Kingtrix

by Charlotte Simpson

It feels like a while now since you last played for EXIT. How did you feel it went and what were your reactions? I think the crowd were enjoying themselves, so I was enjoying myself. I’d practiced a little bit before, so I knew what I was going to play. I hadn’t used the equipment before, but it was quite similar to what I’ve got myself (Pioneers).

Was the performance more complicated than usual? It was slightly different, because I was more used to… it was a lot more sensitive, the CDJ. But I got used to it, a little bit. The mixer and everything was fairly similar, so yeah it was fine.

How would you feel about playing EXIT again? Yeah I’d absolutely love to - in fact I have already been asked to play there again and to be a resident, so that should be good! It’s really nice to play on a proper sound system - pretty good, pretty intense sound system there.

What do you think you will work on for your next set? Well If I’m starting off the night, then I’ll probably continue with more chilled out stuff like melodic house. If I get a set later on in the night, then I’ll probably do a bit more garage and a heavier kind of music.

I see, because that’s the sort of music you’re more into, isn’t it? Well my favourite kind of music is drum and bass and that kind of heavier sound, so yeah, I’d like to push them back.

So who would you say your biggest influences are, musically? For house music? Dusky. I’ve seen him a few times; I’ve seen him in Belgium, saw him in Exeter (the first Beats and Bass night), saw him at Global Gathering festival this year. So yeah, Dusky. Also Bonobo as well, all his music is chilled out.

And how do you feel about the commercialisation of house? Do you think that the production quality is better or the experience is better when it’s more niche and underground, or when there are more people who know about it? Well personally I don’t enjoy the commercialised house music. It’s just not something I enjoy, like Avicii and stuff. I just find all that a bit too cheesy for me, but I think this - the kind of stuff I was playing (well the deep house, tech house) - is a lot more exciting. I just like the sounds better. The commercial stuff is just so generic, so I find it a little bit boring.

What did you think of the other acts? I really liked Bromley. That’s the kind of sound I like, especially the melodic stuff - that’s really nice. But all their stuff is what I would want to play if I could play a set like that, ideally. It gives me more of a buzz, and everyone enjoys that the most I think. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see Cuzo, but that’s for reasons that shouldn’t be mentioned.

What’s your favourite song that you played? Bloody hell, there’s so many songs. Well for chilled out stuff, I really liked Space Me Out featuring Egle Sirvydyte, Mario Basanov Remix. Downtown Party Network, also Vandaag Bakermat, and the more heavier stuff. There’s a song called Source 16 by Redlight - I really like that song. Who was it that we saw who played it? Shy FX (Will Eliot)? Yeah, when we saw Shy FX he dropped that at the Phoenix and that went off. So yeah - that was good.

Is there anything else you want to say or add? When I said Dusky was a big influence, you could say that the album that influenced me the most by them was Stick by This.