Apocalyptic vibes reign supreme on Malux’s aptly titled “Jericho” so we thought it was the right time to sit down for a quick chat with the ever-impressive producer before the world comes to an end.
Known for delivering blistering cinematic-influenced drum and bass heaters on imprints ranging from Ram, War on Silence, Vision, and even our own Bassrush Records imprint, the London-based Malux steps up to Evolution Chamber with some of his best work to date.
Picking up where his last single for the imprint left off, the spine-tingling horror-sci-fi atmospheres usher in the pain before the percussive elements crack the sky wide open and rain hellfire on the dancefloor.
This one’s out now via Evolution Chamber so be sure to check the heat and lock yours in here before diving into the heavyweight Q&A we’ve got locked in with the new-school legend below.
In many ways “Jericho” picks up where “Ghost Train” leaves off with both tunes feeling like chapters in a sci-fi horror film! Give us a sense of how you get into the mood to craft these kinds of tunes. Do you have any cool posters or accessories in your studio that help get you into the zone?
Although I love sci fi movies I don’t have any posters or things like that. I do however try to make my studio feel like a spaceship, filling it with modular synths and colored lighting. It definitely helps it feel more sci-fi, maybe a bit of an expensive way to do it but I really find hardware inspiring and fun to use.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t ask you about your influences. Feel free to point to anything outside of film but we have a feeling that you’ve got some movies or soundtracks that you can cite as proper backdrops for the headspace you are mining.
Well, the first one is kind of obvious but the main lead synth is very clearly a Bladerunner-inspired sound. Both the original and the new one play a huge part in inspiring that epic synth lead sound. I love the Interstellar soundtrack too, a very different sound but something that captures subtlety very well.
One of the greatest sci-fi inspirations has got be Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets‘ — it’s not a film but an epic piece of classical music which I have seen live before and blew me away. Other than that I listen to a lot of vintage sci-fi soundtracks as I like to dig though old records and a lot of my favorite samples I’ve found and used have been from 70s sci-fi and horror soundtracks.
Evolution Chamber is such a great fit for this release as well. Give us a sense of how the tune came to find its way there and what is meant by the concept of it being an “artist-led collective”.
Since meeting James (Magnetude) he’s been really helpful with pushing my music even before I signed to the label. I’ve been sending him music for a while and he was particularly excited by “Jericho” and “Ghost Train.” When it comes to the releases we have full creative control on how it comes out, when it comes out, what art is used etc. plus they go above and beyond to promote the artists involved which is great and I have high hopes for them in the future.
Looking ahead to the end of the year and on into 2023 let us know what to expect from you and what you’ve got on the horizon.
It’s been a very slow lockdown in terms of output for me so I focused on some of my other aliases which will have some music coming soon too. But this year I have definitely ramped up on the drum and bass and these Evolution Chamber releases marks the start of a lot more movement from me moving into next year.