Europe has proven to be a well of dance music talent since day 1. The US scene originally stemmed from the continent’s thriving culture, and European producers have made their way into the dance music pantheon of greats. Naxsy, a French DJ/producer known for his tropically-infused nu-disco style, has been DJing around Europe for 10 years now but only just begun producing over the past two years or so.
Naxsy’s true break came two years ago when he was deemed the winner of the Official Bassline for Avicii’s “X You” project. Since then, he’s honed in on his artistic skill and remixed a wide variety of artists, ranging from 50 Cent to Bob Sinclair to Jasmine Thompson. His sound is an eclectic blend of sun-soaked melodies, groovy basslines, and refined attention to detail, of which has caught our attention multiple times. YourEDM was lucky enough to catch-up with Naxsy to discuss his creative process, musical background, and more.
Tell us about your musical background and how you’ve gotten to where you are today?
It’s all a bit atypical. I started mixing at the age of 15 with vinyl. Back then I was mixing funk and some hip-hop/RnB, which is why I still scratch on my live sets and videos.
I quit school to become a professional DJ at the age of 19 and have been doing it since then. I got residencies and worked as Artistic Director for a few clubs here in Paris. After that I toured Canada, Sweden, Spain Portugal, but it was by my 20th birthday that my interest in writing my own music began. It was tough at first because I lacked any musical background besides DJing. Thus, I had to learn it all by myself because I don’t like being told how or what to do.
After three year,s I won the Avicii X You competition, and since then, I have released a few original tracks. Finally, I found my true style with “Get On The Floor.” It is the first original track I have made with that sound. I didn’t really worry about people liking it, I just did it and people reacted well to it, which is super rewarding!
What’s your artistic process like and how does it differ from how you approach remixes?
Most of the time a remix comes just like that. It’s usually enough when I hear a vocal on YouTube or SoundCloud, and if the inspiration comes right away, I get to it. I first find the best key to fit with the vocal, and after that, it all goes fairly quickly because if I stop, I lose my inspiration and get stuck.
Most of my stuff have been written in 4 to 12 hours of non-stop work.
We’re loving your debut single, “Get On The Floor.” Is there anything you could tell us about the track and how it came to be?
It has definitely been the toughest one to write until now! I would say that you cannot classify it under a specific genre. I wanted to make something different from the rest.
I sampled a melody from Audrey Valorzi, a singer-friend of mine, and used a very 80s-style bassline to give it a strong groove. I cannot even count how many hours I have spent on it at the studio, but it was definitely worth it!
What are some of your studio essentials?
I work with very little things – a Mac Pro, 2 HD screens, 2 Monitoring MAudio BX5A, and Maudio Axiom Air 49 keyboard. It’s all I need. I have tried a bunch of software like Acid Pro and Reason, but to me, the best is Logic Pro 9. I use it for all of my productions now.
You’ve been a DJ on tour for 10 years. What’s one of your craziest stories from the road?
There are lots of stories, but a lot of them I cannot tell haha. The craziest one may be when we were outside a club, a guy just started shooting a gun after being refused at the door. Crazy!
There are a lot of exciting artists on a swift ascent, including yourself. What up-and-coming artists are you excited for?
Right now, I am appreciating lots of young producers like Le Boeuf and Twelve, which are still very unknown. I also am really excited about Matoma and Natty Rico. For the established producer, I love Kygo who is becoming really big in Europe right now.
If you could play any festival in the world, what would it be and why?
I only get to pick one? It would be a tough one, but I would love Tomorrowland or Ultra because they are the ones proposing the most different music styles and each stage offers its own universe.
When can we expect Naxsy to make his North American debut, and what can we expect from Naxsy in the latter half of 2015?
Right now, I am working on lots of studio projects, most of which are still secret. Lots of them will be ready and released in the coming months. After that, I will be ready to hit the road as soon as I can! I can’t wait to make my US debut, and I hope to make it to Miami next March! Until then, keep up with my latest work on my socials!
Thank you for having me!
You can check out Naxsy’s latest original, “Get On The Floor,” below and be sure to watch out for him in the coming months.
