After initially meeting at Berklee College, the fast-rising dubstep outfit have streamlined their musical ambitions to focus on a unique sonic footprint of dark harmonies, dubstep and electro, with heavy lashings of bass. A firm favourite within the established London-based electronic music house No Tomorrow Recordings, MozX’s musical endeavours have been supported by the likes of BBC Music Introducing and have achieved placement in the Top 50 Electro House Tracks on Beatport. They are supported by top names in the industry such as Andi Durrant, Don Diablo, 12th Planet, Far Too Loud, Tokyo Machine, DJ Silver, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Dropgun and Zardonic. With a passion that shines through on every release, MozX’s enviable versatility and unique vocal-led approach puts them in line with electronic acts like Koven, Krewella and Nero.
THE INTERVIEW
CR: Hello Javier and Leanne, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?
L: Doing great, glad to be here!
J: Same, enjoying the bits of sun here in London and the recent lifting of restrictions.
CR: Tell us a little bit about yourselves, what is the story behind the name ‘MozX’?
L: We met during our Master’s degree in Music Production, Javier was a professional drummer and DJ and I just finished my undergrad and was doing a lot of sound engineering gigs. Being pretty much the only dubstep fans in our class, we immediately connected and started collaborating. MozX was created, initially, as a final project for the degree, but we decided to keep going with it because of our chemistry and similar career goals.
J: The name came from us messing around with letters from our family names, trying to create something unique. We liked ‘Moz’ and added the X as a symbol for censorship because our songwriting touches on social issues.
CR: Let's talk about the track 'Happy Pills' - what was the inspiration and what was the production process like?
L: I wrote this song when I was 19 years old after I was diagnosed with ADHD. I was told to take pills to help me concentrate better in college, and I wasn’t really happy about this. I felt like a better version of myself when taking them, but when their effect was gone I felt so bad and insecure. The experience led me to write the lyrics. Indirectly, my message is that happy pills are something we all take one way or the other—whether it’s food, drugs, alcohol, TV, parties. I’m not trying to judge and say that it’s not okay, but I think acknowledging it helps us cope with our actions and ourselves.
J: In terms of production this song had many versions—it was a rock song, a ballad, a psychedelic song, electro house. These versions just didn’t seem to back up the message in the lyrics. With this final version, we feel that we created a song where you can think about the lyrics and how they relate to you (your own “happy pills”) or you can choose to use the tune itself as a “happy pill,” being so bright and energetic, and just lose yourself, forget your troubles and have fun.
CR: What changes have you seen in the bass scene since you started producing and DJing?
J: Bass music, and dubstep specifically, became part of mainstream music 6-7 years ago and by this point became established as a genre with its own stage in many big festivals/events, which is pretty awesome. It still has this stage, but in the last couple of years, many dubstep/hybrid trap producers shifted their styles and started producing in genres like house/techno—genres that are now becoming the main focus of many festivals.
L: Technology developed a lot during these past years, there are so many new plugins for sound design and mixing, which is great but also dangerous because you have so much to choose from.
CR: Your fans are already aware of your love for Dubstep, but are there other genres you enjoy mixing in?
L: Yes! I arranged and produced several styles including orchestral and big band, and Javi was also part of an orchestral group, funk and rock bands as a drummer/co-producer. We like to incorporate these experiences into our dubstep as much as possible. Actually, when we just started working together, having such different musical backgrounds and experiences, our music was a bit all over the place. We needed to really take the time and figure out how to make the most out of what each of us brings to the table. I remember people told us our songs were just loaded with too much stuff, that we had ideas for 7 different songs in one song. We went through a journey and learned to balance our ideas.
J: We also love working on psytrance, and we did several electro/bass house tunes. These genres are pretty related but they have their own thing and it’s nice to switch modes and work on them.
CR: Is there anything else about the current state of dance music that you would want to change?
L: We're hoping to see a more quality female presence in the industry!
J: It’s getting there and we’re happy to have Leanne and be part of the female growth in this industry.
CR: In your opinion, what is one mistake most aspiring DJs make? How would you advise aspiring DJs?
L: When we just moved to London we both taught in a DJ academy in the UK. We got to teach some aspiring DJs/producers who were trying so hard to rush songs that weren’t complete (to say the least). Music is subjective but, especially in EDM, there are some ground rules that help your music sound good on big speakers, like keeping your spectrum full and balanced, managing your subbasses well, etc.
J: Our best advice is to work hard, give yourself time and grow with every piece of constructive feedback you get. Music production is like picking up an instrument—you need to train your ear in order to be able to hear all that’s going on and get to a point where every action you take is by choice rather than by default. Put the time into it and you’ll be amazed how much you improved when looking back. It’s really worth it!
CR: What single night out has been the most memorable for you? As a DJs? As attendees?
L: We went to Dreambeach festival (in Villaricos, Spain) together two summers ago. It’s crazy how Spain's nightlife just starts around 1-2 am, so there were huge acts like Delta Heavy and Infected Mushroom performing at 6-7 am. It’s a different kind of energy to see a great artist after sunrise. We were so tired, but having Infected come on stage just woke us up completely and we went crazy. It’s amazing how music has the power to do these things.
CR: Aside from music, what makes you happy?
L: I love travelling- I've visited 36 countries so far, and lived in 4 different countries!
J: I’m a videogame person. I like online multiplayer games and can completely lose track of time with a good storytelling game.
CR: Are there any projects that you are working on? Any exciting post-lockdown plans?
L: We plan to release a lot of music this year—we have a few songs lined up for releases, and are currently working on more material! We look forward to sharing confirmed gigs as well!
Lighting Round
Texting or talking?
L: Depends on who I’m talking to and about what, sometimes I like having the opportunity to think about my words and make sure I’m delivering my point concisely. But generally, I’d go for talking.
J: Talking. Feelings or emotions are difficult for me to express through a written message.
Coffee or tea?
L: Coffee no doubt
J: Strong coffee
Hard liquor or Wine?
L&J: Beer!
Cake or pie?
L: Pie, fresh from the oven
J: Both!
Hot dogs or hamburgers?
L&J: We’re both vegetarians ;) Veggie burgers?
Xbox or PlayStation?
L&J: PlayStation
Movie theatre or arcade?
L&J: Arcade, we like it retro
Guitar or piano?
L: Bass! (my main instrument)
J: Drums! (my main instrument)
Marvel or DC Comics?
L: The new Zack Snyder's Justice League was just out of this world so we’ll go with DC at the moment.
J: Dark DC Comics…not the dancing Batman….
Dog or cat?
L&J: Dog
Hot weather or cold weather?
L&J: Cold weather! That’s why we love London so much!
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