going to create — every time we start a project, it just takes us somewhere, whether that’s something emotional or a pure club weapon.

You’ve toured across Berlin, Lisbon, Tulum, Mykonos, and the U.S. What cities or scenes have shaped you most?

That’s a great question!

All of these places have been amazing experiences for us, and we’ve met so many incredible people on the road.

But if we had to choose, we’d say Berlin and Lisbon gave us a lot of inspiration and energy.

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You’ve been known to play extended 5 to 10 hour sets. How do you prepare for such longform narratives?

Actually, once a month we host our own event where we play for 12 hours non-stop!

We start preparing weeks in advance - finishing new tracks, digging for both old and new music, and organizing everything into folders on our USBs to take people on a proper journey from start to finish. It’s more than just a “party” for us — we want the crowd to experience something truly unique.

“Genre-fluid” is a term that comes up a lot with your work. Is that intentional or just how your tastes evolved?

First of all, thank you for calling it that - it’s a huge compliment! We’ve always loved so many different genres, so it just comes naturally to us.

We never want to stay in one lane; we’re always trying to create something fresh and unexpected.

Outside of the studio and booth, what inspires you creatively these days?

Traveling around the world is our biggest source of inspiration. The people we meet, the energy we feel, and the different cultures we experience all feed into our music.

What’s next after Hidden Traffic drops? Any surprises down the road?

We’ve got a lot of exciting things coming up!

There are new releases planned for our label, Vitrage Records, plus some music coming out on labels we’ve never released on before.

Lots of surprises are on the way. :)

Tracklist:

1. Last Night Jam


2. Hidden Traffic


3. Can’t Stop

4. Fame


5. Will Stay


6. Tension

7. Back To You

8. Solid Love

Hard To Tell ‘Hidden Traffic’ is out now via Vitrage Records. Get it here!

Follow Hard to Tell on Instagram

Imagens: Divulgação