Last month, we were reminded of the quality in the original work coming from the production decks of Flaxo. And today, he's returned with yet another free download showcasing his talents. Remixing LA-based vocalist Lily Elise's original (and very personal) track "Taken," an emotional tale telling of the end of a relationship, Flaxo's attraction to different music for inspiration is clear:
Lily's original is a big, stadium-sized emotive anthem. I tried to capture some of the smaller, more intimate moments in her performance and bring those out with some kind of eerie synth work, small-sized ornamentation, and quiet plucks before a kind of groovy, slow head bobbing chorus.
While this remix is deep, dark, emotional and melancholy, it features heavy live instrumental elements that we hadn't seen from Flaxo at his start. In his own words, he's moved on from just making "EDM" and looking toward pushing his talents even further in his music making:
I got tired of covering the same bases: EDM remixes of pop songs, one club-ready original, rinse, repeat. That's the way the game is played, I guess, but I got really tired and felt unfulfilled, even when the music did well. I wanted to get a sense of ownership back over my music. So I listened to my favorite artists – Dilla, Premiere, Flume, FlyLo – and tried to capture the same passion and experimentation that they had.
As a Brooklyn native, it's clear he's among lots of talent as the borough attracts more and more talent to call the city home. With the city as his inspiration, Flaxo sees Brooklyn as more than just a trendy place, but a place to influence his music from all angles:
Oh man. The weight of history here is so big, and the number of people honoring that history is so big. I live close to where Cam recorded early dipset and where Jay made PSA. It's got roots of soul, hip-hop, R&B, blues carved into the sidewalk. I try to honor those roots and those voices of the city that sometimes feel a little distant.
Flaxo's remix of "Taken" is out now on his SoundCloud for free download.
Lily Elise
"Taken" (Flaxo Remix)
Free Download
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Electronic
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