How DJ Love masterminded the exhilarating budots genre

DJ love is a ray of sunshine. The DJ and producer, born Sherwin Tuna, is beaming in on his phone from his hometown Davao City in the southern Philippines. The signal is patchy, sure, but no matter: Sherwin’s enthusiasm is practically bursting through the screen. ​“I’m on the road, in the province, on my way home!” the 47-year-old says. ​“I really wanted to make time to talk.”

This freewheeling energy is somewhat reflective of budots, the music genre that Sherwin pioneered around 15 years ago. It’s a hard one to describe, but we’ll give it a go. Think: super-bouncy, 140 BPM pop edits, high-pitched siren sounds and a bit of Filipino rap. It could send your nan to the emergency room if you cranked it up too loud in her presence. Great fun, basically.

What’s the story behind the artist who created it? ​“I grew up in a poor family – a simple family,” says Sherwin, who used to run an internet cafe from his home. ​“I love music and I’m a choreographer. I’ve been DJing since high school in 1997, in the slums. Then I started playing my own productions, which I’ve always tried to make a little different. People fight in the slums. I wanted to turn that [energy] into enjoyment.”

Davao City is surrounded by greenery, mountains and nature, and Sherwin has incorporated field recordings of animals and local people into his high-octane tracks. On his latest album Budots World (Reloaded), released last month via Eastern Margins – a label, agency and collective that champions East and South East Asian artists – Sherwin looked outward, pulling from genres such as bounce, techno and trap.

The DJ has long been a beloved figure and local legend in Filipino dance music circles. And increasingly, he’s carving out that same reputation across the world – thanks in no small part to the brilliant Boiler Room set he played in Manila last year. This summer, budots found a new audience on TikTok, too: in July, Emergency Budots by DJ Johnrey Masbate, a fellow Filipino producer, was used as a sound in over 500,000 videos, many of them dance challenges.

But as budot gains global recognition, it’s important that new listeners respect the genre’s roots. ​“Budots isn’t loved by rich people [in the Philippines],” Sherwin says. ​“It’s loved by poor people in the province, the mountain, where we drink coconut wine. Simple life, grassroots genre.”

Londoners have the opportunity to see DJ Love play at Eastern Margins’ inaugural festival Margins United this Saturday. Grab your tickets here.

What’s a bad habit you wish you could kick?

Smoking cigarettes!

What’s your motto?

Never underestimate someone, because the world is round and the ball is round also.

What’s your phone screensaver?

I don’t have one at the moment because my phone is broken. It’s a boring black screen.

How should your music make people feel?

That it feels good to be alive.

Favourite thing about being a musician?

Producing music and making music that people can relate to.

Do you have any interesting scars?

I have this one scar on my eye. I used to sneak out from my mum’s place as a kid. Once, when she caught me, I ran home and ran straight into a bit of barbed wire.

What’s your dream holiday destination?

I don’t have one. Home is my dream destination. I like making music in the quiet, amongst nature, cows and birds. It’s very calming.

Describe budots in one word.

Happiness!

What’s your favourite musical era?

I love ​’80s music.

What can artists do to help save the world?

Listen to budots. I created the genre to steer people away from gangs, crime, drugs. I want to positively influence the people of my community. That’s proof you can help save the world in small ways.