Nixis opens up about his influences, his sound and latest track titled ‘Enemies’

Amidst the clatter of new music that surrounds today’s Dance music scene, young producers come, are lauded for a having had a bright beginning and then ultimately, only a handful of them make it out of the competitive crop of talent. And this complex is twice as much bothering when these producers are from countries who have delivered musical talents time and again. For Norwegian Electro-Pop Producer Nikolai Sissener, or NIXIS, things are along those same lines. But what sets him apart in this moment is his music and variety in style. Not one to be overwhelmed by this challenge, NIXIS has already delivered a few sumptuous tracks such as ‘Lifetime‘, featuring singer Veronica Andersen, and ‘TO.GET.HER‘.

Packed with a knack for dishing out impressive melodies and an equitable blend of modern and old-school vibes in his productions, the classically-trained pianist turned Dance music producer has showcased his talent on all his productions. And while its always quite a task to constantly change the way one expresses music, NIXIS looks set to impress again with his latest production titled ‘Enemies‘. Featuring Bodhi Jones on vocals, ‘Enemies’ marks yet another twist in his style.

Talking about that and much more, here is NIXIS in conversation with We Rave You.

Tell us about the origin of your music. How did you discover your sound?

I am a classically trained pianist. I’ve always been a fan of playing for hours on the piano, just having a good time. With that mindset, I’ll have most of the melodies and ideas before I start tweaking. I like having a combination of ‘real’ instruments and powerful synths. A lot of it is in our subconscious mind. It is a mixture of what you like listening to and your opinion of how the song should sound like. I’m 22 now, produced since I was 16. A lot of those years goes to experimenting with different genres. It’s a fun and great experience. You learn about yourself while getting closer to a sound you’re happy with. It’s an adventure.

Who do you consider to have been your biggest influences throughout your career that have made an impact on your productions?

Oh, that’s a huge question because there’s so many that has inspired me throughout the years. The biggest event of my life was when I qualified for The Stream 2016 – a Norwegian music competition TV show (kind of like Idol). Top 100 streamed tracks got entered into showcase. Everyone cheered for me and Veronica in ‘When You Tell Me’ and later spread to other countries. I played on the show and it was my first huge stage performance. The vocalist I brought didn’t perform as good as I’d hope, but it was an amazing experience. I didn’t get further than that, but that made me work even harder towards my newly realized goal. I’ve always had plan A and B, but if you want plan A bad enough, you don’t need a plan B. It was the moment I decided to go full out on music.

Congratulations on the release of ‘Enemies’ featuring Bodhi Jones. What inspired you to create the track?

Thank you. I wanted to make a track that grabs the listener by the heart. Our mind pick up on so much different music these days. Kygo, Alan Walker, Martin Garrix, Illenium, Gryffin, Said The Sky, Odeszas’ tracks inspired me a lot. I wanted to create a beautiful and powerful song which connected with the listener. Enemies is that song. I love the melody and lyric, it gives me a great feeling and everyone can relate to the message.

How did you make the ideas come to fruition? Take us back to the creation of your astonishing 2016 single ‘Flow’. Could you tell us the story behind it?

Back then, I listened to a lot of pop, deep house and future bass, which gave me ideas for Flow. With the new rise of vocal chop leads. I was also inspired by a cool track called Pound Cake by DEVI. I found an old pop hit acapella which had many different sounds to play with. It turned into a lovely vocal chop lead along with a great instrumental. I’m always a fan of having classical instrumental blended with strong electronic synths. Go with the flow and suddenly it’s a track.

So many of your records & remixes have such differing sounds. How do you create such varying sounding tracks while maintaining your signature sound?

That’s right. I’m always trying to move forward and think new when it comes to music. Subconsciously, I have my melody/style with me in new exciting projects. Everyone can really appreciate something new and fresh, but it’s important to preserve the ‘old’ as well. I’d say don’t get too locked up in genre and have fun with it. Try new things out and do your own thing.

What are some of your plans for the rest of 2018? Any follow-ups? Upcoming singles?

Yes I’ve got very big news ahead. I’m nearly finished with 2 new tracks. ‘Dead End’ – a chill pop, edm track with Tyler Shamy on vocals. ‘All The Way’ – a groovy house track with MORGAN on vocals. I am really pleased with both tracks and I’m looking forward to sharing them. I’m looking at release in May/June.

Towards the summer I might be out of my studio and play gigs. I gotta admit, things are looking unknown but bright! That’s what makes all this so exciting. I hope there will be many tuning in on my tracks this summer.

Nixis’ latest track ‘Enemies’ is available for a quick purchase on Beatport here.