Do you believe in coincidence? Or do you think some things simply arrive exactly when they’re meant to? Personally, I’ve always felt that life is probably a little bit of both. We make our own decisions, we choose a direction, but every now and then life takes over and writes a chapter we could never have planned ourselves.
That’s exactly what happened with Ben Evers and Najeh. What began as a spontaneous studio session between two friends turned into Chica—a track that found its way into the hands of DJ Saoirse through a Dropbox folder that was never meant to be shared. Looking back, Najeh smiles: “Sometimes life writes better stories than we ever could.”
Based in Hamburg, Ben Evers and Najeh have each found their own place within the city’s electronic music scene, brought together by a shared love for groove, house music, and trusting their instincts over trends. Chica, born in just a few hours, became the natural meeting point of their creative worlds—a track created simply for the joy of making music together.
We caught up with the two producers to talk about happy accidents, trusting your gut, finding creativity without pressure, and why the best things often happen when you stop trying to force them.
photography by Timo Sommer
Hey you two! Let’s start with the feeling that the best things in life often happen when you least expect them. There’s something incredibly beautiful about that, especially in the creative world, where the most magical moments rarely come from forcing them. Looking back now, what do you think happens creatively when there is no pressure attached to making something?
Ben: Things just turn out better without pressure. You experiment more, and you try things you normally wouldn’t. I’ve learned to deal with pressure and stress over the years, but my best work still happens during phases when there is none of it. Just a good vibe and no expectations. Honestly, I think that’s a big part of why it works so well between Najeh and me: we make music without any pressure. Nobody expects anything; we just have fun in the studio, and there’s a good energy. And that’s exactly when the special stuff happens.
Najeh: I think this doesn’t only apply to making music; it applies to creativity in general. The most beautiful moments happen when passion and curiosity take over, and suddenly all the little pieces just fall into place. It’s hard to explain, but in those moments, I completely lose track of time. In the studio, I even forget to drink water. If I look over after three hours and my bottle is still untouched, I know I’ve reached that state. I actually enjoy working under pressure sometimes, and every now and then, I even need it. But the best ideas usually come when you don’t expect them. That’s something I try to remind myself of all the time. I never tell myself, “I have to go to the studio.” I tell myself, “I get to go to the studio.”
Ben, you’ve said Chica came together in just a few hours. Do you remember the exact moment when you thought, “Okay… this one feels different”?
Ben: It was the moment we finished the first break with the drop. The breaks are what make this track for me. There’s this screaming sound in there that keeps building and building—the energy loads up the whole time without ever dropping, and then the drop releases everything at once. Hands up, everyone screaming. You know that scene in Independence Day when the spaceship charges up its weapon before firing? Exactly that feeling. That first drop was the moment we knew: this one is good.
Najeh, you discovered the vocal that became the heart of the track. What was it about those few seconds that immediately caught your attention?
Najeh: I actually knew the vocal from Patrick Topping’s track Forget, and I had a lot of great memories connected to it. But I always assumed it had been recorded specifically for that record—I never imagined it was a sample. Then one day, completely by chance during a sample-digging session, I stumbled across the original recording, an ’80s Italo disco track. So crazy! I couldn’t believe it. (laughs) I bought it immediately and thought, “We have to make something with this.” Two days later, Ben and I were in the studio… and that’s where Chica was born.
“We want to sound like ourselves, not like anyone else.” — Ben Evers
The story behind Chica almost sounds too good to be true—a shared Dropbox folder, the right person finding it, and everything happening naturally. Has this experience changed the way you think about luck and timing?
Najeh: Let me tell the story again, as some of you might not know it. I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw one of Saoirse’s stories from Body Movements Festival and suddenly thought, “Wait a second… I know this track.” Then it hit me: “Hold on… that’s Chica.” I was completely shocked. I had no idea how she even had the track, and I couldn’t believe what I was watching. The entire dance floor was absolutely exploding. It turned out that I had saved the track in a Dropbox folder I had shared with Saoirse—and I was no longer aware of it. So Saoirse found the track there, thought I wanted to share it with her, and started playing it in all her sets.
Over the last few years, my girlfriend introduced me to the idea of manifestation, and it genuinely changed the way I look at life. Today, I don’t really believe in coincidences anymore. I believe things happen when they’re supposed to happen. Maybe I just wasn’t ready before. Maybe Chica needed exactly that moment, exactly those people, and even exactly that “mistake” with the Dropbox. What felt like an accident became one of the biggest reasons everything changed for the better. Sometimes life writes better stories than we ever could. I think Ben and I can both live with that. (smiles)
Ben: I’ve always believed that luck and timing play a role—a bit of luck is always part of it. But I’m just as convinced that quality and hard work pay off in the long run. There’s so much music out there today, and it’s easier than ever to produce, so you need something genuinely strong to actually be heard. Something that stands out and reaches the right person. In our case, that was Saoirse. She only had the track because of Najeh’s little accident—probably the best mistake he’s ever made. But I also know that if the track hadn’t been strong, that lucky mistake wouldn’t have gotten us anywhere. The track has to be good. And it is! (laughs)
Ben, you had been releasing music for years before Chica. Did this unexpected success give you more confidence in trusting your own instincts?
Ben: More than anything, it confirmed that the decisions I’ve made lately were the right ones. I’ve always believed in the music I make—and more importantly, I feel it while I’m producing. Whether it’s tracks with Najeh, solo material, or other collaborations. The moment you make music just for the money, the fame, or because it’s trendy, that’s when it stops being real for me. So, yes, this whole experience showed me once again: trust your instinct. We want to sound like ourselves, not like anyone else. And that only works if you follow your own gut. Right now, that’s paying off. There’s another EP with Najeh coming on Luuk van Dijk’s label, a new solo single on my own label, Eternal Sunshine, and a few remix requests I’m really excited about. All of it came from simply doing our thing.
Najeh, you’re known for saying, “The groove is always on top.” What makes a groove impossible to resist for you?
Najeh: I love simplicity. Most of the time, it’s the tiny details that move me the most. For me, groove isn’t about adding more and more layers—it’s about making a few elements feel incredible together. And honestly… the moment that open hi-hat comes in on a dance floor will never get old. If people’s shoulders start moving without them even thinking about it, that’s magic.
“I never tell myself, ‘I have to go to the studio.’ I tell myself, ‘I get to go to the studio.’” — Najeh
Ben, your music carries influences from ’90s house, hip-hop, and R&B. If you could bring one artist from that era into the studio for a day, who would it be?
Ben: DJ Premier, no question. He was the king of beats for me growing up—always fresh, always inspiring. You could just tell when something was a Preemo beat. His music was always with me, whether at home, during freestyle sessions, or simply tearing up a party. A Preemo beat never failed. And honestly, that whole era still sits within everything I make today. The way he chopped samples and the swing in his drums—that’s still in my head when I’m working on a house track. It’s not obvious, but it’s there.
Najeh, as music director at Café Soda, you’re constantly surrounded by new music. How do you keep your own creativity alive without feeling overwhelmed by everything happening around you?
Najeh: Hannes, the founder of Café Soda, and I are constantly sending each other new artists and records that we think could fit Café Soda. Because of that, I’m always discovering music I probably wouldn’t have found on my own. That’s what keeps my creativity alive. I don’t see it as overwhelming; I see it as a privilege. At the same time, I’m still incredibly hungry. It’s what drives me every single day. When you’ve been doing something for so many years, it becomes love. In a way, it’s like being in a relationship. There are highs and there are lows, but there’s definitely no end in sight.
Beyond all the streaming numbers and festival plays, what has been your favourite Chica moment so far? (smiles)
Ben: Definitely the moment Najeh and I played it in front of Saoirse at Café Soda. The hype was already building, and you could feel the crowd waiting for it. When we dropped the track, the place completely exploded. Playing your own track in front of the person who put it out there in the first place, in our own club, in our own city—that was special. It was one of those nights you remember for a long time.
Najeh: The moments that touch me the most aren’t the numbers; they’re the messages from people. When someone tells me, “This is the soundtrack of our summer,” or “I went to Ibiza for the first time, and Chica will always remind me of that trip,” that’s everything. I have songs like that in my own life too. Tracks that instantly take me back to a certain summer or to my early days as a rave kid. Now we’ve created one of those records for other people. The thought that someone might look back in 10 or 20 years and remember the summer of 2026 because of Chica… that’s something no chart position or streaming number could ever replace.
Speaking of finding balance beyond music… Ben, in an older interview, you mentioned that boxing helps you clear your mind. Are you still spending time in the gym, and does it continue to play the same role in your life?
Ben: Yes, I am—and that’s not changing anytime soon. Boxing clears my head like nothing else, and I simply feel good in the gym. On top of that, I’ve started running long distances. I’m actually training for a half marathon right now. The two together have become essential for me. After all those years of touring, clubs, a lot of crazy partying, and not much sleep, taking care of yourself just makes sense. The party never stops, but you’ve got to stay sharp for it.
And finally, what is the most important thing in life?
Ben: For me, it’s clearly my wife, Maya, and our two kids, Karlo and Albert. They’re my anchor, no matter what happens.
Najeh: Keeping your word. Being grateful. And, if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity, spending as much time with your family and loved ones as possible. At the end of the day, success comes and goes. Those things are what really stay with you.
Check out Chica here.
Follow Ben Evers & Najeh for more:
www.instagram.com/najeh.music
www.instagram.com/ben.evers.ofc
