WhiteRaverRafting talked with up and coming artists, the Bixel Boys, on their 13 city U.S. tour in Dallas, TX. We would like to thank Ian MacPherson and Rob May for taking time to chat with us.
If you’re newly discovering the Bixel Boys, keep an ear tuned to them because they will be blowing up. They’ve steadily climbed the dance music charts with smooth remixes like “The Crystal Method Ft. Dia Frampton – Over It,” “Michael Jackson – P.Y.T.,” “TLC – Waterfalls,” and “Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines,” just to name a few. Their sound is unique and defies genre restrictions; fusing various influences from R&B and hip hop, deep to nu-disco to big room house.
Event Review
Friday’s show was cultivated by emerging Dallas entertainment collective, Can’t Stop Entertainment. Decorated by a posh interior, a full service bar, and a DJ booth at the front of the dance floor, all systems were go at The Globe. Furthermore, what was surprisingly impressive about the venue was its sound system. It was loud enough for people to get in the zone without wrecking their ear canals. Closed Caption and dBa Ren kicked off the Spring Break festivities by warming up the lively crowd to some deep house beats.
At 11:30PM, the Bixel Boys took the stage. Rob and Ian displayed their musical passion by enthusiastically jamming along throughout the entire set. Seeing the duo perform live was an ethereal experience. They kept the party live with their eclectic mix consisting of polished transitions, a Missy Elliot throw back, a slowed-down version of DJ Fresh vs. Diplo’s “Earthquake”, and a closing performance of “Over It” by Crystal Method Ft. Dia Frampton. Their music is so enjoyable because it’s strikingly diverse and it resonates a Californian spirit: good weather, good music, good vibes.
Interview
WRR: Can you tell us about how you guys started making music and then got together to form what Bixel Boys are now?
Rob: We sort of came from two different angles. Ian came from the DJing side, and I came from the more producing side of it. And we sort of met somewhere in the middle there and when we started to collaborate on stuff, it was the right mixture to be able to create what we’re doing now.
Ian: I think the dynamic too, was just good. We shared a lot of friends and had never really met each other before. But we had a lot of mutual friends. So the second that we kind of got together and talked about the idea, it was really fresh. And we came at it from a strictly musical standpoint. So we weren’t homies beforehand, but once we actually started talking about it a lot of our tastes met in certain places, but they were also opposite, so there was a lot of great push/pull and I think that’s kind of what comes through.
WRR: Your sound is fresh, innovative and blends everything from hip hop to R&B to trap to nu-disco to deep/progressive. What’s your equipment setup like and what programs do you guys like working with?
Rob: Yeah, we have a studio in Hollywood and we primarily use Ableton Live to arrange. But we have a bunch of really cool analog gear in our studio, so we have analog synthesizers and things like that. Vintage compressors, we have a lot of guitars and bases. I mean, we’re also really big on sampling, like we spend a lot of time just going through…just music. Just looking through music and sort of, chopping it up and looking for those samples because when you find those perfect samples–one sample can mold your entire song. And that’s all it takes. It just takes one piece and you know where to go from there.
Ian: And I think that in that – the sample portion too – is really important for us. Because it’s like – all of sudden – you hear the song and it’s all context. But then, starting to isolate little pieces–Just literally a millisecond of something can send you off in a different direction. And then once you hear that, all of a sudden…it’s like planting a seed and then it really sprouts from there.
WRR: Ian, you grew up in the Bay Area and Rob you’re from the Mid-West. Right?
Rob: Michigan, yeah.
WRR: But now you guys are based out of L.A. What is the music scene like in L.A. and how does it differ from other places you’ve played so far?
Rob: I mean, I personally think that it’s one of the most collaborative places you can be. I’m constantly overwhelmed on a day to day basis at the amount of talent that exists in L.A. And that’s really refreshing. What’s good about being in L.A. is that it constantly keeps you on your toes; because as soon as you think you’ve hit the next big thing – there’s already like 10 kids who are doing exactly that. But you shouldn’t look at that – we don’t look at that in a negative way. We look at it as a way for motivation. We see it as a way to try and collaborate and run off their ideas, and say, “what can we do better?” and “what can we learn from that?” And then take it to the next step basically and all that. So all in all, the music scene is one of the best in the world.
Ian: It’s such – I always try and describe L.A. as the incubator. There’s so many people that come there to make it. Whether you want to be an actor, you want to be a cinematographer, you want to be in, you know, graphic design, fashion – it’s one of those places. It’s like New York. You just go and you know that if you go there, the resources will be at your finger tips. And we’ve been lucky enough to meet some phenomenal people. And come across some great now friends that really help us, that have been to places we’re trying to go, and just kind of guide us and help us understand what we’re doing better. Because you’re really shooting in the dark. But I think L.A., dude it’s great. For all its faults it really is an awesome place to find amazing–
Rob: –A very supportive community.
Ian: Yeah, an amazing community.
WRR: Along those same lines, what are your go-to spots in L.A.? Where do you guys like to hang out, or where do you recommend?
Ian: TOWN HOUSE.
Rob: Town House, Town House.
Ian: Every time we talk about Los Angeles, we’ll get questions about venues and I really can’t stress enough that, the Town House, is this bar in Venice that has a basement. It’s this 200-person basement. It’s literally like half a block off the beach. You step outside and you’ve got sand on your feet. And that’s where I think both of us really got our chops up DJing. We have some really awesome friends – Guns In The Sun DJs, Steffi Graf, who now goes by Graf…Those are the guys that really helped us learn to DJ. They were DJing before I was, and they kind of helped me define my sound and what it means to be eclectic. And you play in a place like Venice where you have tourists, you have locals, and it’s a bar, so you really gotta figure it out on the fly. But I can’t stress enough that the Town House, in Venice, really shaped a lot of of the things that we’re doing. And to our boys Guns In The Sun and Latane and Peter and Matt, and Clay–
Rob: We love you, we love you, SHOUT OUT, we love you.
WRR: How do you guys feel about about being part of a new wave of EDM movement where genre lines are blurred and people are straying away from the typical, doing things with more creative freedom?
Rob: I mean, I feel amazing about it. I feel like this is the way dance music should have been forever. As soon as the internet was created, music should have been like this. Because the fact of the matter is, you have an unlimited resource of knowledge and creativity at your fingertips. So to, constrain yourself and your tastes to a single genre is just sort of…I don’t think it’s good for you creatively. I feel like we’re right in that amazing time where people are starting to sort of tap into that untouched knowledge which is the connectivity of all of us. Social media also drives that in a way. We’re all learning about each other’s tastes that we would have never known about had there not been Twitter, or Instagram, or Facebook or something like that. So I’m personally enjoying it very much.
Ian: Yeah, I think there’s a lot of heat that comes down on dance music right now. Particularly, right now. And I don’t think there could be a better time. I think that first wave of “THIS IS EDM” has passed now.
Rob: It’s starting to break through the clouds a little bit.
Ian: Right, so I think now is the time where you get to be free…you know? You can break out and we can do a trap song one day, and then we can go do like a break beat song–
Rob: And nobody questions you. Nobody questions your artistic motive. They’re not saying “oh they’re just doing stuff to be popular,” they’re just expressing themselves in whatever they felt that day. Like some days, we might be in the studio and we might feel like making a trap song. (Laughs) And it’s not because we wanna be popular, it’s because we felt like making a trap song that day. You shouldn’t limit yourself. Ever. I hope that we can inspire people because I get inspired when I hear other people sort of tag off of what we’re doing and take it to that next level, because it’s a place where maybe I didn’t think it could possibly go. So I encourage people to listen to what we do and do it better. I think that’s the ultimate compliment.
WRR: Yeah that’s pretty selfless.
Rob: Yeah, yeah, I mean that’s the reason that we do it.
Ian: We got really deep, guys. We just went REALLY DEEP. (Laughs)
Rob: We’re getting super feels-y right now. (Laughs)
WRR: We just went #onedeeper. (Laughs) SO DEEP.
Ian: (Laughs) Oh my God. The emotions are just RUNNING right now.
WRR: Speaking of emotions, I really respect your #FREELIFE mantra. Can you explain to our readers what it means and your inspirations behind it?
Ian: Yeah! I think it was this random thing. We were talking about Guns In The Sun and all our boys and stuff, and Venice, and it was this thing – it was so funny, but we were all wearing NIKE running shoes and then we were just saying “FREELIFE” and we all played random music. We played rap, and then go into some house shit, and then play some break beat shit, and then play some drum & bass shit. And we were like, f*ck it man, it’s just FREE LIFE. And the more we were gaining steam and stuff, it just really became being about “don’t bound yourself by anything,” and BE yourself. You don’t need to worry about making one kind of music one day, and like, “oh if that works” then stick to it. It’s like, do what you wanna do.
Rob: #FREELIFE works itself into all facets of life – it’s not just a musical thing. It’s sort of our musical mantra, but it’s also our style mantra, it’s the way we carry ourselves, and life, and it’s just about being comfortable and being you. I know that’s kind of cliche to say, but I think it’s also important to remind people of that because I think it’s easy to forget, especially with the pressures of every day, social media, and stuff…you feel like you have to be something by a standard of what other people have set. And our thing is don’t worry about standards and just do you, you know?
WRR: You guys have a merch line that’s about to launch soon. From the preview pieces I’ve seen, it totally vibes California/The Mid-West. It has a very Crooks & Castles/The Hundreds feel. Can you tell us about your projected release date, your inspirations and how L.A. and your music play into all of that?
Ian: Yeah! So I was living in L.A. during the time when Fairfax was just blowing up, and The Hundreds was on the way up. I was a kid and I would go to like- Bobby and Ben would have these talks at USC and I would go and sit. I would do that and I think there was a time after that when I was like “ah man, I can’t believe I did that.” But now that we’ve identified what we’re all about…and what we’ve really found to be a common thread between Rob and I – is that we both love sports, man – I’m not trying to geek on it or anything but that’s one thing that we know. We always talk about it like, rappers always say you rap about what you know. And we can’t be about anything else. We’re not trying to front, but we just like sports a lot. So I think the merch line and all of that reflects our taste. Whether it’s like the NIKE flip logo, or doing like–
Rob: The Raiders thing.
Ian: Yeah, like the Los Angeles Raiders stuff. Or we did like-
WRR: The ‘Hood By Air’ style shirt?
Ian: Right. That’s actually– It’s funny because that’s actually the L.A. Galaxy jersey. Their main sponsor is HERBALIFE, and we made it say #FREELIFE. So it’s all kind of tied back together, and my homie who makes these hats–so we’re doing a collab with my friend who does that. And we do what we know. We’re not trying to be any which way about it. These are the things that we know and if people vibe it, that’s great. Everything’s printed. So it’s all done. The hats are made. I think we’re just waiting for a really opportune time to launch it.
Rob: To put it out there, yeah.
Ian: But I think there will be a time when it just feels right. And we’ll drop it all then. But yeah, essentially that is what the merch is going for. And I think that’s something we’re gonna pursue a little bit more too.
WRR: Talking about new ventures, how excited are you guys for Mad Decent Boat Party? Getting turned up at sea with Diplo/Major Lazer, Floss and everyone?
Rob: I’m exhausted just thinking about it, but I think about a few days before it happens, I’m gonna be really geeked. I’m gonna be super stoked, like, the energy is gonna fly through the roof and I’m gonna be ready for it.
Ian: It’s in November and when we got hit up for it, “do you guys wanna do this?” We were just like YES. Like, without a doubt.
Rob: It seems so far away but I feel like I say that now and all of a sudden, November rolls around and it’s gonna be like…it’s going to happen. I’m just excited to share a space with not only other artists, but other fans. Especially in like, close quarters. I like the idea of being in an intimate close quarter space with fans as well. I think club experiences sometimes, depending on the club I guess, distance you from the fan in a way. It sort of puts you on a pedestal and it’s hard for people to wanna come and interact with you. And I think something like a boat party or a cruise party breaks those barriers because you become a part of the crowd in a way. And I found that very engaging and really inspiring. So I want to interact with people and have them come up and talk to me and ask questions.
WRR: I’m so glad you enjoy that. It means a lot to the fans.
Rob: I love it. I don’t like the separation factor. Especially when it comes to a DJ set. DJ sets to me are a very communal experience. I don’t think it’s a one person vs. the world, I think it’s just us, together. If I could have it any way, I would have the DJ booth right in the middle of the floor, and everybody around me rather than in front of me. You know what I mean?
WRR: Totally. So you guys released your Bring It On EP a couple of months ago, and I know you two started out doing remixes and are now working towards creating more originals. Congrats on that, and is a full length studio album in the works?
Rob: We’ve discussed album stuff, and we actually have a bunch of projects that we’ve started and we were like “this could be an album song, let’s put it in the little side pocket for a second while we get through all the other remixes and originals we have to do.” I think right now, we’re more focused on singles and EPs. Because we’ve only really been producing for a year. I would like our album to–I still think we’re sort of an evolving group and I think when the time comes for an album, it really truly will represent what Bixel Boys has become. And I think it’s good to collect songs as we move forward, and then compile all those things on the journey and create an album off of it. Rather than just being like “let’s make 10 songs and then smash them together into an album,” because they’ll all sound pretty similar. I think our album is gonna be this cool journey of the beginnings in the R&B world, where we are now, a little bit more aggressive, and wherever we are in the future.
Ian: We talk about it a lot too. The idea of an album to me, and I think Rob too, is SO important. And it runs so deep that I don’t think you can rush it–
Rob: When you know it’s there, you know it’s there. When you feel that it’s ready, you’re ready to do it and it’s just something for us. Like I said, it’s just part of the journey, part of the exploration of what we’re really trying to achieve as artists, and I don’t think we’re quite there yet. I think we’re still in the middle somewhere.
Ian: I think we just need to figure out what ‘Bixel Boys’ is. I think that’s a process that we go on every time we go in the studio.
Rob: We’re constantly an evolving sort of thing, and I think that’s what makes it the most fun to be honest. We’re changing every day and our style changes every day and I think that’s okay.
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Connect with the Bixel Boys via Social Media: Facebook, SoundCloud, Instagram, YouTube, & Twitter
The Globe Dallas Website: http://www.theglobedallas.com
Can’t Stop Entertainment Website: http://www.cantstopentertainment.com
DJ Black Frames: SoundCloud | dBa Ren: SoundCloud
WhiteRaverRafting.com would also like to thank Sean, Ollie, Michael and Ren.
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