Danish DJ, producer, label owner and all-round musical boundary breaker HEDEGAARD is back with an exciting new globe spanning project. Featuring a brand-new album ‘KIN’ and accompanying documentary ‘Western China’s Melody’, HEDEGAARD is truly maximising his creativity with this latest move forward. Celebrating HEDEGAARD’s long lasting and truly genuine love for China and its rich culture, the upcoming project acts as an acknowledgement of the Danish selectors true gratitude for China as a country. As part of the upcoming album, HEDEGAARD showcases first original release of 2026 in ‘Say My Name’ alongside Iranian superstar artist Arash and unveils countdown page for the wider album ‘KIN’.
As part of a brand-new initiative, the Danish hit-machine is set to embark on a creative and country-spanning musical and visual campaign. Western China’s Melody is the upcoming documentary, alongside KIN, the upcoming album, from HEDEGAARD in collaboration with Spinnin’ Records. Thought up and produced while travelling across the country, the album takes inspiration from differing regions, while inviting Western industry leading artists like Karen Harding, Waka Flocka Flame, MOGUAI and many others to give their spin on each idea, while the documentary provides insight in to the process of producing the album.
“It has been the adventure of a lifetime and a deeply inspiring creative challenge. Working with musicians from very different backgrounds, including traditions that go back thousands of years, has pushed me to think in new ways and step outside my usual process.” – HEDEGAARD on the process of creating KIN/Western China’s Melody
10 songs, 10 provinces in China, with each track taking direct influence from corresponding location, presented alongside documentary episodes showcasing the journey, the collaboration and the beautiful country of China. Utilising field recordings, traditional Chinese instrumentation and lyrics relating to the storied history of the region, all while packaging into a modernised dance music, KIN is set to be a ground-breaking musical project.
As part of the launch of the campaign, HEDEGAARD unveils introductory single ‘Say My Name’, enlisting Arash as collaborator. As his first original release of the calendar year, HEDEGAARD returns with a bang. ‘Say My Name’ is an infectious, intoxicating and incredibly groovy first taste of the upcoming album, featuring classic ‘Car Music’ twinged production from the man himself, and catchy topline from revered Iranian vocalist Arash – taking traditional influence from Chinese musicians like An Yuge and Li Xu. The track will arrive alongside introductory album production ‘KIN’, a swirling, atmospheric sonic trailer, outlining HEDEGAARD’s signature production flavour while incorporating elements of China throughout – giving listeners a taste of how the similarly named album will sound.
“Bringing Eastern and Western cultures together has been both fascinating and highly educational, musically and creatively. On a human level, I have met incredibly welcoming people across China and experienced a lot of openness and collaboration. Even without sharing a common language, I have realized how much we have in common. I am very happy with both the documentary and the album, which together capture the full journey.” – HEDEGAARD on the human benefits of producing both projects
KIN and the Western China’s Melody documentary will have three distinct pillars of releases.
May 8th – HEDEGAARD releases Say My Name with Arash and unveils KIN album and Western China’s Melody supporting documentary.
June 5th – HEDEGAARD releases first 4 tracks from KIN, each with a corresponding documentary episode.
June 19th – HEDEGAARD releases final 4 tracks from KIN alongside remaining documentary episodes.
A solid roll out plan for HEDEGAARD to dominate this summer!
This isn’t HEDEGAARD’s first encounter with Chinese culture, the decorated DJ/producer has had significant success in the region, with multiple singles hitting the charts and the substantial growth of his very own ‘Car Music’ brand of dance music. His 2023 hit ‘NYC BABY’ received critical acclaim and chart positioning in China, leading him to create a localised version in ‘BEIJING BABY’ – thus starting his appreciation to a region steeped in culture, tradition and above all, influence. Western China’s Melody is a chance for HEDEGAARD to celebrate a journey through a culture that has moulded his output for a number of years.
The countdown is on! Gain access to the pre-save page for Western China’s Melody here. Be sure to check out the leading single ‘Say My Name’ with Arash when it releases alongside ‘KIN’ on 8th May 2026, exclusively on OneHundred in collaboration with Spinnin’ Records.
