Bedouin are celebrating five years of their label Human By Default with one of their most striking collaborations yet. “Heavy On My Mind,” created with London-based producer Robin M and featuring the unmistakable voice of SKYE from Morcheeba, captures the deep, percussive energy and slow-build tension that have defined their sound. Out now, the track has already been a fixture in their sets since February, from Club Space in Miami to stages across Europe, earning early support from Pete Tong, Adam Port, and a roster of tastemakers who understand its ability to connect both on and off the dancefloor.
The single marks a milestone for the label as it moves into a new era of events and live experiences and sets a strong pace for the Baron & Dorian Craft Remix of their track ‘Better Than This’ which dropped late July, 2025 (shared below in the interview). Bedouin have spent over a decade crafting a globally resonant sound, blending Middle Eastern heritage with Western influences to create music that feels at home at festivals like Coachella and Burning Man, as well as in intimate after-hours settings. “Heavy On My Mind” carries that ethos forward, with Robin M’s melodic sensibility and SKYE’s distinctive delivery adding new dimensions to their vision.
In this conversation, Bedouin reflect on the lessons learned since Human By Default’s launch, the organic way this collaboration came together, and the approaches they take when building sets that connect with audiences in real time. They speak about the value of patience, the role of emotional curation in a trend-driven world, and the rare qualities that make a track endure beyond the moment. It is a look into both the craft behind their latest release and the philosophy that has guided their journey so far.
2025 marks 5 years of Human By Default, what key lessons have you learned throughout the journey of the label’s inception?
We launched Human By Default in March 2020 — just as the world was shutting down. The timing meant we had to cancel all the in-person activations we had planned, and the label had to live entirely online in its early years. It wasn’t until Miami Music Week 2024 that we finally hosted our first proper label showcase, and later that year we did another special one on a moving train during ADE. In some ways, the delayed physical presence gave the label time to develop its identity organically, without needing to immediately translate into events.
One of the biggest lessons has been the importance of patience and clarity of purpose. We’ve never wanted HBD to feel like just another label — it’s a home for music that carries depth and emotion, for artists who feel aligned with that ethos. We’ve built slowly, deliberately, and with a long-term vision. Now that we’re finally entering the phase of curating more live experiences around the label, it feels like everything is lining up in a way that’s true to what we always intended.
You have released ‘Heavy on My Mind’ single with Morcheeba’s SKYE and Robin M, can you tell us more about the story of how the collaboration happened?
This track actually started as a collaboration between us and Robin M. He’s someone we’ve worked with closely through the label — he’s released two EPs on Human By Default and has a third one coming later this year. We’ve always loved his sound and his ability to create tracks that are both subtle and emotionally rich, so this one came together pretty naturally during the summer of 2024.
At some point during the process, Robin mentioned he had a friend he thought could bring something special to the track — and that’s when Skye jumped in. Her voice completely transformed it. Funnily enough, we didn’t even realize she was the Skye from Morcheeba until after the track was already complete. So the collab wasn’t about chasing a big feature — it was just about the music, and the result felt honest and powerful.
This summer you have 3 residencies, Saga at Club Chinois, Scorpios Mykonos and Casa Amour.. What’s a track you always keep in your back pocket for you, not the crowd, not the hype, just because it moves you?
We rarely go into a set knowing exactly what we’re going to play. The best moments come from reading the energy of the room — the crowd, the time of night, the environment — and letting that guide the music. So the track that moves us personally changes all the time. What resonates in Mykonos might not feel right in Ibiza, and vice versa. It’s always about finding that emotional connection in the moment.
That said, people can always expect to hear some upcoming Bedouin material, unreleased tracks from Human By Default, and a few of our own personal gems that have stayed with us over the years. But the magic happens when a certain energy from the audience unlocks something unexpected in us — that’s when we might reach for something that wasn’t planned but just feels right. And as they say…a magician never reveals their tricks.
When building a set, do you ever think in terms of emotional arc, or is that something that happens naturally?
The emotional arc definitely happens, but it’s not something we plan out in advance. We don’t build rigid setlists or map out dramatic moments ahead of time — we prefer to respond to the environment and the people in front of us. Every night has its own energy, and our job is to tune into that and let it guide the progression of the music.
That said, we do think in terms of feeling. Whether it’s tension, release, introspection, or euphoria…we’re always shaping a journey. But it’s not about scripting every step. It’s more like storytelling in real time, reacting to how the crowd evolves with us. The arc is there, but it reveals itself naturally as the night unfolds.
How do you know when a track is going to stick with you, not just for a week, but long-term?
If a track makes us pause…really stop and feel something…that’s usually a sign. The ones that stick long-term tend to evoke a mood that’s hard to define. They don’t rely on drops or big hooks…they just linger in the air…in your memory. They’re the tracks that give you goosebumps the first time you hear them.
We also pay attention to how a track evolves over time in our sets. If it still feels fresh after 20 plays or if it can be played at sunset, peak hour, and afterparty and still feel relevant…that’s when we know it has staying power. Those are the rare gems.
Do you find yourself gravitating toward certain moods or emotions in music? What draws you in?
We’re drawn to music that feels like it’s hiding something…like there’s a story beneath the surface waiting to be uncovered. It’s not about obvious emotions or dramatic drops. It’s about a certain tension, a pull, something that invites you in without revealing everything all at once. If a track leaves space for the imagination to wander, that’s usually what captures us.
There’s also an element of mystery in rhythm…a groove that loops just right, but with enough imperfection to keep it human. We’re always chasing that feeling where the music feels alive, like it’s breathing. The kind of track that doesn’t need to say much, but lingers with you long after it ends.
Has a song ever reminded you so strongly of a specific time or place that you had to play it out?
Absolutely. There are moments when a track just belongs to a place. Playing our remix of “Dear Miami” in Miami is one of those obvious but satisfying ones. It’s like the music echoes the city back to itself. During our Saga Tulum closing in 2023, it started pouring at the end of the set, and we looped the vocal from Sander Kleinenberg’s “Make It Rain” to create a live edit as the rain came down. It wasn’t planned…it just made sense in that moment. The music and the setting were in sync.
Other times, it’s about having fun with the energy in the room. We’ve played “Bad Boys” when cops have pulled up, just to break the tension. And when we’re in New York, especially Brooklyn, we love sneaking in classic NYC references — like dropping “Where’s Brooklyn at?” as a nod to the crowd. These moments might be spontaneous or intentional, but they always connect the music to something bigger than the dance floor.
Do you think DJs are too trend-aware right now, or is there still room for real emotional curation?
There’s definitely a growing pressure to play for the camera instead of the crowd. Sometimes it feels like sets are being built more for Instagram clips than for the actual energy in the room. The focus shifts to the drop that’ll go viral, or the track that looks good on a story and when that happens, the emotional arc that we spoke about before gets lost. You can feel when a set is curated for optics instead of connection.
But there’s still space for something deeper. You can always tell when a DJ is tuned in…not to trends, but to the people in front of them. Emotional curation isn’t about avoiding popular tracks, it’s about using them with intention. When you let go of what you think you should play and just respond to the room, that’s when real moments happen. And no viral clip can compete with that.
How often do you go back through your crates to reconnect with music that’s fallen off your radar?
We actually carry a lot of older tracks with us…those timeless ones that have stayed on our USBs for years. Some of them we mentioned earlier…the ones we keep in our pocket not for the hype, but because they still move us, no matter the setting. So in a way, we don’t need to “go back” to find them…they’re always with us.
But with the sheer amount of amazing new music we get sent, especially from undiscovered artists…it can be easy to overlook the classics in the moment. One of our core values with Bedouin, Human By Default, and SAGA is putting forward talent that we believe in, and that keeps our sets evolving. Plus, let’s be honest…there’s a bit of a game among DJs to be the first to break a bomb track, or to have the most mysterious, unreleased ID.
It keeps things exciting, but we try to strike a balance between those moments and the tracks that have stood the test of time.
The post Bedouin Discuss the Role of Emotional Arc in Modern DJ Sets And The Launch of Human By Default appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.