Interview
Maddix Interview: Sound Evolution, Touring, and Playing 808 Festival
We sat down with Maddix at 808 Festival in Thailand during his latest return to the country, where he spoke about his long-standing connection with Thai crowds and the changes in his sound over the years. He reflected on early club shows in Thailand, the shift in his production approach since his big room era, and why keeping people guessing has become an important part of how he performs today. He also touched on how touring across Asia and North America has influenced the way he approaches different audiences while remaining consistent in what he plays.
So first question, you’ve played in Thailand several times now, how would you describe what makes you stay so connected to the scene here such as the fans, the crowd, the atmosphere and basically everything?
It’s a pretty difficult question. I make music just in the studio whenever I’m home and I make music that I feel through my heart and it’s so good to see that whatever I feel is connected to the fans, even if it’s been a while. I don’t feel like I have to change so I just do whatever I want and people feel connected.
So, how was it playing at 808 Festival tonight in Bangkok?
It was amazing. The crowd was good, the energy was great and the venue was super big but it felt like I was playing in a warehouse and the thing that I love the most about warehouses is you can just keep playing and people just go and rave and have a good time.
You spoke about how your sound has changed over the years, so can you talk about what’s changed the most in the way you approach producing, especially when compared to how you used to do it back in the days?
So back then, I had no connections like not to a big artist and not to any big label and you know at one point I grew up with big room but then I also realized and asked myself what music do I actually like? And that’s what I’m doing these days. I completely switched. I don’t care what people think about my music. I produce what I want to make and sometimes people have to learn to get used to it but whenever I play, people go crazy and it brings a whole new fresh perspective and that’s what I always want to bring with my sound. Like in April, I played a completely different set there and I think that’s what I want to bring every time fans see my face, that I bring a new perspective and new energy and that builds curiosity so that people think “what is Maddix going to do next”.
So you’re touring across Asia now and you’ve been doing so over the past couple of years as well, how have these different trips influenced the way you produce music? Like you said, you always try to keep it different to keep people guessing.
It’s interesting because I have now started touring the US and Canada a lot more than before and when I compare to when I play in Asia, it’s a little bit different. Like the song selection, what the crowd wants but in the end I always play what Maddix is and to me that’s important and everywhere I go, I see people on fire and going crazy so that makes me really happy.
As a last question, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans, especially those in Thailand?
Thank you very much for supporting my music and for being here. I recognized a few faces in the crowd as I’ve been playing in Thailand before. I love you guys and I hope to see you guys very soon again.
Maddix’s journey over the years reflects a conscious shift toward making music on his own terms, both in the studio and on stage. What stands out most is not just how his sound has evolved since his early big room releases, but how confidently he speaks about that evolution. By choosing to focus on what he genuinely enjoys creating rather than external expectations, he has built a catalog and live presence that continues to connect across different scenes and audiences. That sense of honesty is mirrored in the way crowds respond to his sets, whether in clubs, warehouses, or major festivals.
Looking ahead, Maddix appears firmly committed to keeping his music and performances unpredictable, allowing curiosity rather than repetition to guide his next steps. As his touring footprint expands and new influences continue to enter his creative process, that openness suggests there is still plenty of room for his sound to move in unexpected directions. With that in mind, the real question is not where Maddix is headed geographically, but creatively: what will the next chapter of Maddix’s music reveal?
Profetik Talks ‘The Waking’ as his five-year return opens a darker, cinematic chapter with Roniit
Profetik recently marked his return with ‘The Waking’ featuring Roniit, a release that introduces a darker, more cinematic direction after several years away from releasing music. During that time, he continued refining his sound and rebuilding his creative identity, moving toward a style that balances Melodic Techno with undertones of Melodic House. In this interview, Profetik talks about the process behind ‘The Waking’, the collaboration with Roniit, and the mindset behind this new chapter.
What’s the reception been like for ‘The Waking’ so far?
The response has been overwhelming, honestly. This is a different sound from what I was making five years ago, and it is something much darker, more cinematic, built for bigger stages. So, there was real uncertainty going into this. You never know how people are going to react when you come back sounding like a different artist. But the reception from listeners has been incredible and I love seeing their messages and responses. People are connecting with it in a way that tells me the evolution was the right call.
After stepping back for five years, what made you feel ready to return and why was ‘The Waking’ the right track to mark that moment?
I went five years without releasing a single track. Not because I stopped making music. I never stopped. I just wasn’t ready. The sound wasn’t there yet. And I’d rather disappear than put out something I don’t believe in. So, I kept writing, experimenting, evolving the sound without any pressure to put it out. At some point I realized the music had grown past where I left off and it deserved to be heard. Protoculture heard an early version, and his reaction was a turning point. When someone whose ear you trust that much tells you it’s ready, you listen. ‘The Waking’ felt right as the first release because it captures that transition. It is dark and atmospheric but there is an emotional depth to it that reflects where I am now as a producer. It felt like the most honest reintroduction I could make.
This release signals a shift in your direction. What elements of the track would you say define your renewed sound?
The biggest shift is in how I approach building a world inside a track. The foundation starts with a driving bassline. Not rolling, not bouncy. Driving. Something that locks you in and doesn’t let go. On top of that, the melodic elements come from unexpected places. I’m not just layering synths.
In ‘The Waking,’ the sitar carries a lot of the melodic weight, and it brings out this atmospheric quality that a standard synth lead never could. Then Roniit‘s vocals added another dimension entirely. Her voice is raw and ethereal at the same time, and it gave the track this haunting power that I couldn’t have created with production alone. And then underneath all of it, there are these atmospheric layers that pull you into the scene. That’s what I’m after now. I want the listener to feel like they’ve been transported somewhere. Not just hearing a track but being inside it.
Take us inside the studio for ‘The Waking,’ what was the starting point for the track?
The starting point was an image. Exiles wandering through the desert. Not a glamorous scene. It is a picture of struggle and resilience, people pushing forward through something vast and unforgiving. I built the track around that feeling. The sitar, the atmospheric layers, the driving bassline. Everything was in service of putting the listener in that landscape. When Roniit came in with her vocal, she brought this element of empowerment that I hadn’t planned for but immediately recognized as the missing piece. Her interpretation spoke to the resilience side of the story in a way that elevated the whole track. It turned it from something heavy and dark into something powerful and defiant.
The track carries a strong cinematic and atmospheric quality. How did you build that sense of narrative within the production?
I try to pull as much influence as I can from outside the genre I work in. Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore have occupied a lot of my headspace recently. What inspires me about their work is not the orchestral arrangements. It is the sound design. These shimmering, ethereal atmospheric elements that weave in and out of a scene and make you feel something before you even understand why. That is what I want to bring into electronic music. Take those kinds of textures and lay them over the foundations we already have. The driving rhythms, the bass, the structure. It helps that I live in Las Vegas now, surrounded by desert. You step outside and the landscape does half the work for you. There is something about that vastness and stillness that feeds directly into how I think about building atmosphere in a track.
What inspired the sonic direction of the track, and which influences shaped the final arrangement?
The biggest challenge with this track was balancing the atmosphere with the energy. I wanted it to feel cinematic and immersive, but at the end of the day, this was built for the dancefloor. It is not a sync project for a film. It needs to move a room. So, finding that balance was everything. One of the keys was layering the sitar underneath the big lead synth. If you listen closely, you can hear the sitar still weaving through even when the synth fully opens up. It gives the track this atmospheric depth without sacrificing any of the impact. That balance between cinematic world-building and dancefloor function has been the guiding principle across all of the new music, not just ‘The Waking.’
Tell us about your collaboration with Roniit. How did that process unfold?
I have to give credit to my girlfriend on this one. She heard the first instrumental version of ‘The Waking’ and immediately said I should reach out to Roniit. She’s been a fan of her voice for a while and thought it would be a perfect match for the track. So, I found Roniit online, reached out, sent her the instrumental, and honestly she just nailed it. There wasn’t a lot of back and forth. She understood the mood and the energy of the track right away and delivered something that elevated it beyond what I had imagined. Sometimes the best collaborations happen when someone just gets it instinctively.
From a production standpoint, what element took the most time to refine?
The whole track, honestly. I made the first version on headphones and something about it never felt right. So, I put it on ice for months. When I finally built out my studio properly, I pulled the project back up and remade the entire thing from scratch. The difference was immediate. The drums had more punch, the bass was stronger and more present, and all of those atmospheric details I was going for finally had room to breathe. It taught me a lot about trusting my instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, shelving it is not giving up. Sometimes you just need the right environment (and equipment) to bring it to life.
This release feels like a re-introduction, what do you want listeners to understand about you now?
I want people to understand that every track I make is built with intention. There is always something deeper running through the music. Themes, imagery, stories that I draw from personally and embed into the sound design, the vocal direction, the titles. I’m not going to spell it all out. That’s part of the experience. But for the listeners who dig a little deeper and start connecting the dots, there is a whole world underneath the surface. Beyond that, I just want people to know that this is not a side project or a phase. This is the work I was always supposed to be making. It just took time to get here.
How does ‘The Waking’ set the tone for what’s next, and what can listeners expect moving forward?
‘The Waking’ was the opening statement. What comes next is a full body of work. I’m launching my own label, Seraph Records, and the first release drops May 29th. It’s called ‘Ophanim,’ and it features a driving acid bass with relentless peak-time power. It was built to take the roof off a festival stage. That contrast is intentional. I want people to understand the range of what Profetik is now. From here, listeners can expect new music every single month through the end of the year. Some of it is dark and heavy. Some of it is vocal-driven and emotional. Some of it lives in a more melodic house space. Nine releases in total for 2026. Every one of them is built with the same cinematic intention, but no two of them sound alike. This is just the beginning.
With ‘The Waking’ now out, Profetik is using this release as the first point in a longer return. His next release, ‘Ophanim’, arrives on May 29 through his own label, Seraph Records, with monthly releases planned through the end of 2026. For listeners coming into this new chapter, ‘The Waking’ shows where his sound is heading: darker, more cinematic, and built with a clear focus on story, production detail, and club use.
Listen and Buy ‘The Waking’ Here.
Profetik Online
Roniit Online
Hypaton interview Talks ‘Slide’, Tomorrowland Debut, Avicii’s ‘Levels’ as he reflects on his musical roots, studio process, and what he’s building for 2026
We spoke with Hypaton following the release of ‘Slide’ with Izzy Bizu, a record that has started to appear in his recent sets while marking his current direction in the studio. His introduction to electronic music came through his cousin Giuseppe Ottaviani, which followed early guitar sessions at home and led him into producing his own material with a focus on melody and structure. That path later gained wider attention while he was still studying dentistry, when his rework of ‘Be My Lover’ by La Bouche was picked up by Juventus FC on Instagram, eventually reaching David Guetta and leading to an official release that has since passed 360 million streams. From there, he learned to DJ in 47 days at Guetta’s request and went on to open a Future Rave show at Hï Ibiza, before playing venues such as Ushuaïa Ibiza, Ministry of Sound, and [UNVRS] Ibiza. That same approach carries into ‘Slide’ with Izzy Bizu, where the track started from a simple groove and piano idea before expanding around the vocal and arrangement. Alongside this, his debut at Tomorrowland places him on a major festival stage for the first time, bringing that same mindset into a live setting where the set develops through how the crowd responds. In conversation, he also pointed to ‘Levels’ by Avicii as a record he returns to during longer sets, while noting how his background in dentistry still influences his workflow through discipline and attention to detail, and how his studio process continues to involve instruments like guitar and piano as he works on new material into 2026.
What inspired you to create music in the first place?
It really started at home. My dad introduced me to music when I was very young, and I began taking guitar lessons. In the evenings we would often play together, and that’s where my connection with music really started.
Later on, my cousin Giuseppe Ottaviani, who is also a DJ, introduced me to electronic music, and that was a big turning point. I remember feeling that mix of energy and emotion, and that’s what made me want to start creating my own tracks.
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You’re a qualified dentist! What factors and mantras from your previous profession did you carry over to your DJ and music career?
Precision, discipline and focus. Those are the main things I carried with me. Dentistry taught me that details matter and that consistency is everything if you want to reach a high level. And of course, the smile. That’s probably the most important one.
What song is a must-have on your USB stick at the moment, one that makes the crowd go wild?
For me, it’s definitely “Levels” by Avicii. When you’re playing long sets, it’s normal to see the energy go up and down at certain moments, but that track is one of those that can instantly bring everything back to life. As soon as it drops, the reaction is always insane. It’s one of those timeless records that just works every single time.
You’ve recently released your single ‘Slide’ with Izzy Bizu. Tell us how the collaboration came about and the production process behind the track.
The track started from a groove that felt very natural and immediate. I didn’t want to overcomplicate it, just something that works from the first listen. The piano hook came in quite early, and that really defined the identity of the track. From there, I built the production around that, keeping a balance between energy and musicality. For the vocal, Izzy was a perfect match. Her voice sits really well on the production. There’s a strong piano hook and quite bright synths in the drop, so her tone brings the right balance and makes everything feel cohesive.
Do you reach for places, things, or people for inspiration when producing, or does it come to you unexpectedly?
It’s a bit of both. Sometimes inspiration just comes naturally, especially when you’re in the right mindset. Other times, it’s about putting yourself in the right environment. Even small things can make a difference, like the space you’re in or the energy around you. Sometimes I even scroll through frames from movies. Looking at certain scenes, with specific colors and landscapes, can really help me unlock ideas. When I feel good and relaxed, that’s when the best music usually happens.
You’ve remixed songs by the likes of RAYE, La Bouche and Bonnie Tyler. What is the next song you would love to remix and why?
I think it would definitely be something that, when brought into today’s sound, can feel fresh again. Not every track is right to remix at every moment. It really depends on the current musical taste and what people are connecting with at that time. For me, it’s always about finding something that already has a strong identity and translating it in a way that feels relevant today.
You’ve just recently built your own studio. Tell us what your dream piece of equipment is and why?
For me, more than a specific piece of equipment, the real “dream” is the environment itself. I think having a space that makes you feel relaxed and inspired is way more important than any single gear. The studio should feel like a place where you enjoy being, where ideas come naturally. At the same time, I have a strong connection with instruments like guitars and piano. I often start in a more analog way, I need to physically feel the notes under my hands. That connection gives me a different kind of emotion when I create. If I had to choose one thing, I’d still say natural light. Having windows in the studio makes a huge difference, it completely changes the way I feel and create.
It’s your Tomorrowland debut this year. What can we expect from your set, and what DJs are you looking forward to seeing?
Tomorrowland is something I’ve always looked up to, so playing there for the first time is a very special moment for me. You can expect a set with a lot of energy, but also a strong musical identity. I always try to create a journey, not just play tracks, so there will be moments of tension, release, and connection with the crowd. I’ll also spend some time going around and listening to as many DJs as possible. I think it’s very important to stay updated and understand what’s happening in the scene.
Believe in yourself, always. Surround yourself with positive energy, and forget about ego completely. Just put it aside and work hard, really hard. More than anything, stay calm. There are always ups and downs, and they happen often, so what really matters is staying relaxed and keeping a positive mindset.
Finally, what can we expect from Hypaton in 2026?
My sound will evolve naturally, but it will always stay connected to my roots, especially the focus on melody. I’m really focused on bringing more emotion into my music, while still keeping the energy needed for the dancefloor. It’s about finding that balance and pushing it forward. I also want to introduce more analog elements into my productions, working more with real instruments and bringing that human feeling into the tracks. At the same time, I just want to keep growing, improving, and taking everything to the next level step by step.
With ‘Slide’ out now alongside Izzy Bizu and his first set at Tomorrowland on the horizon, the direction he is taking becomes clearer when you look at how everything connects back to the same starting point. The focus on melody that came from those early guitar sessions still runs through his work, but now it sits alongside a stronger intention to keep more of that physical, hands-on element in the process, whether that comes through piano ideas or how he builds a track from the ground up. That same thinking carries into how he approaches sets, especially across longer hours, where timing, restraint, and understanding when to bring certain records in plays a role, with tracks like ‘Levels’ by Avicii still holding a place because of how they land with a crowd in real time. What stands out is how consistent that approach has remained across different parts of his career so far, from early influences like Giuseppe Ottaviani through to recent releases and upcoming shows, where each step does not feel separate but connected through the same way of working. As he continues developing new material, adding more live elements, and stepping onto bigger stages, that link between what happens in the studio and what plays out in front of people stays at the center of how he moves forward into 2026.
Interview
Sam Blacky Interview On Mexico City, Ibiza Dreams, and Why Humans Will Always Win
We caught up with Sam Blacky in Tulum fresh off a set and asked her about her festival dream, AI in music, her favorite cities, and her long awaited Ibiza debut.
Sam Blacky interview on her Ibiza debut at Hi, favourite spots in Mexico City and Tulum, AI in music, and her biggest career moments to date.
Sam Blacky was in Tulum, fresh off a set at the iconic Papaya Playa Project that had the crowd locked in from first beat to last. The morning after, still buzzing, she sat down with EDM House Network for one of those conversations that covers everything that matters: dream festivals, the people who shaped her, where she stands on AI, her favorite corners of the world, and the career moments that hit different. Oh, and she drops an Ibiza announcement you will want to hear.
If You Could Have Your Own Festival, Where Would It Be, What Would the Theme Be, and Who Would Headline?
Sam did not hesitate long. Mexico City, even after briefly entertaining Tulum.
“Gun to my head, it would be in Mexico City because I think that is one of my favorite places in the world. I’m sure Tulum would be cool but I think I’m gonna go with Mexico City. Headliners would be myself, BLOND:ISH, Keinemusik, Hugel & Juany Bravo. The theme is… sexy jungle fairies.”
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Who Is the Smartest Person You Know and What Have You Learned From Them?
The answer was not a mentor or a music industry veteran.
“The smartest person I know is my sister. And I have learned patience, humility, and kindness from her. She’s older, seven years, her, my brother and I, we’re all seven years apart.”
How Do You Feel About AI in Music?
Sam uses ChatGPT daily but draws a hard line when it comes to the music itself.
“I personally do not use AI in music. If anything I use sample vocals, but most of the time I use original vocals. I used Chatgpt everyday. I know that we have to learn to work together but I’m slow to that game. I don’t think it’s gonna take over the music industry or take our jobs. The human aspect is unrelenting and there’s nothing that can copy it, especially live performances. I think we’re gonna win.”
Which City Do You Know Best? And Where Are Your Favorite Spots for Food, Drinks, and Music?
Born and raised in San Diego, though she keeps it off limits for going out. Ask her for a city where she actually hits the town and the answer comes fast.
“Mexico City, 100%, also Tulum. Shout out Orchid House, that is my favorite place to stay in Tulum and Mexico. They have the best food. And my favorite club by far in Mexico City is Phonique. I’ve been playing there for years and I’m very close with the owner and his wife. They’re like family to me. Mexico City just has everything dialed. Best music scene, best food, best drinks.”
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What Is the Most Game Changing Moment of Your Career So Far?
There have been many, but this year has been different.
“Honestly this year has stuck out to me the most. Make the Girls Dance, Hugel, Juany Bravo and that whole Make The Girls Dance family, it really is a family. The most unreal moment I’ve ever had was playing Space during Music Week, B2B with Grossomoddo. I’ve been dying to play there for 10 years. That was the craziest moment in my life and I’m so grateful.”
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“And Ibiza this year, I’m finally playing Ibiza. I’ve been going there for fun for 10 years and I said I wasn’t gonna go back until I played. This year I’m playing a bunch of shows at Hi. I can announce: Hugel presents Make the Girls Dance at Hi Ibiza, June 25.”
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Follow Sam Blacky for more updates:
Instagram: @samblacky
Spotify: Sam Blacky
Soundcloud: Sam Blacky
YouTube: SamBlacky
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