Bassrush

If you didn’t know already, the British born and bred LAXX is an integral member of the Never Say Die label and crew. After dubbing his special brand of bass “twitch,” we’ve witnessed the evolution of his sound grow from strength to strength. With various high-profile collaborations in the works—like his team-up with the mighty Brillz­—it’s no wonder LAXX is becoming known as the harbinger of those naughty, whiplash-inducing basslines.

Intrigued, Bassrush caught up with LAXX to have a quick chinwag about new material, Never Say Die, and the solid wisdom passed on to him by none other than Charly of Dirtyphonics.

Everyone on the label has such a grind—it’s really inspiring hearing what the whole team put out, and that makes me want to crush it harder.

L.A. is ready for the return of LAXX. What’s your favorite part about visiting the West Coast?
I moved to L.A. in January, so that says a lot! Los Angeles for me has always felt like a base; it’s got a thriving music scene, from some small mid-week shows to the huge shows at the weekends. Bassrush always delivers.

Everyone on NSD is killing it at the moment. What is it about you guys as a crew that makes the team so strong?
I think all of us have such unique sounds. It’s kind of like accents—I can hear a Scottish accent from a Welsh one and I think that in musical terms, it comes when you’re so fluent at what you’re doing. Everyone on the label has such a grind—it’s really inspiring hearing what the whole team put out, and that makes me want to crush it harder. It’s a wicked dynamic­, like a family.

The Herobust collab is gaining immense hype; do you think fans are going to be surprised when you finally reveal the audio?
I think so. It’s been doing a lot of damage everywhere I play it. Herobust is one of the most genuine dudes and getting in the studio with him just meant we vibed and threw both our styles down. The results are ridiculous. So yeah, I think it’s going to be a bit of a surprise­, but surprises are good!

And the Brillz collab? “Destruktion” was absolutely sick so we are expecting greatness.
We’ve got something pretty insane in the works that we’re both excited for everyone to hear. It was a spur of the moment thing when we got in the studio a couple of weeks ago and it’s turned into something pretty insane!

Sessions in person always seem to flow a lot smoother. Are you finding that being on the road so much is actually facilitating some of these amazing collabs?
Being on the road is tough on producing, and I work best in my own space with my own gear. Even though I’ve made some of my favorite music in airports and hotels it’s always pretty stressful. I work best when I can put in 12 hours and just fully go in on every sound. Either way, the people I meet day to day travelling around is one hundred percent part of being able to work with some of my favorite producers. I think a big part of that is just both really liking what the other one is doing and having respect for the other.

How would you describe the evolution of your “twitch sound” over the years?
Twitch is always evolving. I actually created a style I haven’t heard before and I was thinking that even though it doesn’t necessarily have the raw digital sound of twitch, it feels like a twitch track: jumpy, high energy and sporadic. I think twitch just sums up my brain a bit and my music in general shows what mood or style I’m feeling at that time and running with.

Any advice you wish you could give a young LAXX from lessons that you’ve learned over the years?
That’s so funny. I was in Auckland last night and I got asked this exact question and Charly from Dirtyphonics answered the best thing I could have thought of so even though I didn’t come up with it, I don’t think it can be beaten: “Always believe in yourself and don’t give up.” Shout out, Charly! I totally stole your answer! (Laughs)

If you’re in L.A. be sure to join us for Never Say Die’s Fall Tour with LAXX, Eptic, Megalodon, Must Die!, SKisM and Trampa October 15­­. Tickets are available for purchase here!