When electronica and downtempo music become cinematic and visual, it allows for a lot of amazing music discoveries, especially for ones that stick with us. We all know of Max Cooper or Superpoze’s tracks and music videos ; today, it is a young producer named NEXVS who captivates us with his comeback on the electronic music scene. He comes back after almost a year of absence with a track as colorful as its music video, and they both showcase various and contradictory emotions. Today, we have the privilege to watch before everyone else the music video for “WITHER”, which will be released tomorrow on YouTube. To honor this release and to get to know more about NEXVS, we also have asked him a few questions !
It is with ambient layers and epic rises built with synthetic drums and distorted electric guitar notes that “WITHER” takes us into a digital world, a world full of emotions and in which our inner thoughts reign supreme. These emotions are depicted in various ways throughout the music video : the images, one after the other, reveal snippets of various information ranging from pencil drawn faces to words through various emotions and colors. The climax of the music video is reached when dissonant synths intertwine while showcasing on screen an astronaut drifting away in the outer space towards unknown nebulas ; it is a beautiful way to symbolize a tormented, frightened mind searching for both meaning and new worlds.
Now that you know more about NEXVS’s latest track, get to learn about who hides behind this enigmatic name !
1. Hello NEXVS ! Can you briefly introduce yourself to those who don’t know you yet ?
Hi ! My name is William, I have been an electronic music composer since 2018 and I am self-taught ! I enjoy a lot of music genres such as pop, punk, metal, rap in general, but I’m also a huge electronic music consumer of all kinds, which has helped me learn a lot. I tend to drift towards melancholic tones because it is the kind of sounds that have sticked with me throughout my life !
2. You’re coming back after a few months of absence with “WITHER”, a track that follows an EP called “Sweetbitter”. This EP is filled with multiple electronic references but it never does quite fit one specific and predetermined genre. “My Own” has a lot of trap-like sounds and a downtempo feel to it while “The Bramble Bed”, for example, takes inspiration from neoclassical and experimental music. What influences your music on a daily basis ? And how do you make music generally ?
As I’ve mentioned before, I am a big consumer of electronic music. I didn’t want to focus on one genre specifically, I instead try to build a universe around my music while taking inspiration from French electro, trap, future-garage, synth/retrowave… When I have a melody in mind, I transcribe it directly into my music software, so that I can create a story around it. I make sure that each song is not necessarily the same and that each progression is catchy.
3. And do music genres matter to you, even if you deconstruct them ?
They are extremely important indeed, because it is what makes each musician unique. I take inspiration from the music I listen to, and I let myself be carried away by the vibe when composing, no matter what style the end result will be.
Similar to NEXVS : Video premiere : breezing through a post-apocalyptic world in “LICHEN”, Zelezna’s new track & video
4. We get to listen and watch today your newest single and music video “WITHER”, whose video will be released tomorrow on YouTube and whose track will be available in two weeks on all platforms. This time around, you take us into a music world that is a sweet mix of downtempo and electronica. What story, what message are you conveying in this track ?
I wrote this track between two lockdowns periods, it was a quite emotionally eventful period of my life, and since I am quite introverted as a person, I like to show this need to explode and to express myself in many of my songs. We can view this track as a temporary escape from reality.
5. For the music video, you teamed up with an artist called khalifacyrusuk. How did you two meet ?
We actually don’t know each other very well because he comes from England ! In fact, I was really looking forward to making a music video with this specific aesthetic. I discovered his videos on YouTube, his work corresponded to what I was looking for, so I contacted him instantly. He is very helpful, he listens to me and he’s very kind despite his heavy workload !
6. And what inspired the visuals ? Did you have a predetermined idea for the music video or did it come from a creative idea of khalifacyrusuk ?
Since I liked his work, I gave him a full carte blanche on my track, and I was right to believe in him. So it’s his creative concept in a way, although his creative style is exactly what I was looking for basically !
7. I know this music video won’t be released until tomorrow, but do we have to see it as an announcement of an upcoming EP, or of other singles ?
Right now, I needed to come back and share my music again with my audience, because the last few months have been complicated and hectic ! But that can actually suggest an upcoming EP, even if for now it’s work in progress haha ! And of course more tracks will be released in the next few months, and maybe some live videos.
8. Finally, is there an artist that you’re keeping an eye lately ?
SXNDRXM (a band from Mulhouse, France), they just released their latest EP and it’s banging ! Louison, their drummer, has played a huge role on my last EP on “Bramble Bed” and he helps me a lot on my project in general ! There is also Oceya, if you like trip-hop, she also appears on SWEETBITTER, her voice is on “Nobody”. I also keep an eye on Shilly Shaelly, who does electro rock, they will soon release an EP to follow closely. Support your local scene !
NEVXS is to be found on all streaming platforms. You can also follow him on Instagram !
– discovered through Groover.
