The Cécille Numbers series Returns: Hector Couto & Kirik Open a New Chapter

Thirteen years after the last release and more than 30 EPs in the Cécille Numbers series,Nick Curly and Marc Scholl bring back the highly influential imprint. Over the years, theseries has featured releases from artists such as Butch, Livio & Roby, Anthea, Shonky,Yousef, Leon, Pele & Shawnecy, among many others. Now opening a new chapter with aspecial release by Hector Couto and Kirik, both artists work together as a duo for the veryfirst time, following up on an outstanding 2025 with solo releases that have shaped theyear and continue to chart to this day.

Hello guys, great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time for this interview. After your highly successful releases on the label in 2025, we’re excited to dive into a few questions with you.

When and how did the connection between you two first come about? Was this duo project something you had planned for a long time, or did it come together spontaneously?

Kirik: I actually remember Hector from the MySpace era, which you probably remember too, long before the current social media age. Around 2005–2009 was when I first discovered his work. Fast-forwarding from the dinosaur era to today, we finally met in person in 2023 at Sónar in Barcelona, although we had already been in touch for quite a long time before that.Sometime around 2024, the idea of working together started to feel natural. I had a release on the Hector label, and he also did a remix for me, so the connection was already there. In 2025, we properly started working together. Throughout the second half of the year, we created tracks one by one, constantly refining, changing, and reworking ideas. In the end, we finished five tracks, and it felt only right to give all of them to our favourite label.

Hector Couto: Honestly, it came about in a spontaneous way. We had already been wanting to collaborate together for some time. On my side, I’m a big fan of Kirik’s music, and I think a very interesting collaboration has come out of it.

Do you feel that working as a duo allows you to explore ideas that wouldn’t necessarily work in your solo projects? How do you balance compromise and individuality when producing together?

Kirik: As they say, two heads are better than one. Working as a duo definitely allows us to explore ideas that might not naturally come out in our solo projects. The process was very organic: I would send ideas to Hector, he would make his own changes, develop certain parts, approve what worked, and remove what didn’t.

Hector Couto: 100% yes. It’s a process in which I think we both feed off each other’s creativity. Everything has flowed in a very natural way, and I’ve allowed myself the freedom to experiment, since I’m not as limited as I usually am when I work.We went back and forth like this until we both felt completely happy with the result. Once that balance between compromise and individuality was found, we tested the tracks, and that’s how everything came together.

How did the collaboration work in practice - studio sessions, file exchanges, or a remote workflow?

Kirik: Everything was done remotely - and it was based on our tastes and preferences. We didn't even call each other on Zoom. Everything was natural, and we simply trusted each other with the process. When I wasn't happy with the bass and kick, I asked Hector to do something about it, and he did an excellent job. We simply sent projects or stems back and forth to each other. That's how it worked.

Hector Couto: It has been a mix of idea exchange and remote teamwork. We shared ideas and developed them together. For Kirik, it’s much easier to create a hook, and for me it’s about developing the idea starting from that hook. I think we complement each other very well in that sense.

You both have already released successful records on Cécille as solo artists. How does the creative process differ when working together as a duo on the same label?

Kirik: Since we both already had solo releases on Cécille, we understood the label’s sound and direction very well. At the same time, each of us has our own style. What worked perfectly is that our vision matched both each other and the label’s vision. Everyone added their own twist to the tracks, while still keeping the house feeling and a bit of magic.

Hector Couto: Honestly, there isn’t much difference. I think we both have a similar style and strongly identify with the Cécille sound.

Hector, last year you released an EP on Cécille where the track “EL House” really stood out and has been charting continuously for over eight months. What impact did that track and its success have on you throughout summer 2025?

Hector Couto: It has been an important step in my career, and I’m very grateful to Marc and Nick for giving me the opportunity with that release. I think it’s one of my best records to date, and people love the track. It has a great energy and has been a summer anthem in Europe, and now in Latin America as well.

Kirik, your EP followed just four weeks after Hector’s release and is still charting as well. How was your experience working with Cécille, and how do you look back on the release several months later?

Kirik: You know, I’m really happy to have become part of the Cécille family and to finally release my music on the label after such a long time. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about how my EP would perform, especially because just a few weeks before my release, Hector’s record came out. I immediately realised it would be a hit, and I thought it might be tough competing for a proper banger position (laughs).

Luckily, my release performed very well. Thanks to Luciano, who played the track “Culminating” at almost every party, it gained strong support from other DJs and is still in the Top 100 JACKIN HOUSE charts. At the same time, I personally jumped into the Top 40 DJs of this genre, which is also largely thanks to Cécille.

Because of the label, a lot of producers discovered my music. I was genuinely surprised when Duke Dumont called me, and we ended up talking for almost two hours. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch. It turned out he’s a big fan of Cécille as well and closely follows the label.

Overall, I’m very happy with how Marc and Nick run things. They are extremely professional and pay great attention to every detail of the entire process. I truly value what they do, and I’m very grateful to be part of the Cécille family. I’m excited to keep growing together with them.

With your EP, Cécille Numbers has now been reactivated by Nick Curly and Marc Scholl, and you are delivering the very first release of this new chapter — accompanied by the abstract artwork the series is known for. What does it mean to you to open the series, especially considering the strong Numbers back catalogue?

Kirik: Opening the series, especially after a 12-year break and with such top names and personal heroes behind it, feels both very responsible and exciting. We are really looking forward to the release and to seeing Numbers return to the house music scene. I hope it will gain even more fans and be loved even more, because it’s truly one of the important chapters in the history of house music.

Hector Couto: It’s a responsibility that we happily embrace, and I feel very proud, together with Kirik, to continue the legacy of such amazing artists and timeless releases. I think that was one of the ideas when we started this record: to make something special that can keep sounding relevant at any time, without being confined to a specific sound or trend.

Are there already further projects planned as a duo, or are you taking things release by release?

Kirik: Yes, we will definitely be working on more tracks and finishing ideas we already have, but for now, we are fully focused on the release of Cécille Numbers.

Hector Couto: We’re just going with the flow. After seeing how this first collaboration turned out, we’ll definitely make more music together. It has been very easy for us to work together as the two production nerds we are, hehe.

Finally, what can listeners and the Cécille community expect from you next — individually and together?

Kirik: I already have several releases planned for the spring, including a vinyl on my own label, Memory Remains, as well as some remixes and a few single tracks. One of them will be on Franky Rizardo’s LTF Records, another on Nervous Records, and there are a lot of other exciting things coming up.

Hector Couto: On my side, I’m working on more solo material and I hope to release another record on Cécille soon. It’s something I want to dedicate time to and work on without any pressure. Sometimes the best ideas come when you’re most relaxed, and I have to confess that I’m a sampling nerd — I spend many hours searching for and experimenting with sounds I sample, and I think it’s the sound that represents me the most.

There are more collaborations on the way with another one of my favorite Cécille artists — you’ll discover it soon.