Raised on Music
Henry McBride grew up in Washington DC surrounded by sound from every direction. His father's jazz and R&B, relatives in The Walkmen, and au pairs from Germany, South Africa, Brazil and Panama each brought their own world into the house. Music was never something he had to go looking for. "Music was always around me. When I could barely walk I would make my way over to the music player and jam the play button. I always wanted to hear Prince's Purple Rain." Electronic music was a lane he found on his own. SoundCloud in middle school opened up a world his family had not introduced him to. "Through SoundCloud I was finding a lot of cool music. I loved Martin Garrix and Avicii stuff at the time but also a lot of random stuff in that world that I could find on SoundCloud."
The Moment That
Changed It
Like a lot of things that stick, house music did not click from a speaker. It clicked in a room full of people who came only to dance.
"Moving to Miami for 2 months during COVID is when I really fell in love with proper house music. It was my first time going to clubs and having a proper experience with it."
It was not the first time something in a new city and its musical culture within had hit him that way.
"I remember moments where genres I did not fully appreciate won me over, always when having an authentic experience with that genre: dancing to salsa music with locals in Colombia; performing a traditional Indian vocal song during a class at my university and really buying into the energy; hearing proper house music in a proper venue with a crowd purely there to dance."
That openness, the willingness to let a room teach you something, is something Henry has molded and woven into his music today.
Becoming Intentional
The early production years were loose. Party mashups, SoundCloud experiments, nothing close to professional. What changed things was a simple challenge he set with his friend Suite 52 in autumn 2021.
"Every week for 12 weeks we each made a whole track and got on zoom to give each other feedback. 12 weeks without fail. This was when it became intentional. I got much better during this period."
Those 12 weeks taught him what kind of music he actually wanted to make. Keep it simple. Keep it groovy. Don't add what doesn't need to be there.
"When I got into proper house music as opposed to EDM, I really liked the simplicity and groove. That has definitely stuck with me. For me the most timeless tracks are often the most simple."
That same no pressure mentality is something he chases outside the studio too. Painting, collage work, drawing. Creative things where the outcome doesn't matter.
"In painting I'm doing it purely for fun. And I honestly paint a lot of great stuff. It reminds me of the mentality I should have when making music. No pressure, no expectations, no set direction, no rules, just following my instincts and what feels and sounds good to me in that moment."
Dancing Elephants and a Birthday to Remember
Dancing Elephants did not start with a grand plan. It started with Henry feeling stuck.
"I was feeling stuck in my productions for a week or two and decided I would try to learn something new. And then I made those chords that everyone asks me about.”
He sent the idea to Bondo, who helped shape it further, and from there it reached &Me and Carlita. Then came the moment he will not forget.
"&Me actually first played the track on my birthday and it might've been the best moment of my life. It was by far the most significant DJ support I had gotten at that point. He played the track at almost every show for about 6 months."
Messages came in from all over. The track found a home on Magnifik, his favourite small label at the time. Sharing it all with one of his closest friends made it mean even more.
"I received so many messages from friends and strangers and I learned a lot during the process. It was such a fun period of time. And to share the joy with one of my close friends made it 10X better."
"The fact that I was experimenting a bit with this track and it got so much love makes me believe that doing me is the best way to make an impact. I'm always hoping to do something new."
A Sound That Refuses Definition
Henry may have a sound, but in his mind, his approach is a much more important thing to protect.
"For me it is hard to say what a Henry McBride track sounds like, and that is by design. I have been thinking recently about having a consistent sound versus having a consistent approach, and I would much rather have the latter. I think my sound will make sense looking back if I keep this mentality."
"Though different moments bring me into the studio in different ways, I'm at my best when my approach is to align sound with how I feel in the moment, to push myself without judgement or fear of mistakes, and to look for new ways to bring out texture and color."
That same honesty carries into every decision he makes around releasing music. He is not chasing numbers. He is looking for the right fit.
"9/10 times I will choose the artistically aligned label over the chance to get more streams. I think the niche tracks are often most reflective of my taste. I want them to find a proper home."
For Henry, staying true to the music and staying true to himself are the same thing. Keep doing that and the rest will follow.
Music That Makes Us Feel Human: UMANO
UMANO started as five friends who all loved the same kind of music. They could all DJ, some could produce, and they all wanted to build something together. So they did. An event brand, a label, and a community built around one simple idea: music that makes us feel human.
"We were basically just a group of 5 friends really interested in the same thing, dance music. And we all felt aligned in our desire to pursue careers as artists."
Their first event was in New York in January 2025 and it grew fast from there. Shows across Boston, Madrid, Marbella and Cartagena followed. The group got tighter, and the music took over entirely.
"At our shows we get to curate everything and build the night around our community, our energy, and our music. There is a feeling that I get at our shows and nowhere else, and it's not just that they are our shows. There's a feeling of community and openness at UMANO shows that feels rare these days."
"We've really made it about more than just us or the music or the events. It's really a feeling."
That feeling is what UMANO is built on. Not a genre, not a lineup. Just a place where people come to actually dance and leave feeling something.
The Best Is Still Ahead
The UMANO label launched in Spring 2026 with the State Change EP on May 8th, a first look at the range of sounds the crew are sitting on.
"The UMANO label has already begun but it is something I'm very excited to continue to build. We have music lined up from our 3 main artist projects to release every 6-8 weeks until the end of the year. I'm very excited to see where we are by the start of 2027."
UMANO’s first release has already been supported by big names like &ME and Julya Karma and had major success on beatport charts, with “Ashes” reaching the #1 spot on the electronica chart and the whole EP reaching the number #2 spot on the overall releases chart.
On a personal level he is working on something just as exciting: bringing a range of art forms fully into the world alongside the music and continuing to develop as an artist and person.
"On a personal level, I'm working on bringing more art forms into my brand. I'm trying to figure out the best ways to do it, but I have a lot of ideas and I am excited to present them to the world. I think this aesthetic fits me well."
“Getting creative in as many ways as possible is how I feel most like myself. This means trying new things and pushing myself in many directions.”
"Nobody can be me except for me. By staying true to myself I find more fulfillment in my successes."
Great music, real friendships, and a vision that goes beyond just the songs. Henry has always trusted his instincts and so far they have not let him down. There is a lot more to come and we are here for all of it.