DJ and music producer Hotboxx keeps his name high on the list of artists to follow. His recent releases are proof of this, as every production showcases his skills and innate talent, as well as his signature style and sound that pushes boundaries and makes everybody move. Recently, he released a new EP ‘Vogue’ alongside The Artist Never Die and London X, and we sat down to ask him to walk us through the behind-the-scenes of the production of the EP.
Hello Hotboxx, how are you?
I am doing well! Thank you for asking.
‘Vogue’ is finally out now, what was the inspiration behind the EP?
It was actually a few weeks before Miami fashion week and we started working on a loop that had a “pump up the jam” runway type feel and we just took off from there. Really using fashion week and swim week here in Miami as our inspiration.
How did the collaboration with The Artist Never Die and London X come about?
These are good friends of mine; we have been talking about releasing something together for a while. Jodi (The Artist Never Die), is actually one of the owners of the label House of Huemans which we released the track on, so this also pushed us to get the project done and work together to create these 3 unique tracks.
What would you say you learned from working with them?
A lot actually, each of us bring our own style to the table, Nick (London X) is actually a studio owner and engineer here so he really helped me think about layout, mix down, etc, in a more creative and interesting way and Jodi (The Artist Never Die), has a very unique way of producing as well, he really has a vision for his productions so these are things I learned from them and I hope I was able to bring some new vision to them as well and spark some creativity and new practices through some of the stuff I do that they may not.
What elements of the EP would you say showcase your sound or style?
I’d say every track had some melodic elements that are pretty characteristic to my style. If there was one track in particular that really was the “Hotboxx” style that I try to bring to melodic groovers like this; it’s ‘Keep Movin’. I feel like you can really hear a lot of the elements I like to use from the bouncy bass to the stabby chords that keep the track movin’. There is really a little of my style in all 3 tracks but that track in specific is very evident.
How long did it take you to finish working on this release?
The whole project was a total of about 2-3 sessions per track and about 3-4 hours per session. We weren’t able to meet more than once or twice a week so it took about 6 weeks total to get all 3 tracks done, mixed and mastered.
Did you experiment with new sounds or processes while producing this EP?
I wouldn’t say new sounds but definitely new ways of using the same sounds that I’ve used in the past, I am sure there are a few new sounds in there as well.
How would you describe this EP to someone who hasn’t listened to it yet?
Just a bouncy, sexy vibe, beach or runway music that you can just vibe too. Straight Groovers.
How does this EP differ from your previous releases?
I am someone who has released a lot of different styles so I’d say each release is different from the previous. Really dependent on the vibe or mood I am trying to create with the track or EP.
What’s coming up for Hotboxx?
I have a collaboration effort with Flynn Nolan releasing this month on Blanco y negro. Both releases for this project will be single releases out in September and a ton of new music on the way. Plan on having at least one release a month to close out the year and working on some other projects as well. Definitely a lot on the way!
Stream this EP below.
Follow Hotboxx:
Soundcloud | Instagram | Beatport
