In which direction do you want to move now? Is there a style of dance music that inspires you?
Of course. I'm obsessed with Kumo 99 and dark electronic music. I love French techno, it's the main reason I started producing, it's amazing! Especially if you're from New Jersey, when it comes to artists like Skrillex, the more the merrier. The bigger the car, the bigger the nails. When I was in college listening to French techno, I was like, "Damn! This is just what the doctor ordered."
Is this the address you want to go? Heavier, darker music?
definitely! I think "UP N DOWN" is definitely a tech track, but I think the tech world can be very pretentious too. Ironically, the best artists don't take themselves seriously. From what I understand, artists like Gesaffelstein work here in LA and work with rappers and pop and shit, so just do what you want, no rules.
"Freak Baby" was recently released; You said that this song acknowledges my "dysfunctional maturity." Can you tell me more?
I just moved into this temporary rental in Bushwick last spring and welcomed my friend Aaron into my world and went back and forth. I produced my first album completely myself, and some of the tracks were written by my friend Nick, who I learned Ableton with. But Aaron does so much more on these new tracks. My philosophy is that most people in this business, or even the audience, won't think I produced them and will always assume I'm a singer/songwriter, so other people's advice doesn't hurt. I don't have to be precious. "Freak Baby" came out very quickly, we almost demoed it in a week. It's not a poetic melody, you know, it's quite simple. Pre-chorus "It matters how far we have to go to get away from home." It reflects being a teenager, you find a lot of beauty and romance in pain, but when you become an adult and you raise the stakes, you have to pay rent and bills, it's great. From this moment of dreams I return to this dangerous moment, I am very anxious and I have to settle my affairs. There is this recognition, it is very correct, and I wanted to go back and forth between them.
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Do you think as a singer people forget that you also make your own music?
Oh 100%. No matter what I do, it will be the same. I was hanging out with my friends listening to my music until last night before I contacted them. We were just talking and getting to know each other and everyone was like, "Wow, you produce too?" Is very pretty. It is so, and it has always been so. First, it hurt.
What to expect from "ANG3L NUMB3RS"?
I listened to Machine Girl and a lot on the fringes of hip-pop. I know they canceled Jimmy Urine, but I also listened to mindless self-entertainment because that's what I listened to a lot when I was about 12 years old, and Kumo 99 and all that aggressive electronic music. I think Atari Teenage Riot is a great inspiration for this project, it tries to bridge the gap between cyberpunk graphics and dream pop. I think the dichotomy sums up what we're all going through right now, we're torn between extremes... "Nothing matters, let's party, don't have kids." Or something like: "Hope is the answer, angel numbers!". It's just finding a balance, but it's crazy right now and I think everyone is crazy. This is the end of time, this is the fifth or sixth extinction. This "ANG3L NUMB3RS" is my confession.
Other than that, what's in it for you?
I'm still doing Ableton mixes and playlists, so I'd like to become a solid live mixer and be a part of the scene. We've been online for a long time and I think everyone wants a stronger sense of community, which can also be linked to recent times and society to make us feel safe. But yeah, just mixing with the DJ on the corps. With my aloof nature, I can get obsessed with everything I do and want to do it well. I don't mean cheaper. I want to know my stuff and be good at it.
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Can you tell us about your mix of influences?
With a deep love and doubt for New York's post-pandemic scene, I still feel there are vocal and emotional voids in the city that need to be filled. I imagine the atmosphere of the golden age of clubbing in New York in the 80s. You only have to look at the photos of how people move their bodies at these parties to understand it. If I had a house party, this is what you'd hear: a collection steeped in my personal tastes and biases. When another youngster is added to the mix, a degree of chaos and incoherence ensues, as does the song selection. However, since we've collectively shortened our attention spans, I don't see that as a bad thing (as much as I love going into zombie mode and herding plants in the same pattern for hours on end).
This mix is really... mixed. Sextile comes up with a playful remix packed with two emotional and personal weights: Kumo99's "Adjacent Casualty" and Louisahh and Maelstrom's "I Am Not a Casualty." Key word: sacrifice. I'm not afraid of distance, depth, or hair loss. Maybe here and there the song is not electronic at all. Dancing and clubbing for me is a holy catharsis. I want to create an atmosphere for people who want the same output.
Eazy Kamina's newest song "Heavenly Sodomy" is out today. check it here
Gemma Ross is Associate Editor at Mixmag, follow her on Twitter
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