The London-based Malux continues to shred his way to the top with an epic three-part EP series for The Prototypes’ Get Hype Records. Centered on a proper sci-fi horror vibe, the aptly titled Destroy the Machines EP series packs a serious punch that’s been obviously crafted and engineered at the genetic level for maximum impact on the dancefloor.
Fans of that rough and rugged sound will immediately be wondering why Malux didn’t just pull the trigger and go full-length album on us. While Malux reassures us that an album project isn’t entirely off the table, the ever-prolific producer seems more than comfortable churning out hit after hit whether in solo or collaborative mode.
Coming hot off the heels of his chart-topping release with Bassrush records alongside Crissy Crissy and Erb n Dub, we thought a proper sit-down with the man was long overdue to give the heads a glimpse into the mind of one of the hottest producers on the scene. With that in mind, dive headfirst into the heavy beats and in-depth Q&A below. Don’t’ forget to lock in your copy of Part 1 and Part 2 of the EP out now with Part 3 not far behind on February 1 before the full fury of the EP is available February 8 (lock in your preorder here).
To the uninitiated it looks like you’ve exploded out of nowhere, but old-school heads may remember your earlier dubstep productions under the name Skope. What led to the creation of a new artist name and what initiated this transition between Skope vibes to full on drum and bass?
Many things, really. DnB was the first kind of heavy electronic music I listened to, but other things came around that excited me while I was still learning how to produce. I get bored easily and in general just look for new challenges. Drum and bass offers some of the most intricate production, in my opinion, to challenge me and push forward with. Mainly I think it’s because I have more fun when I’m playing it!
Speaking of dubstep and drum and bass, especially from a production standpoint, what do you see as the similarities between the two genres and how do you feel like your experience as Skope has influenced and perhaps even paved the way for the success you’ve found as Malux?
There has been a lot of cross-pollination between the two genres, I think. I know a lot of popular dubstep sounds and styles stem from drum and bass, whether it’s the screechier jump up sounds or the growls which are kind of digital versions of neuro basses.As Skope I had worked with a few people that helped me get access to the drum and bass world quickly, working with Crissy Criss and Erb n Dub plus getting my first release on Bad Taste, which is a really seminal label!
That bit you just released on Bassrush with Crissy Criss and Erb N Dub was a smasher! From your early pairing on Program to your epic remix of TC’s “Next Hype” all the way through to your bits on War on Silence, etc., it seems like a good merging of the minds. Why not just merge and create a supergroup like Bad Company or Black Sun Empire or something?
We were actually quite close to do doing something like that but we were all really busy with other things at the time. But who knows—it’s always fun getting in the studio with those guys!
Talk about how you linked up with the Get Hype crew and how this release came about. Why the decision to release in three parts and not just drop all at once as a proper EP?
I got in touch with them through Erb n Dub as we were working on that remix for them and enjoyed working with them on the first single so it all just fell into place quite naturally. Deciding on the EP was tricky because I hadn’t finished any music in ages and then got lots of tunes together all at once so we had about 10 or so to choose from. Currently I think the market doesn’t respond hugely well to large amounts of content at once, so we thought it would be good to do three singles to allow each track to have its own space. Plus it was cool coming up with ideas for splitting the artwork!
Speaking of which, when can we expect a proper album project from you?
Short answer: you can’t. I much prefer dropping little bits at a time. An album, for me, needs to be more than just a load of dancefloor tracks. And I’m not thinking that way in terms of DnB at the moment, although I am [currently] working on a large-scale project for something else.
Let’s say we’re trying to introduce our friends to drum and bass and Malux in particular. We want to start by sharing the Destroy the Machines EP with them. What should they expect?
I feel like the title sums it up quite well. Lots of mechanical mayhem and craziness. An assault on brain and body!
Last but not least, give us a sense of where you’re headed in the New Year and if you’ve got any other big projects lined up we should be looking out for. And when can we expect to have you smashing it up on our side of the world?
Spending so much time on DnB recently led to a new non-DnB collaborative project, which is almost ready to launch. It’s definitely something we’d love to bring stateside! Other than that I’m hoping to head out there with The Prototypes soon to join them on a tour. Fingers crossed I might get over by the end of the year!