EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: EDX discusses upcoming releases, and impact of Avicii’s death

“It’s important to have something very sexy that can make people smile.”

Hailed as a ‘genius’ by dance music bible MixMag, few producers in the electronic scene have enjoyed a career as long-lasting, and successful, as Swiss dance legend, EDX. Racking up almost 100 million Spotify streams on his Indian Summer remix of ‘Show Me Love’, the producer has played just about every festival main-stage and global club during his double-decade in the industry, most recently performing at London’s iconic Ministry of Sound venue for the UK’s first ever Spinnin’ Sessions showcase evening.

Effortlessly cool, and as suave as his seductive sound suggests, EDX (real name Maurizio Colella) sits backstage, browsing his emails in all-black attire, as he prepares to go behind the booth for his 2.30am set. With the thunderous sounds of Australian producer Throttle – who is busy tearing up the main-room next door with his dirty disco sound – echoing against the walls, this is what happened when We Rave You met EDX…

Maurizio! Welcome to Ministry of Sound! What are your thoughts on this club? It’s pretty iconic, right?

“Yeah of course! London has such a long lasting dance music scene. This place is very 90’s, it is when acid house started. Actually, I’ve played here a couple of times before and it’s always an amazing place to play, there’s this big DJ booth with huge sound, the speaker system here is insane! So it’s very fun to play.”

How do you find the UK crowd? How do they compare to other nations?

“Well every country have their own musical culture and their different angles. The UK has a very mature electronic scene but the crowd here is a little younger I find, and they’re really into the music and here to have a great time! It is one of the main countries in the world for dance music and the crowd is always amazing. I can’t say it’s the best in the world because there are many great countries to play for, but it’s always great to play to the people of London!”

Your signature sound is instantly recognisable. So how did you manage to perfect that ‘EDX’ style?

“Well there is a long history over two decades for me where I’ve been part of this culture and in Switzerland, my home country, the emphasis for me was to incorporate different genres into my music. I wanted something which represents what it means to be Swiss, and my music is how I can express myself and talk to the audience. It’s important to have something very sexy and with a good vibe to make people smile.”

You’re playing several dates in Ibiza this summer, what makes the island so special?

“Well Ibiza is a great place and I’m glad to be back. It’s good to play at Hï because that piece of land used to be Space, and everybody knows that Space was legendary. But also, I would like to play on the West side of the island more, in San Antonio, because that is where the Brits are and the atmosphere is amazing. It’s going to be a very intense summer for me again, and I’m going to be going between South America and Asia too!”

The death of Avicii earlier this year was a tragic moment for dance music. You knew Tim… You remixed his records… What can his death teach the people of this industry?

“Certainly it has been a very interesting journey for music since Tim and Ash (Avicii‘s former manager Ash Pournouri) came to the scene in those early days. They had those platinum records like ‘Seek Bromance’ which was actually hugely influenced by Ministry of Sound! This place signed that track to their label, and it was massive! But Tim… Avicii… He’s been able to change this whole industry, well, him and Ash. They always put music first, and at a young age, I don’t think he was always sure on how to manage his sleep and get the right amount of rest. It’s tough for someone so young, those day-to-day stresses, especially at the top. I just wish everything could have been different in the past few months and years for him. It’s tough for every DJ who knew him. He changed music forever, and the whole sound of the industry. To be honest, it’s not a huge difference to be in music rather than to be in banking or any other industry. Wherever you work, it has to be dedication all day and night to your profession, but you need a good team around you and people who can help give you that balance you need with sleep and getting the right amount of rest.”

What can we expect from you, musically, for the rest of 2018?

“Well I just released my remix of Janelle Monae‘s ‘Make Me Feel’ which is doing really well, and I released ‘Jaded’ earlier this year too which is a super cool track. But I have some originals coming out this summer, some great vocal tracks for Ibiza and I also have some exclusive tracks coming on www.EDX.ch too so make sure to join that community.”

Widely regarded as one of dance music’s most pivotal labels, Spinnin’ Records have grown meteorically in the past decade, with the birth of the UK’s first ‘Spinnin Sessions’ showcase evening proving a sure-fire hit. Playing to a rabid and sweat-soaked crowd in The Box, Ministry’s main room, gathered ravers were treated to sets from the likes of Joe Stone, Mr Belt & Wezol, and Madison Mars – who expertly fused his very own ‘Milky Way’ with Tiësto‘s ‘Jackie Chan.’ With fast-rising talent Throttle working in an electric set which culminated in his Oliver Heldens collaboration ‘Waiting’ and Dizzee Rascal anthem ‘Bonkers’, EDX – who has previously remixed Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up’ and ‘Silhouettes’ – ended his own performance with a tribute to Tim, spinning the Swede’s 2012 classic ‘I Could Be The One.’

Playing a series of shows across the Balearic isle this summer at Kygo‘s Ushuaïa residency, and Armin Van Buuren’s Hï Ibiza events, you can catch EDX‘s full schedule here. And with Ministry of Sound proving their reputation as the UK’s clubbing hotspot once more, there could be no venue more perfect for the Spinnin’ Sessions, with the success of the evening now surely pointing to a potential future sequel.