Fresh from the release of his track ‘What Is House’, Hotboxx is joining us to share a glimpse into the production, walking us through his creative process and the inspirations behind the release. Having had a stellar year, dropping numerous unmissable productions, collaborating with a host of gifted Artists, as well as delivering must-listen episodes of his radio show ‘All The Smoke’, Hotboxx has built a momentum that keeps propelling him further up the list of top Producers currently working within Electronic Music. So, we are thrilled to have him with us today and cannot wait to learn more about his workflow, influences, and creative ambitions.
Hi Hotboxx, how are you? Congrats on the release of ‘What Is House’
Hey, I’m doing well thanks for asking and I appreciate that, thank you for having me on.
Firstly, can you walk us through the production process of this new track? How did you begin producing ‘What Is House’, which element did you start with?
So, this track came together quickly for me. I really wanted to make an old-school Chicago-style House track that was groovy and really gave a modern touch to an old-school amazing sound and that was what I was trying to recreate. I started with the chord stabs to try and give myself a good foundation.
What inspired the sound and vibe of ‘What Is House’? Were there any specific influences or musical elements you wanted to incorporate?
The vocal sample definitely further contributed to and inspired the sound for sure. As I mentioned before, I was really trying to get influence from old-school Chicago House tracks and those are the elements I wanted to incorporate to really create that sound.
Did you experiment with any new techniques or processes during the production of ‘What Is House’?
Not necessarily anything new but I did try to be creative with kick placements and with the sampling of the vocals, however, I wouldn’t say that this is anything that I’ve never tried in the past.
The track features a lot of funky synth parts and groovy basslines. How did you go about creating these sounds and incorporating them into the track?
It started with the chords for me, which set up the whole vibe, and then I found the vocal and it really took off quickly after that because at that point I knew exactly what I was aiming to make and then I just kept chasing that sound until it all came together
For those who haven’t heard ‘What Is House’ yet, what three words would you use to describe it?
Groovy, Sexy, Funky
Can you tell us about the vocals on ‘What Is House’? They add such a unique colour to the mix, how did you find the different samples and then integrate them into the track? Did you use any specific processing techniques?
Thank you, I really appreciate that feedback. I really started looking on YouTube for videos talking about House music and the feeling it invokes and I kept searching through interviews until I heard a few clips I really liked, specifically from 2 different videos, and then I started chopping them. Took out the background noise using AI software first and then a gate in Ableton and really kept going from there.
How do you hope listeners feel when they listen to ‘What Is House’?
Like they are listening to the origins of House music, I hope it’s just a groovy song to make people happy and want to dance.
Are there any techniques, genres, or styles you want to experiment with next?
I am really trying to stick within the House, Deep House, Minimal and Tech House genres so with upcoming releases I think that’s the style you’ll be hearing from me and absolutely every time I sit down I am trying to get better and better with my technique and bring a unique style that helps define my sound.
What can fans expect from you next in terms of future releases and projects?
There are a lot of releases on the way for sure, got one in less than a month with my brother Flynn Nolan, that will be out on Sirup and is definitely a groover, and I can promise that’ll get you dancing and grooving just like this track.
As we wrap up our conversation with Hotboxx this week, we thank him for his time and, having assured us that more funky music is on its way, look forward to hearing more from the talented Producer soon. With such a dedication to bringing energetic and danceable music to his followers, Hotboxx is no doubt poised to continue on his current trajectory, reaching even higher heights as more genre enthusiasts become captivated by his unique and original sound. So, a talent not to miss, make sure to follow Hotboxx across social media to stay up-to-date on his upcoming releases and projects.
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