Amidst a busy winter season for the rapidly growing artist DXNBY, we sat down to talk about how he stays motivated in the studio, thoughts on unreleased tracks being ripped, and the 3 course meal he could eat for the rest of his life.
DXNBY has fast become one of the most renowned artists in the house music arena as of late, with his music amassing thousands and thousands of plays online. Recently his “White Tiger” edit and original release “Bumpin” had the scene on strings, bringing some of the best crowd reactions you’ll see in a long time. This has seen the Doncaster born DJ/Producer play in clubs up and down the UK as well as making regular appearances abroad at venues like Ijland in Amsterdam, Netherlands and After Caposile in Venice, Italy.
Showing no signs of slowing down at all, it’s only a matter of time before DXNBY reaches super stardom.
Hey DXNBY, thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Firstly, what’s your earliest memory of music growing up and how did it inspire you to become a DJ/Producer?
I was born in 2000, and my parents were quite young, so I definitely remember hearing some organ house, cheesy 2-step, speed garage/bassline kind of vibes being played at BBQs or around the small estate in Doncaster as a very young kid, but it’s blurry. My first solid memories of music growing up was always having a ‘hand-me-down’ iPod Classic from my dad filled with everything he would have been listening to at the time he had this iPod, before getting his new one.
It was filled with all sorts of music from Dr Dre, Katy B, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, The Beatles, The Libertines, The Black Eyed Peas, and 50 Cent. I’d say this was around 2009 ish. And even before this, I remember making some CD mix tapes with Soulja Boy and Black Out Crew tracks… not sure what I was thinking there, haha.
Born and bred in Doncaster, you’ve spent the last few years residing in Leeds. What was the motivation behind the move?
I moved to Wakefield around age 16 and not long after started studying at Leeds City College before eventually moving into LS6, then LS1 and still live in Leeds now, love the city!
Your productions vary in sound, whether that be rippling speed garage basslines or warping minimal beats. Do you feel this helps you stay inspired and motivated to create music?
Yeah for sure, I’d say it’s more about what it is that’s inspired me to make a specific track. I often draw influence from multiple tracks or genres and bring them together to create something that appeals to me. I try not to be too afraid of sounding different and weird or even too alike other things and just let it be what I want to hear at the time.
Your tracks often go viral long before their release, with some people even ripping them from mixes etc. How does it feel for your music to be so sought after from an artist perspective?
It’s a great feeling to have sought-after music, no doubt and the passion in the scene at the moment is strong. However, at the moment, the whole “ripping tracks” scene is weird in my opinion, do we really need and want every unreleased track ripped instantly and on SoundCloud, undermining the producer who sat and made the music for hours/weeks/months? Are we as the artist not allowed to choose what music should and shouldn’t go out… I don’t know, strange times.
Your in-demand sound and charismatic playing style has led to a stacked tour schedule. After playing in venues all over the UK & Europe, what space has been your favourite to play in so far?
My favourites have been WHP NEXUP, Fabric RM2, Manchester Loft, and of course my ALL Night Long at Joshua Brookes w/ Ozzie Guven.
If you could only eat one 3 course meal for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Some sort of prawn starter, steak, crumble and custard.
It’s safe to say you’ve ticked off some bucket list labels for many, with releases on as Eastenderz, Seven Dials Records, TRMNL and many more. What other labels are on your hit list in the coming months and years?
I’m working on an exciting EP with Heavy House Society buzzing for this one as I’ve been sending Sidney music for a while and always admired his productions. And DXF003 is out very soon.
If you could give aspiring artists three pieces of advice, what would they be?
Don’t let lack of equipment hold you back, a laptop and hd25 headphones can get you started easily.
Never stop learning.
Try not to rush things.
Finally, what’s your favourite track by another artist that you wish you’d made?
“Can’t Escape” by Chris Stussy.
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