SONOS CLUB : TRIXIMO
INTERVIEW
What are some early memories of music from your upbringing that shaped your taste today?
TRIXIMO: My formative experiences of music are orchestral. When I was very young I asked my parents if I could learn to play the violin, and soon after I joined an orchestra. I learned and performed with them for over ten years, so I became very well acquainted with classical music.
Although often beautiful and laced with deep emotion, classical music can often also be jarring, strange and unpredictable. As a result, I had an early exposure to sounds that challenged me. I was also trained to sit with those challenges - when you’re playing in an orchestra, you don’t have the option of turning the song off because you don’t like it. Quite the opposite - you must not only listen, but you also have to engage and perform the music itself to a high standard.
I think that experience has stayed with me and shaped my taste in dance music today - I like to think I have a level of open-mindedness and curiosity, and I love experimental music.
How does your experience of gender affect your DJ sets or music productions?
TRIXIMO: I feel very in touch with my emotions. My moods also have a tendency to fly about all over the place. These two traits definitely permeate my DJ sets and productions; the output has differed wildly, and my mixes often traverse several ‘moods’ in a short space of time.
The idea of being in touch with one’s emotions is stereotypically female - as is having ‘unpredictable moods’... I hold up to that stereotype, and I guess (without realising) I am trying to harness those traits and use them as a strength.
Are there any specific artists or genres from your background that have been particularly influential to your craft?
TRIXIMO: I haven’t been making music or recording mixes for too long, but so far I’d say I have been very inspired by Nicolas Jaar and Nina Kraviz.
They are highly unconventional artists who have a love of strange sounds, often bizarre, not always liked. To me, they are so clearly authentic and have an admirable dedication to experimentation... as musicians, I love them. Those qualities are things I’d like to bring to the table in anything I make.
I am also really inspired by HAAi’s approach to DJing - wild looping on the fly, not genre- restricted, playful, silly, psychedelic, boisterous... all of it!
When you’re crafting a DJ set, do you have a particular story or vibe you aim to convey? How do you build it?
TRIXIMO: Yes, always.
BUT, what’s difficult is that you can’t always stick to the story of the night that you thought would unfold. In my experience so far, these things are impossible to predict.
To use a weird metaphor that just came to mind: I might have packed Rapunzel for tonight’s storytime, but when I turn up it’s much more of a Shrek vibe. If I open the book and start bleating on about a beautiful princess’ long hair (as originally planned), the people who turned up in more of a Shrek mood might like my ill-fitting story anyway, but they also might not end up having fun, and my performance as a storyteller may tremble in response. I should have brought something more Shrek-appropriate with me...
Basically, I am learning how to plan but also not plan. Bringing more books than I think I need, and trying to ensure I know my stories well...
What’s your process for discovering and selecting new music? Any go-to sources or methods?
TRIXIMO: I have a labyrinth of my own playlists which I often dig into. Then I start a new playlist and from there it grows.
Occasionally I listen to other people’s mixes, but honestly, my attention span doesn’t really allow for it and I prefer finding individual songs myself.
Going out is obviously a great way to discover music too - god bless shazam. I think that approach can really help when you know that you really like a certain sound, but don’t know where to begin finding music that embodies it - find a track on the dancefloor, and later nosey into the artist/label/similar songs etc.
Can you talk about a track or mix you’ve created that holds a special meaning to you? What’s the story behind it?
TRIXIMO: The first song I made is called Roberta’s Letter. It was recorded in a bit of a flurry several years ago, as I struggled to digest pain I was experiencing at the time.
I was frustrated, upset and confused, railing against a situation that had unfolded, and wondering how it could have ‘happened to me’. I felt cheated, hurt and angry, and in a typically immature way I’d channeled my anger into blame, which I projected onto someone else. As the words of this song spilled out of my mouth into my phone, however, I was beginning to acknowledge the role I had played in my own pain.
The song explores the idea of deciding to ignore warnings that are visible, or at least accessible - choosing not to engage or think critically about a situation when we are blinded by hope, pulled by the promise of excitement into something that, if we only looked closely enough, we might realise isn’t good for us.
How important is representation and visibility for you in the electronic music scene?
TRIXIMO: Very! Hopefully that goes without saying.
I think self-acceptance and love often form an integral part in people having the courage/ curiosity/drive to branch out as a performer or creator in the electronic music industry. And, often, self-acceptance and love are often less easily or ‘naturally’ accessed in marginalised communities - often, you’re starting off a few steps back, and you really have to put in the work to get to a place where you believe in yourself and put yourself out there. That’s been my experience, anyway. Seeing other marginalised people flourish in this world definitely encourages that sense of safety to grow.
There are so many women and nonbinary DJs out there now and it’s amazing to think how much that’s changed in the last decade. However, I still often see straight, male lineups that reek of nepotism, and at this point would question any successful artist who doesn’t have an inclusivity rider. I also still think there’s still a huge gap in the market for female electronic music producers.
Have there been moments where you’ve felt your identity helped you stand out or connect with your audience in unexpected ways?
TRIXIMO: Honestly...? No!
I am not sure if I’ve ever stood out. You’d have to ask someone else :)
What are some emerging trends in electronic or experimental music that excite you right now?
TRIXIMO: I don’t pay much attention to trends, so I don’t think I can answer this. It’s not a conscious choice, my brain just doesn’t tune into the world in that way.
How do you envision your music evolving in the next few years? Are there new sounds or ideas you want to explore?
TRIXIMO: There are so, so many sounds I want to create.
I’m desperate to learn how to create certain baselines and learn how to use some hardware equipment. Synths still intimidate me, and I am acutely aware that this is linked to me being a woman. If anyone reading this wants to teach me, please reach out... either way, I’m determined to get there.
I want to make songs with my violin and harp. I want to sing in my songs and grow in confidence when using spoken word. I want to make more acid tracks. I want to make chuggy EBM. I want to make something with a piano. I want to make minimal techno. I want to make electro.
I have no vision, there are just lots of things spilling out, lots of ideas and whims, and me trying to harness it all in a tangible way so that at least some of these threads can eventually make their way out into the world.
If you could curate a dream lineup for an event, which artists would you include and why?
TRIXIMO: Helena Hauff, Nina Kraviz, HAAi, Decius live, Nicolas Jaar live, Paranoid London live. Although they’d all need to be in one room, because I wouldn’t want to miss any of it. Maybe there could be a room 2 with Optimo playing all night or something.
Why - from what I can tell, they are all committed weirdos, are deeply experimental and authentic and they all play/create music that to me is extremely danceable.
How do you stay motivated and keep your creativity flowing, especially during challenging times?
TRIXIMO: By accepting that creativity doesn’t always flow, allowing space for it to come out, and then training myself in discipline & drive when it does emerge, so that it doesn’t flounder and wilt.
That’s my goal, anyway - my reality is often laced with frustration, sleepiness, stubbornness and distractedness.
I go for walks all the time. Morning daylight is essential. I read a lot. I journal every day. I read about creativity (The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron are my favourites so far) and occasionally listen to podcasts about it (Song Exploder is my favourite). I make space and sacrifice income for creativity and rest (I believe the two go hand in hand), and every day I acknowledge how incredibly privileged I am to be able to do that.
I cut alcohol out of my life a year and a half ago, and the transformative effect that this decision has had on my mind, health, concentration, freedom and creativity is beyond anything I could have imagined. Quitting booze has forced me to learn to sit with discomfort in a way I couldn’t previously manage. This is an incredibly helpful skill to have when I sit down to make music or record a mix, and the old “you’re sh*t at this, give up” voices start to creep in.
More often than not, I am now able to listen to those voices, acknowledge them, tell them to p*ss off, and carry on until their call is much lighter. Doubt still gets the better of me sometimes and I am highly self-critical, but it feels like a much more positive and helpful process now, rather than destructive self-sabotage.
What’s one message you hope people take away when they listen to your sets or mixes?
TRIXIMO: Hmm... maybe a sense of playfulness!
SONOS CLUB is an initiative from Sounds of Craft Records, designed to highlight the eclectic electronic music scene through the perspectives of the BIPOC diaspora and marginalized communities, while being open to all.
