Producer Real Hypha blasted onto the music scene over the summer by remixing country songs with EDM. His creations garnered the attention of millions of viewers. One of them was country superstar, Shania Twain.
Real Hypha, whose real name is Luke Piskor, had remixed her hit song “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” and the Queen of Country Pop herself dusted his video, dancing along to the beat. The video went crazy, amassing more than 4 million views and paving the way for the track to officially be released with Shania’s blessing in November.
We sat down with the producer to talk about his journey in music and to find out what he’s up to next.
Bridge: Tell our readers who you are and what you do…
RH: Howdy! I’m Real Hypha, music producer and artists who blends country and EDM as part of the music genre “Trailer House” but my friends and family call me Luke.
Bridge: What is the story behind your name?
RH: I used to play Xbox Live back in high school and at the time it was cool to have an abstract, one-word gamertag so I ended up with Hypha. Years later when I decided to make the change from playing guitar in metal bands to producing EDM, I added ‘Real’ because I thought it was cool and thus ‘Real Hypha’ was born.
Bridge: How long have you been producing and where did you get your start?
RH: From the very beginning I had a musical upbringing. My dad is a seasoned musician and songwriter himself and put my three sisters and I in piano lessons as soon as we were old enough. In middle school, I played trumpet in the symphonic band and I taught myself how to play guitar before starting high school. At 17 I started writing and producing songs for different emo/metal bands I was in with my friends. Later, I moved to San Diego, California, and began releasing music as Real Hypha.
Bridge: Let’s start with the glaringly obvious: your remix of Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” blew up on TikTok, and not only that, got Shania’s approval in an epic duet. What was that whole experience like?
RH: When it first starting going viral, it was actually a little intense and overwhelming. I kept trying to respond to any comment I could, but when I responded to one, ten more would pop up. As the video gained popularity, I hoped Shania would use the sound or maybe mention it off hand in a video, but I NEVER thought she would duet me. Shania Twain is incredibly iconic and seeing the notification felt like a dream come true.
Bridge: What doors has that experience opened for you and your music?
RH: Everything from collaborations to management to even playing at weddings. I gained an audience who appreciates all the new and old country remixes I’ve been doing, and it feels great giving them familiar music in a new way.
Bridge: You call the genre “Trailer House,”are you going to continue to solidify yourself in that genre or do you have aspirations in others?
RH: I want to continue to expand country/folk music into every facet of EDM I can with remixes, covers, and originals. I hope to collaborate with country songwriters as well as EDM producers and everyone in between and around. I’m having a lot of fun seeing how country and EDM can work together, and I think people will have fun listening to the fusion.
Bridge: What is the creative process like when you remix these classic songs? Where does this inspiration come from?
RH: I like to check out the song first before I decide if I want to do it. There are certain songs I hear that just inspire ideas immediately which are usually the ones I end up doing.
The inspiration for mixing EDM and country definitely came from Avicii. “Hey Brother”, and “Broken Arrows” were the tracks that told me blending the two genres can make magic and I wanted to make it my sound. The depth and humanity from country/folk music mixed with the power and energy from EDM make a great combo. So that’s what I try to put into every song: authenticity and energy.
Bridge: Which song has been your favorite to work on so far?
RH: “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” has definitely been the most fun because I finished it after my work-in-progress on the song blew up on TikTok. It felt incredible to see the impact of the song right on my phone. Second to that one would have to be ‘Chicken Fried’ because it was one of the first one’s I did and it really started to show me how the two genres could blend into one.
Bridge: Give us some big dreams you have for your career?
RH: I want to tour the world, introduce this amazing genre to other countries and cultures, and create songs with anyone I can. Specifically, I’d love the opportunity to work with EDM artists like Kygo or Forester and Country artists like Kacey Musgraves or Luke Combs. Hopefully Dolly Parton or Willie Nelson will want some remixes, too.
Bridge: What’s next for you? Any hints as to what 2023 holds?
RH: I’m keepin’ my head down and taking any opportunity that comes to me. I love making music and have been lucky to have a wife who has supported me every single day for the past eleven years. With all the skills I’ve honed over that time, I want to now use them to make the best music in the world for myself and others.
