Epic builds, booming bass, and huge, screeching drops. Flux Pavilion is his name and dubstep is his area of expertise. Last month eager fans were torn apart by his massive sound at Electric Forest as Flux ripped the Tripolee stage apart with his signature tunes.
With all the news and hype swirling we were excited to get a chance to pick Josh’s brain with some unique questions about everything from his early roots to his wildest aspirations. Check it out below.
Who were some of your biggest musical influences while growing up as an artist? Did you try to model your sound after anybody in particular?
Flux: I grew up inspired by music that made me feel stuff, rather than sounded good. I know that sounds broad but I really did listen to a lot of music growing up. My sound really came from my surroundings and what I had available. I just tried to squeeze as much as possible energy out of my instruments.
What are some of the advantages to having an artist like Doctor P being your right hand man running Circus Records?
F: Well he is one of the best producers I have come across and that’s certainly a blessing. I’m quite a wild worker in the studio and things get out of hand so it’s nice to have someone super skilled to come and help me tidy up if I need it, and the same works both ways. Sometimes things just need to get a bit fucked up before they start feeling right.
How do you feel about bass music flourishing and resonating with today’s fans? Especially regarding the more nuanced sounds of Tipper/TRUTH/Youngsta etc. to name a few
F: It doesn’t surprise me, because the music is great. It’s what I listened to when I realised there was a whole world out there to discover and I think the internet has helped more people discover it too. It’s nice to hear people talking about Tipper, his Wobble Factor album was a constant when I was at university.
Do you ever foresee/want the more rhythmic bass music like “Night” by Benga, or “Jahova” by Rusko coming back? Do you ever drop those old songs in your set? If so how do people respond? Do you notice a different reception in the US and UK?
F: I’m never pining for an old sound or hoping for a new sound, I’m just soaking up the moment and making sure I love what I do. It’s cool that more and more people are discovering this kind of music because I can draw back to old tracks and they hit as if they are fresh. A good song never gets old really and there is plenty of older stuff that isn’t showing its’ age.
What was the direction/inspiration for the new album? Can you give the people a couple adjectives to describe it?
F: If it feels good, it is good. Sound is only a part of music; soul, feel and groove are important too. I wrote this record trying not to get so caught up in the sound of it and make sure it simply feels like a killer Flux album.
In a past interview we’ve read about your philosophy on the divide between “Flux” and “Josh”, and also of your desire to branch out. Now that the album is done, what’s going on with those ideas that don’t “tickle the box of what Flux Pavilion is”? Can you tell us any of those ideas?
F: I can’t tell you anything yet, but you will know when it’s ready.
Similarly, we’ve also read of a Flux Pavilion live band. You said “But I stopped it, not a full stop, but I’ve put a comma on the project because I haven’t put out a really big, fresh lot of music” but soon you will. Does this mean we may see the live band?
F: Yes it does, can’t tell you when but I have been in rehearsals and it feels fucking awesome!
To follow that up, did you make any songs on the album with the live band in mind?
F: Kind of, I have done that in the past and it felt a bit disjointed, but I always write from a musical perspective, so translating it to live isn’t as big of a job as it could be.
Pretend it’s 2020, where do you want your Flux project to be? What do you hope to be doing?
F: I hope to be as proud of my music as I am today!
To wrap it all up, any shot-outs or lesser known artists we should be on the lookout for?
F: New guys on the label Diskord are smashing it! I’m about to take them out on the road for their first ever US tour, it’s gonna be eye opening and emotional.
A big thank you to Flux and his team for making this possible! Stay on the lookout for Josh’s new album, and hopefully, the live band in the near future. While you’re at it take a look at the video below, Flux wants to share his take on the highly controversial DJ Mag voting competition. See what he has to say about the process:
Connect with Flux Pavilion
https://www.facebook.com/fluxpavilion
https://twitter.com/fluxpavilion
https://soundcloud.com/flux-pavilion
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