Wuki Talks Remix Philosophy and Pop Influences at North Coast

Remixing with Respect

Wuki has built a reputation turning classics into dance floor weapons, from "Ain't It Fun" to "Sunshine" and "Eye of the Tiger." Speaking after his headline set at North Coast Music Festival, the producer explained his approach to reworking iconic tracks.

"I try to always stay true to the song when I remix, and keep the song intact," he said. "A lot of remixers, they'll take a sample and just totally flip it so it doesn't even sound like the song. Basically what I try to do is make a dance floor ready version of the song, and I like to keep parts of it intact and try and use the parts that are most iconic."

The validation from original artists makes the work worthwhile. "Smokey Robinson shouting me out for sunshine, like that's crazy, you know," Wuki noted. "It's super cool, super rewarding, and I love that I just get to be like created this own path for myself."

Pop Hooks and Sabrina Carpenter

Despite his presence in the bass and trap scenes, Wuki describes himself as a pop music junkie. "I love Katy Perry. I know she gets a lot of hate now, but I love Katy Perry, and I really like Sabrina Carpenter too. I think she's great," he said.

For Wuki, the hook is everything. "The way I kind of produce music is I'm trying to make a hook. It's not all about the sound design and stuff. Like it just has to hit and fill that role really well, but it's got to have a good hook, no matter what."

Going with the Flow

Asked how Chicago's diverse dance music taste affects his preparation, Wuki revealed he no longer plans sets in advance. "I don't even plan my sets these days. I just go up and I just have a bunch of shit to go to and I play," he said. His recent move from Denver to Los Angeles has influenced his output in subtle ways: "These days I just really like being in the sunshine and enjoying the sun. So I tend to make like brighter music when I'm in the West Coast."

His most recent creative stretch came with a remix for Majid Jordan, which pushed him into deeper tech territory than usual. The interview took place at North Coast Music Festival 2026.