Hudson Mohawke is one of the biggest and most influential producers of our time. If you were to make that statement about anyone else, there’d be tonnes of debate about it, but not with Hudmo, because it’s undeniable. With the release of his latest album Lantern earlier this year (read our review here), Hudmo has brought what would traditionally be called ‘underground sounds’ into the mainstream and beyond. It’s no surprise then, that he’s getting more and more attention – now having his own documentary.
Presented by Noisey, the documentary follows Hudmo, real name Ross Birchard, as he heads back home to Glasgow to throw a party to honour the good old days with his oldest friends. We get clips of his youth, including his stint as 15 year-old DJ Itchy at the UK DMC Championships for vinyl scratching, a revisit to his compositions on the original Playstation, and his first gig on air at Glasgow University’s Subcity Radio. Noisey and Ross also delve into the history of LuckyMe, originally a club night that Ross and his mate’s started in their hometown, which is super interesting. Shots and discussions of his signing to Warp, working with Lunice as TNGHT, and starting work with Kanye are all explored too. It starts to become undeniable that Hudmo is one of the most influential of our time, finishing off with an ode to the music he and his mates have played in their lives so far.
Hudmo comes from humble beginnings, and something that everyone throughout the documentary keeps going back to, is the fact that he’s stayed humble. That comes across so well – in conversations with him, his mum, his friends, and his fellow musicians. Is there anyone more deserving of the success that’s come unto them? “It remains to be seen.”