Portax

With a slew of hard-hitting releases clocked on the on the likes of Perfekt Groove, Infekted Records, Biotech Recordings, Krafted Underground and Beenoise Records over the course of his career, hotly-tipped French techno talent and Panik label boss, Portax, now returns to his burgeoning imprint for the first juggernaut release of 2021, with A Lucid Dream. Out now via Panik, A Lucid Dream is everything we have come to expect and more from the French artist, who has been going from strength to strength with each passing release since he burst on to the scene back in 2019. We caught up with Portax to find out more…

 

Hi Portax and a very warm welcome to DMC World! How are you?

Hey DMC World, thanks a lot for having me! I’m very well thank you, I hope you are too!

First things first, please can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Sure, I’m Portax, a French dark techno artist. I started producing 6 years ago. I have signed on well-known labels and I launched my own imprint: PANIK. I love huge kicks and deep dark vocals. I try to tell a unique and different story on each of my productions. I enjoy and miss travelling, and I currently manage a techno event company in New Caledonia. New Caledonia is a beautiful island near Australia.

How would you best describe your brand of techno?

It’s the perfect mix between rave party and underground club music. My techno is always dark and underground. I am used to spend a lot of time on the atmosphere and the low end. To me, the most important thing is to have a huge kick/sub combo. This will drive all the track and give colour to the track.
I’m in love with the vocals, I can’t make a single track without it, to me it’s vital.

To sum up my brand of techno: huge kicks, deep vocals and rave synths!

Congratulations on your new single ‘A Lucid Dream’. What can fans expect from this release?`

Thanks a lot! “A Lucid Dream” has just been released on my label, PANIK. This track is my personal interpretation of a lucid dream, if I had to have one!  The first part of the track powerfully drives the listener to a pure and deep melody with an hypnotic vocal. The break is the part where you start realizing you are dreaming, and you let your soul wander. The drop is the moment where everything is possible and you can control absolutely anything! A really nice video clip has also just been released to illustrate it. ”A Lucid Dream” is made for dreamers by a dreamer!

Portax - A Lucid Dream (Original Mix)

Let’s talk about your label PANIK. What’s your creative vision for the imprint?

The vision of the imprint is to deliver dark techno that matches my own style.
 I’m looking for tracks that wouldn’t fit with mainstream labels. I prefer to promote unknown producers and give them a chance to share their music. If you really want to get a taste of the label, just listen to the best seller #1 track on PANIK: Assassins

And what was the motivation behind setting it up?

PANIK is my baby! I mean, it allows me to deliver tracks that match perfectly with my style. Although, it’s really hard for me to find tracks that I like, I’m slightly picky. The aim of PANIK is to find new emerging artists who produce music that I would like to play or insert in my mix during gigs. I’m not looking for tons of releases per year, just quality and singularity.

Do you have any other releases on the label upcoming that you’d like to share with us?

Sure, I have. The aim is to release tracks every 2-3 months, but I can’t tell you too much right now, I have to keep it a secret! I’m always seeking new talents, I browse Soundcloud and Youtube and look for unknown artists. Most of the time, they send me demos and I do my best to take time helping them develop their production skills.

Do you get particularly involved in the creative direction when it comes to music videos, artwork and content creation for the label?

Absolutely, it all comes from my mind! I often ask a graphic designer to produce artworks using my recommendations. But when it comes to video clips, I’m doing it myself, it takes time, but to me, music video clips are essentials. Indeed, like I said previously, I’m telling a story through my productions, so it’s always nicer to have a story told via a video, it’s more immersive!

When did you become a DJ and what were you doing before you decided to make a leap into the world of music?

Honestly, a deep desire to express my emotions through a computer. When I discovered the computer made music world, it was wonderful. Like a kid at his first love, possibilities are infinite. I spent a lot of time in raves and clubs without knowing anything about music production and one day I discovered a man producing techno with Fruity Loops, this is how it all started, I’ve never stopped producing since then.

What do you have coming up over the course of 2021? Any exciting projects or touring you can talk to us about?

2021 will be a great year in terms of music production! In addition to the “A Lucid Dream” release, I just signed with Ramon Tapia’s label for a 3 tracks EP that will be out early June! I’m planning a new video live set, that will maybe be recorded in New Caledonia, and I also plan on releasing a few more EPs throughout the year!

In terms of bookings, I’m organising tours in Europe, India & Australia!

Any final words for our DMC World readers?

If you are a techno lover: keep supporting your artists during this period. You are as important for them as the blood in our body. If you are a techno producer/DJ : take advantage of this period to practice and learn new skills, extend your knowledge or take on new challenges!

Thanks for your time Olivier and we wish you all the best for 2021!

Thank team, it was a pleasure. Stay safe and big support to your entire team!

Portax – A Lucid Dream is out now via Panik.