HANS DAVIS: LEGACY BEYOND THE BEAT
House Is for the Soul
INTERVIEW BY: EMILY ARAUZA
JULY 15th, 2025
In the heart of Southwest Houston, where ambition is often born out of necessity,
Hans Davis—known artistically as Davis Hans—is carving out a new lane in the world of house music. A first-generation Colombian-American, father, and self-taught producer, Hans doesn’t just make tracks—he builds blueprints. With his debut EP Recession Proof dropping July 18, the day before his 29th birthday, Hans is on a mission to rewrite not just his story, but his family’s narrative too.
From muddy first mixes to soulful, genre-bending rhythms inspired by legends like Ron Trent and Sam Alfred, Hans’s sound is rooted in legacy, soul, and the relentless pursuit of purpose. I sat down with him to talk about pressure, process, and the power of showing up for yourself, even when no one else understands the vision.
Hans Davis: “Of course, first and foremost thank you for having me on your platform. I’m truly honored to be here sharing my upbringing with you and potentially all of the city. My name is Hans Davis but my artist name is Davis Hans. Friends and family just address me by Hans or by my nickname Ganso. Derived from the famous Mexican chocolate bars “Gansitos” ironically enough haha.”
Emily Arauza: “Thank you, Hans. I appreciate you sharing that. Names always carry something personal, and yours has a great story behind it. Let’s start from the beginning, where did you grow up, and how did that place shape who you are as an artist?”
HD: “Growing up was tough, especially in Southwest Houston, Sandpiper to be exact. Shout out to those that made it out the WEST by the way. Huge inspiration seeing those from my demographic thriving today; As a place of struggle and not much opportunity it shaped me massively as an artist because all you really have in your sights is to “Be Someone”. Seeing someone like my mother who was an immigrant coming in from Colombia and me, being her first born - there was a lot of pressure. A lot of pressure to be resilient. A lot of pressure academically. A lot of pressure to make sure your family lineage never struggles again. “
EA: “I completely understand that. My mom’s an immigrant from El Salvador, so I relate to that sense of pressure; the feeling that you carry more than just your own future. It’s not just about succeeding, it’s about changing the story for your whole family. How old were you when you first got into what you do now? And how old are you today?”
HD: “Exactly, most wouldn’t understand. It’s a lot having to bear being the one to stake the direction of your whole family’s legacy. On the other hand I’ve always wanted an outlet to express myself artistically, like all my life; just never found my niche. From trying basic arts to as something as tufting rugs; it just didn’t satisfy that itch. Fast forward to Fall 2024, I’m 28, the birth of my daughter is on the horizon. I really couldn’t tell you where this bright idea to make music came from, I just always loved it and made that simple correlation to start producing. Plus, I was really big on myself to find something artistically because I want my daughter to also have an interest in something similar in the realm of art. You know? Not everything has to be traditional and I'm all in for creating new avenues my parents didn’t explore with me when I was a child. Alternatively, I spent the last 10 months producing so I’m still pretty fresh but the growth from then and today is night and day. I’m still 28 but I’ll be 29 here shortly on July 19!”
EA: “That makes a lot of sense. And I respect that mindset—wanting to break generational patterns and create something new not just for yourself, but for your daughter too. It’s powerful when your “why” is bigger than you. It’s clear you’re not just making music for the sake of expression, but also to show her that creativity can be a path, even if it’s not the most conventional one. Since you’ve been producing for about 10 months now, what has that learning curve looked like for you? Were there any early moments that really pushed you—or confirmed that you were meant to be doing this?”
HD: “100% She’s motivated me in ways I would’ve never imagined. I can’t wait to share everything with her once she’s able to comprehend. Honestly that learning curve consisted of properly EQ’n your individual tracks, cause my first handful of songs were massively muddy. The use of compression and when to apply it, I had a bad habit of overly compressing frequencies when it truly wasn’t needed. Undoubtedly just coming to terms with music lingo and its set of rules, like making sure your kick hits on the quarter note. Making sure your BPM is set to your ideal temp on how fast or slow you want your song to be. Nonetheless I had no music background whatsoever, never picked up an instrument so I knew I was in an uphill battle from the jump. I knew I made a breakthrough when I would send demo songs to close friends and family and maybe one or two DJ’s online and the responses were fairly positive. At that moment I knew I found my calling producing house music but also found my calling artistically.”
EA: “That’s really special. It’s clear you’ve taken the technical side seriously, which not everyone does when they’re just starting out. Learning how to EQ, understanding compression, making sure the kick lands on beat those are the kinds of details that show real dedication. And getting that kind of early feedback, even from a small circle, can be a turning point. It shows you’re connecting with people already. What was it about house music that stood out to you? Out of all the genres, why did that one feel right?”
HD: “Haha, HOUSE IS FOR THE SOUL! There’s just something to it that truly makes the body groove like no other genre. Of course I’m being a little biased with that response but let’s take it back to the classic house hits. Gypsy Woman, Show Me Love, Move Your Body; all these tracks, plus many more erupted the music scene. Those soulful rhythms and hypnotic beats followed by rich baselines - I knew it was meant for me to replicate in my own unique way. I did do a little rapping when I was in High School but that wasn’t seriously pursued as it was just a little gag with the homies. Shoutout GIGS by the way haha.”
EA: “I get it now. There’s a timeless energy in the house that’s hard to match. Those rhythms really do move people. When you mention tracks like Gypsy Woman and Move Your Body, you’re pointing to songs that didn’t just make noise, they made history. That kind of sound hits both emotionally and physically, and it makes sense that you’d be drawn to recreate that feeling in your own way. It’s good to hear you had a moment with rap in high school too, even if it started off lighthearted. Sometimes those early experiments, even the playful ones, open the door to something deeper. Do you ever think about blending those influences like rap or other genres into your house production now?”
HD: “Well if it’s my vocals no, if I’m being honest. Something about hearing my voice back makes my hair stand. Now on the contrary I actually do incorporate a lot of rap influences into my production; I did so on my upcoming EP Recession Proof dropping July 18, a day before my birthday! I was able to grab some vocals from various Houston Legends and threw them in my house tracks. Specifically speaking, the tracks are called “Houston’s Very Own Pt. 1” & “Houston’s Very Own Pt. 2”. One thing for sure that helps with creativity blocks, well at least me, has been listening to other genres. Rock, Alternative, Rap etc. just opens new gateways to see what can be implemented into house music giving it a very unique spin.”
EA: “The upcoming EP sounds promising, and the timing with your birthday gives it even more weight. I like that you’re pulling from different genres to break through creative blocks. Tapping into rock or alternative for inspiration can bring textures and moods that you don’t always find in traditional house. Do you usually go into a track with a clear vision, or does the direction come to you as you experiment?”
HD: “Definitely special, the timing itself was not planned whatsoever. Personally the goal was to drop by the summer but there’s so many logistics that go into play prior to releasing music that I’m just now getting exposed to. In the process delaying everything altogether. On the contrary, one must have a vision! Nothing against not having it for those that just flow right off the boat, but having that vision keeps everything organized mentally for me. You know exactly the synths you’re looking for, which vocals for that specific section, overall just grasping the vibe you’re steering your tracks towards.”
EA: “A clear vision can really anchor the process, especially when you’re working through all the behind-the-scenes logistics that come with releasing music. It sounds like you’re learning quickly and adjusting with intention, which says a lot about how seriously you’re taking the craft. You’ve mentioned Houston legends and touched on some classic house tracks, but who would you say has inspired you the most creatively whether in music or even outside of it?”
HD: “Definitely! My Mount Rushmore of Inspiration has to be Ron Trent, Sam Alfred, Lemtom, & Dr. Gabba - These four are my solidified foundation when I’m producing. Undoubtedly, you will hear a lot of their influences in my music as they are legitimately my GOATS of making house music.”
EA: “That’s solid. You can really hear how much respect you have for those artists, and it shows in the way you approach your own work. I’m curious, what is it about Ron Trent, Sam Alfred, Lemtom, and Dr. Gabba that speaks to you? What about their sound or approach made them your foundation? And before we wrap, is there any advice you’d give to someone just getting started, someone trying to find their lane the way you’ve found yours?”
HD: “Absolutely! Ron Trent’s deep house essence and jazz roots are an absolute ear candy to hear. I will ALWAYS recommend his “Primitive Arts” album to anybody and everybody. Truly a timeless piece of artwork. Sam Alfred’s music just has this raw and edgy sound, truly blissful work. If I’m being honest I correlate my work to him the most. Lemtom is the MAN when It involves UK Bass & Garage influences, he just turns up it a notch every track. Dr. Gabba has to be the most experimental of the bunch; I acquire my “happy mistakes” and venture from his tracks. He inquires about deep melodic synths alongside Pokemon and other Nintendo samples in his tracks and artwork. In addition he’s guided me to be okay with incorporating Video Game samples in house music. Truly a work of art. All these phenomenal artists shaped me and my identity when I produce. To who and whomever is ready for this; please dive into their discography- you won’t be disappointed. To anybody out there who’s lost in the thick of it all trying to find themselves, please lock in. Things will get cloudy. You’ll start to doubt yourself. People will probably laugh at your goals but never and I mean this-never stop showing up for yourself. I know it can sound cliche to say “follow your dreams” but no honestly do, it’s okay to change lanes. At the end of the day we are all Human. Don’t be scared of death, but be scared of an unlived life.”
