Join Hercules & Love Affair on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process. In this episode, Andy Butler, the producer and DJ behind the house and disco outfit, invites us into his creative world, from his collaborative process and approach to remixes to introducing his Club Off project and more.
Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.
On this episode of Sound Advice, we talk to Andy Butler, the producer and DJ behind house and disco outfit Hercules & Love Affair. Hercules has always been a shape-shifting, collaborative project since the release of its self-titled debut album on DFA Records in 2008.
Andy produced his last EP, ‘Someone Else Is Calling,’ in Iceland alongside Quinn Whalley of Paranoid London and Elín Ey of Hips & Lips. In this exclusive interview, we talk about the making of that EP and its trio of remixes from revered Chicago house artist Larry Heard, plus we chat more about Andy’s overall approach to remixes, songwriting and working with other artists.
Looking back over his two-decade-plus artist career, Andy also reveals more about the beginnings of the Hercules & Love Affair project and talks about how diverse environments — from medieval Ghent’s cobblestone streets to digging for vinyl in cramped New York record shops — have fueled his imagination. We find out some more about his new project Club Off, which explores the sound of classic nightclubs, and he also shares how he values SoundCloud for workshopping demos, finding new music and fostering genuine musical communities.
Whether you’re a producer, DJ, or just a dance music aficionado, this episode offers rare insights into how legendary tracks are built, reimagined, and inspired by place and history.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING ANDY BUTLER OF HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR
LISTEN TO ‘SOMEONE ELSE IS CALLING REMIXES’ BY HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR ON SOUNDCLOUD
Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice
How Geography Shapes Andy Butler’s Sound and Creativity
- Dialing in from Belgium, where he has been living for the past decade, Andy Butler kicks off the conversation by reflecting on how his relationship with dance music has been influenced by his surroundings. Originally from Denver, Andy Butler’s early formative years as Hercules & Love Affair were spent in New York City, and most recently, he recalls traveling to Iceland to write and record his latest EP, ‘Someone Else Is Calling.’
- Here, Andy discusses his move to Belgium and shares how his New York roots have shaped his sound over the years, as well as highlights being inspired by the rich history of influential labels like R&S Records, Les Disques du Crépuscule, Eskimo Recordings and more. Looking back, he shares how his early career was defined by “digging in basements” for house and disco records. From immersing himself in the East Village post-punk scene to gravitating towards house, nu-disco, new wave, Italo, performance art scenes and more, Andy explains how record collecting and building an encyclopedic knowledge of dance music history has influenced his approach to production and music-making.
Andy Butler on the Art of Remix and Collaboration
- Throughout the past two decades, Hercules & Love Affair has been known as a collaborative, shape-shifting project. Here, Andy offers a glimpse into what he believes makes for a great collaboration, offering advice for fellow artists on the importance of keeping things light and fun in the studio when working with different creatives.
- Elaborating further on how he has been asked to do so many remixes of the years, Andy talks more in-depth about how he approaches the art of the remix, sharing both technical and philosophical insights. Andy also takes us through his experience of having his music remixed by one of the Chicago house greats, Larry Heard, breaking down how the three different remixes came together and sharing his gratitude for the end result.
Using SoundCloud as a Hub For Music Discovery, Workshopping Demos and More
- First joining SoundCloud in 2013, Andy Butler shares how SoundCloud remains a staple tool for his creative workflow and how the platform continues to play a pivotal role in his music-making process. Here, Andy elaborates on how he utilizes private tracks to share demos with collaborators, reflecting on how valuable it is to curate the visual imagery, track order and other details when finalizing an upcoming release.
- As a dance music aficionado and multi-faceted artist, Andy is always keen to discover new talent, and details how he’s even met like-minded artists through SoundCloud DMs. Specifically, he recalls connecting with producers like Austin Ato and how the platform has authentically led to forming genuine music relationships.
- Before signing off, Andy plants a seed about his latest project, Club Off, which explores the sounds of classic night clubs through a both a personal and referential lens, building more deeply on the concepts of how history and place influence his art.
Links and Extras
Follow Hercules & Love Affair’s journey on SoundCloud.
Press play on Hercules & Love Affair’s most recent release, 2026’s ‘Someone Else Is Calling Remixes.’
Check out Hercules & Love Affair’s 2025 EP, ‘Someone Else is Calling.’
Go back to the beginning with Hercules & Love Affair’s 2008 debut self-titled album.
Tap in with Austin Ato, who first connected with Hercules & Love Affair’s Andy Butler via SoundCloud DM.
Explore some of Hercules & Love Affair’s past and present collaborators, including PoisonDiscoMachine, Sharon Van Etten, Paranoid London’s Quinn Whalley, Elín Ey, ANOHNI, John Grant and Budgie (previously of Siouxsie and the Banshees), to name a few.
Listen to the Festival House Bangers playlist on SoundCloud.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.
Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud
Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.
To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.
CREDITS Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee, Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin
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