Italian DJ and Producer Valexx speaks exclusively with us about his recent release ‘Muziki Tamu’ on My Other Side Of The Moon, as well as his hopes to return to some normalcy in 2022 and connect much better with fans.
Hey Valexx, how are you, what’s good and bad in your world?
Fortunately well, even in this period of covid that has lasted for years and has stopped and limited many things including music …. but I’m always looking for new vibes so I hope of finally returning to normality anytime soon.
What was it like to get back to partying and DJing again after the pandemic?
Making music and DJing in the clubs is always nice but after the pandemic and everything that happened around the world, it tastes differently. It feels like it was the first time again! it is always nice and exciting to hear the vibes of a club and feel free..
Tell us about growing up and getting into dance music – why did you love it? What did you make and play at first and how have you evolved since?
I started as a DJ and then, after about 6/7 years I dedicated myself to productions trying to develop something more personal. I live in Italy, in Naples and and I lived for periods in ibiza. Previously I have been working for various years at the “Rayven project & Valexx”. I released on Major labels like Armada, Sono, Subliminal and others, and was lucky to collaborate with artists such as Bob Sinclair, and done some remixes with Robbie Williams, and then with Dannic releasing together on his label. I worked with Michael Brun, Tom Staar, but have gradually left those sounds to mature into more Afro/tribal influences thanks to Erick Morillo who has influenced quite a lot my development path.
Then at some point it was time to end the project “Rayven and Valexx” to follow my new inspiration, and was very happy to release on Armada with Telema, very much influenced by the sound of Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano, 2 great friends in addition to being 2 great artists. Telema is afro-tribal and got great feedback. After that I continued on this path with this last release …. Let’s say that little by little there was a musical evolution and COVID has helped me in focusing on deepening his style.
Tell us about your My Other Side of the Moon EP – what inspired or influenced it, where and when and who was it written for?
My latest release “MUZIKI tamu” that I composed during the lockdown is exactly what I was looking for. It is the Afro/deep/dark style that I wanted. I decided to give it an even more defined style by adding an original vocal by Idd Aziz. Then I wanted a rmx by Caiiro and Neil Amarey & Breeze and the Sun to get even more support as these are artists already more or less established in the afro house scene
How did you link with Idd Aziz and why?
Specifically, I decided to ask him for this project because of his dominant vocal timbre which give a special touch to the track, especially after having studied his releases and appreciated in particular “tishiki” with Paso Doble, another friend. As soon as he heard my idea he was immediately inspired by the sounds, and accepted.
Who wrote the lyrics, what do they mean, how important are they to the track or is it more the sound of the voice?
The lyrics are always important, regardless of the target audience, and in addition to having a beautiful voice. A record should contain messages that are never trivial … this one was written and composed entirely by idd Aziz and it is an ode to music..
Is there a responsibility you have as a white artist making afro house sounds?
This is a great question… clearly there are people living styles of music in the everyday and from the contexts where you live and not because of trends or fashion. In this case, Afro of course from the word itself has a specific origin and a sound which resonates with certain type of audience, but with time it is having more and more influences outside of its original context to expand into tech and house … .. Music has many colors and nuances, and my responsibility is to follow this if I feel it within me and fully respect what surrounds me and its context.
Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?
My mind is in constant motion and looking for something personal. I look for musical inspiration everywhere and I follow all arts, Fashion and trends. Over the years I have felt the need to develop more and more my passion to create something unique, of my own that suits totally my person….
What else have you got coming up/are you working on?
I am working on ideas always oriented towards afro house, with a dark tribal style. My idea is always to get the maximum originality and distinction by obtaining original vocals, to give more emotion and originality to the record so my next releases will be oriented towards this.
What hopes and dreams do you have for 2022?
My hopes for 2022 join those of millions of other people around the world: the hope that in 2022 we will go back Normality and total freedom, to live with all senses and leave behind this pandemic that has left ugly wounds …
I also hope to get more visibility, to get the interest of insiders in this sector and to try more and more to create my own recognisable sound.
My personal dream is to have a new year 2022 full of satisfaction with a Return to a normal life!
