Going at it independently can be scary, but not to house duo NOCOLOUR.
Formed through a decade-long friendship between German producer Marcus Voss and Cuban-born rhythm specialist Will Hernandez, the duo have proven that independence doesn’t have to mean isolation: it can mean the exact opposite.
Following a breakout year of growth, NOCOLOUR kicked off this year with All You Do, the flagship release ushering in their 2026 campaign. Released independently via their own BLACK WAXX imprint, the track continues a run of organic success that has seen the duo become firm favourites at BBC Introducing Solent, with four tracks played to date and a track off the week honor. That support hasn’t been manufactured; it’s followed the music. As one presenter put it simply: “I love these guys!”
Blending Marcus’s German technical precision with Will’s Cuban rhythmic soul, NOCOLOUR’s sound sits at the intersection of Afro and organic house, built for peak-time festival moments but rooted in deep club connection. With “All You Do” already climbing the Beatport Afro House Hype charts and BLACK WAXX showcase events planned for London, the duo are moving fast, on their own terms.
This interview explores why NOCOLOUR chose the independent route, how running their own label has accelerated their growth rather than slowed it down, and what creative freedom really looks like when the music, the release strategy, and the vision all come from the same place.
NOCOLOUR began after a decade-long friendship. How did that history shape the decision to go fully DIY rather than follow a traditional label route?
When you’ve been friends for such a long time, you already have that foundation of trust. There is a natural rhythm to how we work that makes us want to hit the ground running immediately, rather than waiting for outside permission. Because of that history, the decision to go DIY wasn’t about avoiding the traditional route, it was more about getting things going ASAP. We knew we had a unique chemistry and we didn’t want to wait for anyone else’s approval or schedule to start sharing it. Having 100% control meant we could start making a name for ourselves immediately and see where the journey takes us.
What was the moment you realized working with other labels & avoiding gatekeepers didn’t make sense for this project?
It wasn’t about avoiding labels in general, because we recognize the massive advantages an established label brings, the reach, the experience, support and the connections. For us, it was about speed and the freedom to act on an idea immediately. Will had actually been suggesting for a while that I should start a label, and my answer was always, “That is a lot of work and I have no idea how to run one!”
Then, one night, after a bit of a “why not” moment, I just decided to go for it. I wanted to release my track ‘A Quiet Moment’ and the upcoming NOCOLOUR material without the months of waiting or sending demos. I registered BLACK WAXX Limited that evening, designed the logo, and bought the domain. I woke up the next day thinking, “Wait, did I just start a record label?”
It was clearly meant to be. Will was fully on board to release everything via BLACK WAXX, as was everyone else from the collective. It’s been an extremely steep learning curve since that night, but it means everything we do is 100% on our own terms.
Were there any fears about going independent, especially around reach or credibility?
Recognition and credibility are key for any artist, and doing it yourself means doing a massive amount of work from scratch. There’s always that fear: “Will anyone take us seriously without a major machine behind us?” But we aren’t chasing anything, we’re focused on the quality. When BBC Introducing supported our first release, the Numbers EP in 2025, it gave us that initial spark of credibility. We know reach takes time, but we’re building the foundation properly. We aren’t ruling out future collaborations or partnerships with other labels, but it would have to happen naturally and on our terms, now that we’ve proven we can build our own home..
Do you feel more emotionally invested in tracks knowing they’re released entirely on your own terms?
Absolutely. There’s a different kind of pride when you own the whole process, from the first beat in the studio to the artwork and the release strategy. Every stream on ‘All You Do’ feels like a win for us, not just a statistic for a label’s spreadsheet. It makes the connection with the audience feel much more one-to-one. We feel very lucky and grateful for all the support we have received so far, we definitely couldn’t have done it without it. At the end of the day, this is what it is all about for us, making music, sharing it, and seeing how the fans react. There is nothing better than seeing people smiling and dancing when they listen to your music, right?
How does independence as an artist affect the way you think about long-term growth versus short-term success?
It forces you to be patient. Because we are building from scratch, we’re looking at long-term sustainability rather than a quick win. It also keeps us open to the right opportunities. While we are independent now, we aren’t closed off. We’re open to collaborations with artists from different labels or even partnerships with labels ourselves if the fit is right. The difference is that now, we’d be entering those conversations with a very clear sense of who NOCOLOUR is.
Does total control ever create pressure, or does it actually remove it?
It definitely creates a different kind of pressure. When you are independent, you don’t have the luxury of a massive corporate budget, an experienced team, or those deep-rooted connections in the music world already in place. You have to build all of that yourself from the ground up, so you have to be very precise and careful with every decision. You have to make things work with what you have, which requires a lot of discipline to ensure you don’t go crazy or overextend.
The real pressure is the “all-rounder” juggle, balancing the deep creative work of production with the business side of getting everything in place. It’s a steep learning curve and burnout is a real thing you have to manage when you’re wearing every hat. However, it’s a pressure we welcome because it’s tied to our own growth. It takes practice, and we are learning all the time, but there is a massive sense of reward in being your own boss and knowing that every win was built by your own hands. We aren’t just making music, we’re learning how to build a sustainable world for it to live in.
Lastly, what advice would you give artists who feel creatively boxed in by the label system?
I’d say remember that you have the power to build your own foundation first. There are amazing labels out there that can take you to the next level, but if you feel boxed in, don’t be afraid to do the hard work yourself for a while. It’s a lot of effort, but it gives you the creative freedom to find your sound. Once you have that, any future collaborations or label deals will happen on your terms, because you’ve already proven who you are.
Stream “All You Do” here.
The post Why NOCOLOUR Decided to Do it Themselves – And Why it’s Worked for Them appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.