At this moment I have not formally introduced myself to Nox, but I was initially invited out by (redacted) @lilddulduende to an event. That event was Nox's debut at the gremlin. I haven't previously checked out their soundcloud before, but after their set. I'd have to say I did not have my fill which lead to me looking them up right after that. They left quite an impression for their debut. They reminded on why I personally enjoy DJ sets. You never know what to expect from someone knew you haven't witnessed or what new sound you'll be hearing the night of. I've been meaning to reach out to Nox for this interview ever since that day. Well, here it is! This is Nox @noxianjungler
We start of by asking Nox what he's been enjoying as of recently "been really enjoying cooking and of course DJing, and stan TWICE, new album Dive out July 27th, stream NA by Nayeon as well!" As Nox continues by mentioning a few shout-outs " shoutouts to dj pwned, dj baby k/jester, Sick Freak Records and Touching Infinite, my inspos that took me out of my bedroom and onto the stage. Also shoutout @thecolosseumevents and #messiahs!"
Now, As a DJ/Producer how would you describe what you create? Without using a "label" if you could give your sound its own name, what would it be? "as a producer, what I create has been ‘energizing’ maybe? I haven’t been doing as much original stuff as I’d like since starting in jersey club about 2 years ago, but I’ve still loved every second since then. As a DJ I think my sound has a bit less of an identity but my selection has been good so far so I don’t stress it." I would say that "energizing" is a great way to describe it. I mean have you seen the reactions? The way everyone is on the dance floor? Even during your debut, the energy put forward was insane!
For those who may not know, what is "jerseyclub"? What makes something fall into this category? What is it about this production style that you personally enjoy? As Nox explains "Jersey Club is something infectious and really brings together both people who know music and love to dance. It’s a club genre that’s been around since the 80s and has evolved from deep house thrice over; 9/10 chances you’ve heard a jersey club beat even if you don’t know what it is. The iconic kick/bass rhythm is the simplest way to identify jersey, and it’s the backbone of the genre since the start. What I’ve enjoyed about jersey myself is the versatility of not only the samples, but the community I’ve grown into. These producers can turn anything into a jersey club beat!! There’s a whole community not only online, but baltimore, philly, new york, japan, and of course within new jersey itself and its areas. There’s tight-knit crews that are interwoven with dancing and producing… it’s a whole other can of worms." (spiral eyes emoji) Yeah ever since the debut, I remember when I got into the car. I straight up looked up Nox on soundcloud. From their selection of music, I listened to a few different artists and random selections from YouTube as well. I'd agree that this club genre became infections because I was HOOKED for about a month straight after that event. It scratched an itch I'd say of what I've been looking for.
When it comes to producing, how do you incorporate your interests, personality, and charm into your work? From your sets and just listening to your work it's very distinguishable as Nox says "producing for me is a way to transcribe my scatterbrain to a medium that other people can enjoy. I try not to be all artsy and mysterious, but anything that you see produced by me or any set by me is going to be exactly what you’re asking about: my interest. I love and respect anything and everything that I do so it feels like a part of me going into my sets and my tracks; K-Pop samples and cover art, electrifying dance/pop, hard hitting beats through techno and gabber, deep-cutting breaks, soothing and grooving synths, you name it. It’s all similar to my personality, and of course being a libra I keep a good balance of it all." As Nox mentions "transcribes my scatterbrain to a medium that other people can enjoy" it's kinda how Jersey Club was described: Infectious. Infectious in a sense that Nox is using everything at their disposal. Everything that Nox enjoys to keep the crowd moving and returning to future sets. Simply sharing their interest. Aside from this, I don't listen to K-pop, but these remixes? Man. I got myself replaying them constantly haha they're just so...FUN to listen to!
What got you interested in producing and DJing? Could you share on your first instances of producing/DJing as Nox explains "I’ve always had music in my life courtesy of my parents, but what truly got me into producing was my friend, swayze. He was one of the closest friends that I had while I knew him from the internet; I found out he made music and that honestly got me inspired and got me into sampling. I started with garageband as a kid but seriously started producing with fl studio back in 2019, with lofi loops and samples. It was simple and naive, but it was just perfect, honestly. In my bedroom in Atlanta I was just stuck there and it had me on FL Studio daily. As for DJing, it goes as far back as the 2010s when I would mess with djay on the iPad and some DJ app I can’t remember on my dad’s old Gateway laptop. I really wanted to get into the hardware after spontaneously hitting a rave in 2022 right after I moved, as well as a Touching Infinite show. Watching those guys spin and work the knobs and sliders with a crowd in a trance just had me enamored." So you knew Swayze online? I remember listening to his music around 2020. That's pretty cool! The transition is wild though. From an interest in Djing since the 2010s, leading to 2019-2020s and now included in line ups under Touching Infinite just this year? The evolution through the years is phenomenal.
I saw your debut set at the gremlin? How was your feeling before, during and after the set? As Nox explains "I was absolutely horrified for that month leading up to the set! Getting there and finally touching the CDJs had me in a clear state of mind though, it’s what I needed. Starting my set up I was worried but I had practiced the set in realtime about 2 times over, running a full hour set each time at home. When I actually started up my set it was like letting go and just doing everything I practiced, and I didn't notice until it was over, truly locked in. After the set I kept thinking to myself ‘Damn I could keep going if I wanted to…’, and I definitely said it out loud too. Weirdest part to me was seeing all these people taking pictures of me or wanting to take pictures with me, and to be honest, I’m still not used to the attention. I still felt normal, not above anyone but I tried my best to keep my feet on earth. I definitely felt ready for the next one, and I def was! My third show being at the historic Cine el Rey of all places was probably my ‘oh this is real’ moment." It's how Nox mentioned earlier "watching those guys spin and work the knobs and sliders with a crowd in a trance just had me enamored" when speaking about the Touching Infinite show that they witnessed. This was Nox's momen. Y'know it's funny reading "I could keep going if I wanted to..." I know it was at the moment, but looking past that. Nox has kept going with the involvement of future shows after that. I understand that the moment can be just so surreal, especially when it's something you've been striving for. Keep it up, Nox.
Soon after the gremlin I saw your name on a couple more flyers. How has it been playing along with your friends and essentially opening up for these really cool shows as Nox states "It’s been great! I honestly have no complaints. This June I was booked every Saturday cus I wanted to push myself and just get out there, and I think it’s been really nice being in that busy state so constantly. Getting out of it now, but it’s been good getting to be a Touching Infinite resident." Whoa! You're officially a TOUCHING INFINITE resident!? That's great! Congrats!
How do you wish to grow/elevate your producing-djing?
"I would honestly like to get back to a spot in my production where I can sit down and get a large part of a track done in a day, but that’s not what’s paying the bills sadly. With DJing I think I really want to work on blends and effects that I’m doing intentionally, so I try not to just play songs back to back. I have been trying to work on songs that flow into each other, whether it be mid-way through or from end to end, and I also think I’m doing good staying with whatever theme I’m faced with but fusing it with my own energy."
What sort of feedback have you received from your online work/live DJ sets?
"It honestly has been a bombardment of positive feedback, which I don’t think has been bad, but I rarely have received a critique which causes me to be highly critical myself. I always have been. I know I’m not perfect so I’m always listening back to my tracks, my sets, always and always. I can tell that I am getting better and I've been getting more and more recognition, but I’m not sure it’ll ever strike true until I have that self staff meeting and we all agree I’m getting up there. As long as everyone’s dancing, that’s all I really need from everyone else." While positive reinforcement is welcome, we must understand what is "critique." Being bashful leads nowhere, but if someone has advice or recommendations then it may be something to listen to. Maybe even advice from your fellow Touching Infinite residents? I do think as well as long as you have the crowd moving/expressing themselves during your set then you're doing a good job.
What has producing and DJing helped in expressing for you?
"DJing has really helped me let go. I’ve always been locked up in anticipation of things, anxiety is a killer. Once I’m up there I gotta keep it going, mistakes have been few but when they come up I’m able to just keep going and keep the music going. As for producing, I think it’s been a cornerstone of my interest in music history and the genres I’m into; the origins and the limitations that created the rules of the music I love has been something that’s been very enriching and has helped me understand not only what I'm creating, but what’s coming before that as well, being my inspiration." In terms of producing it sounds like what Nox mentioned earlier in terms of inspiration " K-Pop samples and cover art, electrifying dance/pop, hard hitting beats through techno and gabber, deep-cutting breaks, soothing and grooving synths, you name it. It’s all similar to my personality, and of course being a libra I keep a good balance of it all" Inspiration that comes from themselves. Inspiration that's literally just their interests. It's genuinely real. I can't imagine stopping and restarting during DJ set due to a mistake, because it could be played off? Folks may not even notice with what happening at the moment as well. Just gotta keep going.
1When it comes to creating a mix/producing your own work. What is your process if you could share a bit on how a piece comes together
"It’s hard to explain because it’s so simple. With DJing, I hear a song I like, and I go ‘OK I’m playing that’. That repeats for every song I decide to put in a set while digging, then I organize it based on transitions or feel, whatever feels right. While producing, it’s a bit different, I start with an idea and then it just goes. I can’t count how many of my tracks have started from a simple hum that I had at the time or a click of the mouse while I’m going through my samples and files." I feel that I've heard a sound, a sample or something within a few mixes online. Maybe that's just Jersey Club club genre in action or just Nox's interest in a particular song/sound being implement. I went back to the mixes and now I feel like I'm hearing things lol"
Any final comments?
I just wanna say to anyone reading this I appreciate it. I’m soft spoken and I think A LOT, so getting to write out long form again is nice. I really want to stress that anything you think about me should be either from me or you, not anyone else. I hate being misunderstood because of someone else’s words or actions, and I really don’t like the idea of baseless conclusions, especially about me. No guilty conscience, just talk to me.
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