Huxley

The UK producer rolling up his sleeves for Straf_Werk

Interview by Rob Chadwick


With the summer season having kicked off, how have you spent your time in the run up to the party season?

Touring quite a bit, as usual, and I’ve spent a fair bit of time in the studio these past few months working on new material. I’m putting the finishing touches to a new label too – I can’t say too much about it for now but the first release is from myself and J.Phlip which was a nice collab to do as we’re good friends.

You are set to play a number of festivals this season including Straf_Werk which you have played many times before. What pulls you towards playing here each year?

I love Holland in general, it feels like a second home. Straf_Werk is always special as the crowd is superb, the lineups they put together always connect and they always make sure it’s as much of a party for the DJs as it is the punters, so it’s perfect.

Do you feel that Amsterdam is different to anywhere else when it comes to running festivals?

Again, it comes down to the crowd I think – they’re always great in Holland.

Your show on Rinse FM has obviously been a great success with a number of premium guests appearing month after month. How do you think you have benefited from the show in regards to your sets and also your productions?

Yeah, I love Rinse. it’s become a little easier now my show has moved to a Saturday night slot, as it’s easier for me to pre-record it during the week whereas before I was doing it live on a Monday night after long weekends which was pretty tiring. I’m putting more effort into it now I think. Doing a radio show keeps you on your toes – the mixes need to be able to take repeat listens and you can’t rely on the vibe you can get in clubs – you have to create that vibe for individual listeners. It adds to what you do as a DJ significantly.

What can we expect from the show over the summer?

I’m still working on guests for the summer months actually – it’s harder in these months as everyone is touring so much. We’ve got a few exciting pencils in there, though.

What do you think of your old friend Jonny Cade landing himself with Maribou State? Can we expect any further works again from the two of you together?

It’s fantastic, of course! Jonny is a really talented guy. I love collaborations.

You recently dropped ‘I Want You’, what has the reaction been like taking it on the road?

It’s a weird one as it came out originally last year, around my LP release but the new versions are great so I’ve been playing them a bit obviously. Being on the F&F advert meant that a lot more people notice it, but honestly, I’m already playing newer stuff now so..

Where do you see your sound developing towards in the near future, do you have many releases lined up ready to go?

I’ve been writing a lot. The album last year meant I could experiment a bit and also draw a line under some of what I was doing previously. What I’ve been working on is the next step for me, basically. 

Finally, are there any upcoming artists you’d tip to do big things this summer?

Yes! Kalyde, Pierre Codarin, Sage Caswell and Krihl.

Huxley plays Straf_Werk Festival Amsterdam on August 22

https://www.facebook.com/huxleyofficial