American Dream

Having produced a certified platinum album with music superstar Khalid, producer Hiko Momoji talks about how he evolved from a shy introvert into the persona he is today

- Lily Ong

It was late afternoon when I met music artiste and producer Hiko Momoji for our interview. He had stayed up late the previous night, performing for a small group of fans at Kyo in Mandarin Oriental.

“The Malaysian music scene has changed so much, people here know how to have fun,” he commented as we got the interview rolling.

Hiko—whose real name is Atilla Elci— spent his childhood in Malaysia before he moved to the United Kingdom to study. Enrolled in an American school in London, the introverted Atilla recalls struggling to fit in during his teens. “I did not have the best experience in school. I dabbled in music to keep my mind occupied. I would create, experiment and put up music online. I loved it so much, having people listen to it and give their comments about what I put out. Occasionally, someone would reach out to me and ask to collaborate—that was when I knew this was something cool,” he says.