Huminal Talks “On and On / Lotus,” Loss, Production and What Comes Next
Dutch producer Huminal, aka Jelle Jansen, returns to Lane 8’s This Never Happened with “On and On / Lotus,” a deeply personal double single dedicated to his late father.
Known for blending organic and analogue textures with crisp rhythmic structures, Huminal has built a growing presence across the melodic and progressive electronic scene, with releases on labels including Purified, This Never Happened and Einmusika. His music has recently received support from names such as Lane 8, Eelke Kleijn, Nora En Pure, Above & Beyond and Armin van Buuren, while his live appearances have included Loveland, Thuishaven, Het Sieraad and Berlin’s Kater Blau.
With “On and On / Lotus,” the story becomes much more personal. “On and On” was built from an old recording of his father’s band and a bassline played on a guitar his father had built, while “Lotus” reflects on the period that followed his passing and the strength Huminal found through family, friendship and connection.
We spoke with Huminal about the emotional starting point behind the release, the production process, the importance of visual storytelling, support from fellow artists and the next chapter of his sound.
Interview with Huminal on “On and On / Lotus”
“On and On / Lotus” feels deeply personal. What was the emotional starting point behind this double single?
I always wanted to make a tribute to my father in the form of a song. I tried it a few times years ago but all attempts fell too heavy or were just not compelling enough. When an old friend passed down a guitar my dad built, I gave it another try and this time I felt I was on to something.
How did the tribute to your father shape the sound, atmosphere, or structure of the music?
It began with sampling a track my father recorded with his band. Since he was a guitarist, I wanted his playing to form the backbone of the song. I rearranged his original lines into a melody, stretched the samples to create warm background pads, and chopped and looped short riffs to create rhythmic, plucky arpeggios.
Once those core guitar layers were in place, I built the chord progression, refined the lead arps, and constructed the bassline which I recorded using his guitar.
To finish the track, I wrote and recorded the vocals. While I don't consider myself a good singer, having my own voice on this record was important to me. So I processed the vocals through a vocoder which gave it a unique edge while still having an emotional core. This tied it all together for me.
Why did these two tracks feel connected enough to be released together?
‘On and On’ is a tribute to my father and ‘Lotus’ is about the period after he passed away. Lotus takes its name from the phrase “no mud, no lotus.” As devastating as losing my dad was, that period of intense grief also revealed just how much love surrounded us. Going through that loss together deepened my connections with my family and the friends who stayed by our side.
The release balances melodic depth with a very intimate story. How do you approach turning personal experiences into club music without losing the emotion behind them?
It all starts with a strong emotional core. When I first began writing the song, I had no set destination, the direction became clear layer by layer. Once the emotional foundation was in place, I focused on shaping it for clubs and festivals, driving the track forward with punchy, high-energy drums and a rolling bassline.
What role did the visual side / video content play in strengthening the story of the release?
It played a really important role in giving deeper context to the EP. Because this project is so personal, I wanted to share the narrative behind the tracks. Both through a short story video and dedicated cover artwork featuring my dad and me. Big credit to Hessel Stuut for doing such an incredible job bringing both of these visual pieces to life.
You already have support from artists like Eelke Kleijn, Mees Salomé, Lane 8 and Olivier Weiter. What does that kind of support mean to you at this point in the project?
It means a lot. I remember sending "On and On" to Daniel (Lane 8) for the first time while a bit unsure about it. Writing something with so much personal intent can obscure your view of the final result. I knew what the song meant to me, but I wasn't sure if the music alone could resonate with people who didn't know the story. Hearing how much he loved it gave me the confidence to start testing and playing it out.
And I’m really grateful for all the support this release has received. Seeing Mees Salomé play "On and On" at Loveland, or Eelke Kleijn closing his 10-hour set at Thuishaven with "Lotus" is kind of surreal. With "On and On" in particular, it makes me proud to know that, in a way, it's something my father and I created together.
What would you like listeners to feel or take with them after hearing “On and On / Lotus”?
Of course you always hope people connect with the music, but how it touches them is out of your hands. That’s the beauty of art. A single track can mean something completely different to every person who hears it.
Looking ahead, does this release represent a new chapter in the Huminal sound?
I see it as a continuation of the sound I’ve been putting out for a while, just naturally evolving. The next EP coming on This Never Happened actually leans into a darker, more fierce direction. More news on that soon ;).
Released via This Never Happened, “On and On / Lotus” captures Huminal at one of the most personal points of his catalog so far.
The two tracks approach the same story from different directions: “On and On” transforms memory into sound through his father’s recorded guitar and an instrument he built, while “Lotus” looks toward what followed — grief, connection and the possibility of growth through difficult moments.
That personal foundation never comes at the expense of the dancefloor. Both tracks remain rooted in the melodic, progressive and club-driven world Huminal has been developing across his recent work.
And with another EP already confirmed for This Never Happened, heading into a darker and more forceful direction, “On and On / Lotus” feels less like an isolated release and more like an important marker in the continuing evolution of Huminal’s sound.
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