HANDS UP HIGH: The 2nd Best Kept Secret in the HERATIKS Labs
They say this industry is 10% talent and 90% timing. If that’s true, 'Hands Up High' is the record that almost stayed on the hard drive forever.
The story starts in September 2025. We’d just finished a track we were buzzing about, built around a vocal hook from a Toolroom sample pack. But just as we were ready to start pinging it to labels, we realised the same sample had recently been used in tracks like Acid Harry’s ‘Hands Up’ and James Greene. It was a hard lesson to learn in real-time. Even though we’d built 'Hands Up High' as a full-on festival party bass tech weapon, we didn't want to be "that duo" dropping a sample-heavy tune and having people think we’d just remixed someone else's work. We didn't want the "unoriginal" tag, so we immediately sat on it.
The Road Test: From Cornwall to London Boat Parties
Despite the paranoia, we knew the track had energy. We decided to keep our version as a "secret weapon" for our sets, road-testing the studio master from Cornwall to Exeter, through Somerset, and into the London warehouse and boat party scene. Every time the drop hit, the reaction was there. It didn't matter who else used the sample...our version was doing the business every time we played it out.
By November 2025, we felt it was time to move. We touted the track on a live stream with Grahame Farmer and Loz Seka (Data Transmission). To be honest, Loz was savage. It initially had a fake drop and even though they gave the rest of the track the "Hulk Smash" approval he was very vocal about his hate of fake drops and our peers in the comments echoed it: the groove and drop was strong enough to stand up on its own without needing a gimmick.
Thick Skin & The "Forgotten" Master
In this industry, you’ve got to have thick skin. You take the notes for what they are and you either work with them or you don't. We hit the studio, killed the fake drop, and sent the amended version back to Grahame and Loz. We had also previously sent it to other labels but we had no replies from any of them, likely for the same fake drop reason Loz pointed out.
The reality of our production schedule meant we just forgot about getting to other labels even though we were supremely confident in the track. We were so deep in the 'Read My Lips' and 'Rub Ah Dub' remixes that 'Hands Up High' sat in the "done" folder for months, being played out but still homeless.
The reality of our production schedule meant we just forgot about getting to other labels even though we were supremely confident in the track. We were so deep in the 'Read My Lips' and 'Rub Ah Dub' remixes that 'Hands Up High' sat in the "done" folder for months, being played out but still homeless.
"I love the hook. The feel-good factor."
Fatboy Slim
HERATIKS ' Hands Up High' forthcoming on dt weapons (Data Transmission)
Holding the Release Date
In February 2026, the email from Hobbs at Data Transmission landed. They wanted it on dt weapons!
As a slice of irony Mark Knight - the man behind Toolroom itself - has heard the track on Inflyte promo. Seeing the man who released the sample pack hear our version made us chuckle a bit.
Grahame Farmer and Hobbs made the call to hold the release for the summer festival circuit, and looking at the A-list support from Fatboy Slim, Roger Sanchez, Joris Voorn, Paco Osuna and Shiba San, the wait was clearly the right move.
SO, WHAT IS THE #1 SECRET?
A lot of you have been asking about 'Phat Bass', a track we’ve been testing in our sets for the last year. A lil bit of behind the scenes on that.... we updated the main studio macbook due to the previous one having fan issues, overheating and turning off...not ideal...unfortunately that did mean that the project that we were working on at the time when it finally had a big wobble corrupted when it was saving somehow. So when we opened this absolute belter in the new machine it was all over the shop meaning we have been busy rebuilding 'Phat Bass' nearly from scratch. As much as that's track's a heater it's not the big one.
Our best-kept secret is actually a really solid collaboration currently in the pipeline.... and that's all the info we have for you!
Sample Packs...
If we've learned one thing from this experience is that the "sample pack lottery" isn't where we want to play now. Moving forward, we are stepping away from major sample pack vocals and looking to work directly with vocalists and artists for properly unique, original work. This upcoming collab is the first step in that new direction.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE RELEASE....
THE PRE-SAVE: This is the big one. It’s the metric Spotify curators watch for editorial placements.
[PRE-SAVE 'HANDS UP HIGH' when it's Live! We'll update on our socials!
THE SOUNDS: If you’re at a gig, in the car, or at the gym - tag us. Use the 'Hands Up High' audio on your TikToks and Instagram Reels.
THE RELEASE PARTY: We’re partying at Artichoke, Bridgwater on Saturday, June 6th. Show us your Spotify ‘Save’ or Beatport ‘Download’ for a free shot on the house! OFF THE GRID Event on Facebook.
HERATIKS 'Hands Up High' Support from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Chicago, New York (Roger Sanchez) to the UK (Fatboy Slim) to mainland Europe and Ibiza to Kiss fm Australia.