Up and coming name based in Stockholm, Mnexsis is about to deliver his debut release. This was the reason to ask him a few questions and get to know him more.
Hello! Thanks for your time! How would you introduce yourself to our audience?
Hi guys, thank you so much for having me on board.
I´m Mauricio, 32 years old (33 on October 19), born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden.
I am a music producer and I also freelance as a hardware & software synthesizer sound designer for companies such as Roland Corporation and Mystery Islands Music as NOVALINE which is the previous alias that I used for making Trance music. Making music is something i do after work hours as my daytime job profession is building a painter.
How does your creative process start?
That really depends on day to day.
Sometimes I just play around to see what happens and then go from there if it sounds good enough.
There are also times where I picture myself a scenario and then start to create something out of that. Like for example a female anime character standing on top of a building with blowing wind looking towards something. That’s just an example but you maybe get the point.
The reason for this interview is your debut release. What can you tell us the idea behind it?
Well, the idea of my new project MNEXSIS was to first analyze today’s melodic techno and see from what starting point i should go from. I decided not to sound similar to anyone else and take all my experiences from my previous trance musical journey and create something out of that.
So if you´re familiar with my previous alias NOVALINE, you´ll hear quite fast the identical sound design and elements that it sounds just like me.
In other words, the idea was to make melodic techno with trancy elements and make it more hypnotic, dark, and mystical. The last idea and fact were to make a hybrid sound with 90% hardware synthesizer sounds and 10% digital and use oriental psytrance mantra vocals which I thought you don´t hear that much in melodic techno.
What can you tell us about Desert Priestess?
I always think what story and feeling the track has to give and offer to the listener.
When I was doing the sound design for the track, it gave me a feeling of a middle eastern view in a desert, and then to spice it up, I had to think of what else or who else should be there. That something else was a priestess. So that’s the story behind the track.
How would you describe the current situation in the global electronic scene?
Depends really how you look into it.
In my opinion, in terms of creativity and production, it has been very effective as you can see a lot of producers are making more music than ever and there is always something new coming out.
Now correct me if I’m wrong or not, but from a DJ perspective, I think it´s been really bad for the DJ’s who aren´t established as the bigger names when all this started. Now I mean in an economical view. In general, you have to work hard to get somewhere as a Dj either if you´re independent or have a manager, but not it looks like you have to work much harder.
Now it looks like you´re allowed to have events with a certain amount of people depending on the circumstances and the rules of each country. I´m not a DJ myself, but that is my understanding of what´s going on right now.
How would you describe your sound?
A hybrid sound between Analog/virtual analog synthesis with digital sounds.
I used to use only Vst´s but I got kind of bored with it.
I decided as I saved up a lot of money to buy new gear and create something out of what i own today. Still saving for more synthesizers and I already know which ones I want. All my tracks will be 50 % analog/virtual analog and 50% digital.
Some will be 90% analog/virtual analog and 10% digital.
Desert Priestess and my second upcoming release are mostly only analog/virtual analog and 10% digital.
What’s your opinion on the current live streaming trend among DJs?
We live in a modern technological era where we can use new methods such as LIVESTREAM worldwide, and use that for the one purpose in the music scene.
I think it’s great that DJ’s are still motivated and try to keep pushing forward with live streaming performances and not give up hope.
If we didn´t have this possibility, i think the EDM scene would be dead a long time ago until Corona would disappear.
What is underground for you?
Haha, I finally get to answer a question like this!
Underground for me is something deep, dark, mysterious, industrial, melancholic, and non-mainstream. Something that has a deeper meaning and feeling.
I´ve never been a fan of mainstream music to be very honest. sure i can listen to maybe a few songs per day, but I get bored easily bored of it.
Tell us something about your gear?
My main and only DAW that i have used since 2003 is FL STUDIO.
I use mainly high end gear from brands such as EVE Audio, Rme, Esi and Ferrofish.
I own some classic vintage synthesizers such as Roland JP-8080/8000 & Sh-201, Waldorf Blofeld, Pulse & Micro Q, Nord Lead 1, Novation Supernova, Korg Ms2000 and Access Virus A.
I use every single synthesizer for different purposes as I know them in depth and know exactly what I am going to do with each and one of them.
I also own a few VST plugins from native instruments, Tone2, Waves, Mystery Islands Music hardware editors, Valhalla, Roland Cloud, Waldorf, sonalksis, Heavyocity, Fabfilter & FL Studio stock plugins.
Do you believe that an artist has to be both producer and a DJ?
Not really! Maybe I could be wrong, but I think it’s up to yourself to decide what you want to be.
In my case, I want to be a studio guy and create new music and sounds for a new and current audience and leave a legacy behind me. At least for now, I don’t think I would be having so much time to make music if I would choose to be a Dj and producer.
The future will tell what will happen next and if i get the freedom to survive economically with the music only so I can quit my daytime job.
What are your top 5 techno tracks at the moment?
That´s so hard to tell. There are so many tracks out there that are so good.
But to name 5 really good ones.
1. Hexaquart Leponx (vinyl)
2. Adam Beyer – What You Need
3. Modea – I Want To Fly
4. Invexis – Deus Ex Machina (vinyl)
5. Morttagua – The Mantra
What message do you have for all the producers currently working on their debut releases?
Don´t give up, work hard, and communicate with other producers, labels & DJs and be positive for constructive criticism.
I mean it took me about 5 years to get somewhere when I started from the very beginning as an amateur, and here I am with my knowledge and skills and all the references I have now and worked for. Still got a long way to go, but I’m still working on it.
Don’t forget to grab his release that is out on October 8th and keep an eyes on the artist via Facebook and instagram.
