In the ever-evolving landscape of trance music, few artists manage to craft a debut album that resonates as deeply with both personal reflection and universal truths as BiXX. Known for his uplifting productions and heartfelt vocal collaborations, BiXX introduces "The Voice of Reason," a 17-track journey rooted in emotional honesty, life lessons, and sonic exploration. Drawing from years of growth as both a producer and an individual, this album stands as a testament to his passion for music and his mission to inspire.
In this exclusive interview, BiXX opens up about the experiences and inspirations that shaped "The Voice of Reason," from tributes to loved ones to lessons learned in leadership and personal growth. Join us as we delve into the creative process behind the album, explore the stories woven into each track, and uncover how BiXX’s voice of reason continues to guide his musical journey.
Dimitris: What initially sparked the idea for this album, and how did the inspiration evolve over time?
BiXX:About 3 ½ years ago, I was having a conversation with my social media manager/mentoring coach about doing an album. He suggested I make an album, but I just could not get excited about it. Sort of like asking an author to write a book about nothing. Then about 6 months later we were discussing what was one of my best leadership skills that I used quite a lot while running my business? I kept talking about how I always tried to be that voice of reason to my employees, someone they could come talk to, someone they could trust. Someone who had a clear vision for where the company needed to go. Someone who could be that steady voice even during turbulent times. It was at that point, my mentor said that’s it? I asked what do you mean that’s it. He said The Voice of Reason is your album title.
It was at that moment, that I suddenly developed the passion and the vision of how I wanted to construct my album. It was going to be a series of inspirational titles from many of my life lessons. Soon after that call, I created an outline of about 25 song titles with inspirational messages I wanted to deliver. I managed to filter it down to 14 main ideas, plus 3 beautiful acoustical versions of 3 of the more meaningful vocal tracks.
So the key was to come up with a title that I was passionate about and opened the flood gates of creativity. 3 years ago, I created the first 2 tracks on the album Master the Mind and Inner Sanctum. Each of these tracks deliver a very specific message. Then it became a matter of trial and error, researching different sounds and reference tracks to work out a music plan for each track. And to figure out which vocalists I wanted to work with.
Dimitris: Were there any specific life experiences, places or emotions that influenced the album themes?
BiXX: Each track is based on a life experience. I am older than most artists in the trance music scene. This gives me an advantage of experience and perspective the way I see it. For where I am in my life, my motto or mantra is to deliver inspirational messages through trance music.
The album provided the perfect way to deliver these messages and to express some out of the box creativity.
The idea for the vocal track with Susana, Believe in Me, was born while writing the eulogy for my 92 year old father’s funeral. I realized how much my father believed in me. And how you can transform your life for the better by surrounding yourself with people who believe in you. It 100% works. Then of course the power we all have to change someone else’s life for the better by believing in them.
The track Beauty Within was inspired by a talk my mother had with me when I was dating pretty girls. External beauty will eventually fade but internal beauty never dies.
Karma’s Comin’ For Ya was inspired about a common phrase everyone talks about, but nobody has put it into a dance track.
Appreciation was inspired by my time in the business world being a tough boss, not showing enough Appreciation to my employees. Sort of a do over for me.
Every track has a much deeper message that is one of my life lessons I want to pass on to people willing to listen.
Dimitris: Which artists, genres, or cultural movements inspired the sound and feel of this album?
BiXX: My teachers and collaborators all had an influence on the sound and feel of the album. Darren Porter, Mark Sherry, James Dymond, Paul Skelton and Liam Melly. Ram Boon helped to keep improving the album with better tracks.
Dimitris: How does this album reflect my growth as an artist compared to previous releases?
BiXX: Well in general, the messages are much deeper and have more power since they fit into a story, like chapters of a book. Second, there is a variety of sounds within uplifting trance, progressive house, tech trance and orchestral music. An album gives you the freedom not be stuck in a box that perhaps a label or even fans expect from the artist. An album gives you the freedom to tell the story, thus, increasing creativity. I grow from each new person I work with. I worked with a lot of different artists including vocalists to take input and refine each idea.
Dimitris: Can you describe your creative process when producing this album from start to finish?
BiXX: As I mentioned in the first question, the title became super important to open the floodgate of ideas. It gave me a purpose, a story and actually made it quite easy to come up with the inspirational track ideas. It was like creating an outline for a new book. I have enough ideas for 2 albums and a title for the second album should I want to do another one.
Then with each track idea I wrote down some ideas for how I would tell the story in the track. What groove and type of bassline. What is the unique idea for the track. Come up with some melody and style track references. Decide whether I wanted to make it a vocal track or an instrumental. For the vocal tracks, I wrote inspirational narratives to help the song writer/vocalist to get inspired. I traveled around the world to work in the studio with various producers to help build out some new styles and new sounds, while maintaining my original BiXX sound. Just to give the album more diversity and to better tell the story. This was so much of an iterative process with a great team of people to keep refining and improving the album. In fact, I had to create a deadline. I would drop tracks off the album and add new tracks till I finally said no more. The release date is about 6-8 months later than I had hoped.
Dimitris: What role did experimentation play in crafting the unique sounds throughout the album?
BiXX: I did of experimenting, mainly mixing my favorite lead sounds and musical elements with input from several producers I worked with throughout the 2 ½ to 3 years it took to finish the album. A few of the tracks that I felt were too bizarre or different, are still unfinished and I decided not to put on the album. Think Beyond the Music, Own it, Another Door Opens and School of Hard Knocks are all experimental type tracks that I either released as singles or are still unfinished.
Dimitris: What software, synthesizers, or production tools were essential in bringing your vision to life?
BiXX: A key synth plugin is Spire. It is very basic but has distinct sounds I use in my tracks. I use various sound libraries in Kontakt. Their orchestral libraries are essential for many of the beautiful breakdown sounds. I use Valhalla Supermassive as a reverb plugin for the air and ethereal vibes. I do enjoy using Splice as a search engine. It is good for finding new sounds based on search criteria when you get stuck.
Dimitris: How do you approach sound design and layering to create complex textures in your tracks?
BiXX: Think of it as you are creating a cake. You have your foundation as the sponge. That is the main sound. Then you can decorate the cake with additional layers, frosting or sprinkles then glue it together. Each new layer helps shape the overall sound. Obviously, this is not the technical explanation.
Dimitris: Was there a track that went through significant changes from its initial idea to the final version? What was that journey like?
BiXX: By far the track with the most significant changes is my vocal track with Cari, Your Time Will Come. The track is about not giving up in spite of all the setbacks. Because if you keep staying the course things will eventually come back around and Your Time Will Come. The 2 versus in the lyrics were sung so beautifully by Cari, and the message was intensely powerful, the music to support this track needed to be orchestral underneath the vocals to bring out the maximum emotion. Then slowly build to a higher level of energy through the pure sound of a single lead eventually hitting a big banging drop conveying happiness and triumph. But this 2 plus minute breakdown is not great for clubs. It is great for listening, but risky for clubs. Thus, the freedom of an album.
Cari is the ultimate whatever it takes vocalist. We agreed to do a club version to be released as a single. The first verse was sung over beats to give it more energy along with a big banging melody.
She created a couple new phrases and ad libs for this version.
For the album dance version, the vocals are introduced for the first time in the breakdown, giving much more emotion and sincerity in the message. I call this the Sunrise Mix of Your Time will Come because it is some you want to listen to when your day starts. As the sunrises. Positive, happy emotional and encouraging with energy. A captivating track. It will take mesmerize the dance floor if you have a more mature audience that appreciates a long breakdown that is emotional.
I wanted to end the album with the listener getting a very emotional triumph of the human spirit type feeling. Something that leaves them inspired and with a wonderful feeling at the end of the album. A very memorable feeling they can come back and listen several times to experience again and again. So with the help of Paul Skelton and his incredible piano composer skills, we created a BiXX and Paul Skelton acoustic mix.
In summary, due to the powerful inspirational message and beautify way Cari sang this track, it morphed into 3 versions. Like eating at a Michelin starred restaurant: a meat or a fish dish prepared 3 different ways.
Dimitris: Can you discuss the mixing and mastering process for this album? Were there any unique techniques you applied?
BiXX: I learned in business a long time ago the importance of building teams. I would hire someone who from the moment they wake up till the moment they go do sleep, they think about their job specialty. So for the mixing and mastering I would go outside for help at various levels depending on the track. From grouping stems to preserve key sounds like the leads, to providing individual stems for optimal mixing and mastering. I also like to have new ears and eyes to listen to the track to catch any mistakes or places I can improve the track. I consider mixing and mastering both specialties that should be done by a specialist.
Dimitris: Could you provide a track-by-track commentary, sharing the inspiration, production techniques, and creative decisions behind each song?
BiXX: This would take me a year to answer, but I will give a short inspirational meaning for each track. The track numbers are below in order on the album.
1. The Voice of Reason – The album title track that tells the story of the purpose of the album, to help listeners develop their own internal voice of reason to keep growing and improving.
2. Glass Ceiling with That Girl – We all have our own built in Glass Ceiling which stagnates our growth from going any higher. This creates our own built in glass ceiling. Our glass ceiling is created by our own fears and self-doubts. Playing the what if game.
3. Sense of Urgency – Ideas are only wishful thinking without acting with a Sense of Urgency. I was really surprised at how many people who struggle in life to just get by, have no sense of urgency to get things accomplished. Great ideas with a sense of urgency creates greatness and riches beyond expectations.
4. Karma’s Comin’ For Ya – This track delivers a huge message exactly as the title states. The spoken words in this track are very powerful. They will stop traffic. They describe what many people are thinking and say about others who have wronged them, but are afraid to say it about themselves. This applies to all of us.
5. Beauty Within with Natalie Gioia– External beauty fades with age but we can work on our internal beauty for a lifetime. The beauty within never dies.
6. Moment of Truth – there are times in our lives when we have to make a huge decision. A life changing decision. How to we make the right decision? By knowing our core values and what we want in life. You would be surprised how many people have not taken the time to know themselves and what they want in life. I call this time before a major life changing decision, the Moment of Truth. Will you be prepared for your Moment of Truth?
7. Believe in Me with Susana– This is a tribute track to my father with a big message. Honor and appreciate the people in your life who believed in you. If you surround yourself with people who believe in you, you will eventually believe in yourself. You won’t want to let these people down because they believe in you. You will up your standards.
8. The Road Less Traveled – this is the difficult road. Don’t always take the easy road for some of the most difficult roads lead the most beautiful destinations. And go down your own road. Stay true to yourself.
9. To Find Myself with JSKA – We all get lost a few times in our life. Whether it be during a tragedy, making poor choices of who we surround ourself with, or even getting bullied. This track is about staying the course. That you can rise up from the ashes to eventually find yourself. This track has some beautiful opera singing in the breakdown.
10. Your Time Will Come – Answered in question 10. Production wise in the club mix using more layered leads to create a bigger sound. Big bass line and a huge melody for a very uplifting track. Lots of piano’s and strings in the sunrise mix with single pure sounding leads for a more simple but beautiful sound. And then the acoustic mix going with a very orchestral sound and using the sounds of a very ancient instrument, the duduk.
11. Beauty Within with Natalie Gioia (BiXX and Paul Skelton acoustic version). We used strings, piano and beautiful pads as well as some beautiful transition sounds. This track is stunning.
12. Fingerprints – I tried to go with a more pure trance sound like Solarstone’s Seven Seas, but still making it very different. The message is we are all unique people, like a fingerprint. Stop comparing. We are all so different. Also, we leave our fingerprints on the lives of other people who we touch. It is a very happy, uplifting track.
13. Appreciation – One of the greatest powers we possess is the power to show appreciation. One of the greatest gifts we can give, is the gift of appreciation. When I was a tough boss, I expected everyone to work hard. I did not show appreciation. That was a big mistake. I learned from it. This is my do over.
14. Master the Mind – This track draws attention to the importance of mastering our own thoughts. Our brain creates over 6,000 thoughts per day. Becoming the master of our mind determines how we reach our potential in life.
15. Inner Sanctum – This is a progressive house track at 124 bpm. I wanted to include a track on the album that is about finding your inner happy place, your inner sanctum. A place where you can go when you need to calm the mind. This track is also a perfect set up track for the final 2 tracks on the album which are acoustic versions.
16. Believe in Me with Susana (BiXX and Paul Skelton acoustic mix) – The emotions and the message in this track is so powerful, along with the beautiful vocals from Susana, just begs for an acoustic version. These orchestral sounds totally change the emotions one feels when listening to this track.
17. Your Time Will Come with Cari (BiXX and Paul Skelton acoustic mix). How does an artist end his album? Especially and album with so many inspirational messages. What is the message that I want people to feel from the last track? What is the emotion I want people to feel? To sum it up, I want the listener to feel ‘the triumph of the human spirit’. Like they can do whatever they put their mind to do. To feel a real sense of optimism and happiness.
Dimitris: Were there specific tracks that served as pivotal points for the album’s overall sound or theme?
BiXX: I would not say there were pivot points, but I would call them achor tracks. Tracks that would give the album some real pop. The 4 vocal tracks (Believe in Me, Your Time Will Come, To Find Myself and Beauty Within) that were released as singles are important to build excitement and streams. Then of course Glass Ceiling by That Girl is an album only track because of the style of track, not necessarily a dancing club track, but more of a dancing listening track. It gives the list of album only tracks a little more weight because it is a fantastic vocal track. The 3 acoustic mixes are designed to make the album more of a complete listening experience and to widen the appeal of the album. To highlight the inspirational and emotional intentions of the album. And last but not least, the album title track is very important to pull the listener in on the first track by explaining the album theme and experience.
Dimitris: Are there any hidden details or subtle layers in particular tracks that listeners might not catch on the first listen?
BiXX: Sense of Urgency is a track about the importance of having a sense of urgency to get things done. So many people don’t have a sense or urgency and wonder why they are stuck. In the breakdown we added a ticking clock sound to enhance the feeling of do it now. Act with a sense of urgency. Master the Mind has real mindfulness meditation sounds in the breakdown, similar to music we would listen to while meditating. I added additional rhythmic sounds to make it flow better as well as a cool vocal chop so it is more interesting. I think the breakdown is mesmerizing.
Dimitris: Did you collaborate with any other artists, vocalists, or producers on this project?
BiXX: I did indirectly answer this in previous questions. There is one big collaborative I effort I should mention with the immensely talented composer, Paul Skelton. It is like his hands are directly connected to the heavens. He is so creatively skillful on the piano. His key strokes are world class. I thought it would bring even more emotion and inspiration to the album if I included 3 acoustic tracks working directly with Paul Skelton. These 3 tracks are so beautiful that they can be enjoyed by a much broader audience.
Dimitris: How do you choose collaborators who align with your artistic vision and sound?
BiXX: This is a great question because there is a lot of thought and spending time with each collaborator to make sure there is a good fit. There needs to be alignment in values (work ethic), maturity, music style and other intangibles. Either I have worked with these artists previously several times to know if they are a good fit for my work habits and musical style. Or they were highly recommended to me by a person with very high standards. I put a lot of time and effort into making sure there is proper alignment. I have made some mistakes in the past and there was not good alignment which made for a frustrating project experience.
Dimitris: Can you share a memorable story or moment from working with a collaborator during this album’s creation?
BiXX: There are lots of great memories, especially the moment I received the vocals from Susana. I literally cried from the power of her lyrics and the beauty of her voice. It was indirectly a tribute track to my father. Your Time Will Come, the vocal track with Cari about not giving up had almost perfect timing. Normally, I write an inspirational narrative about a specific topic and ask the vocalist to choose one to write about. And I send a demo to sing over. In the case with Cari, we tried this approach, but she said this approach sort of paints her into a corner. She said to send her some reference tracks and more general inspirational philosophies that I am passionate about. Nothing too specific.
We met in Amsterdam for ADE in October to discuss the upcoming project. During the next 2 months my life hit a perfect storm. My father passed away 1 day before I could get home from ADE. About 1 ½ month’s later I got very sick and had 1 foot of my colon removed. Then I had a couple of very bad experiences with what I call sharks in the music industry. Totally my fault. I let my ego get the best of me. I was seriously thinking of quitting the music industry. The frustrations were greater than the rewards.
Then, out of the blue, I received Cari’s vocals and piano demo of the track, Your Day will Come. A track about not giving up. I was truly inspired by the track. The timing of the universe sending this track to me motivated me to keep going. To refocus my goals to be more internal than external. To do what I enjoy doing and don’t rely on others for validation. A real paradigm shift in how I approached my journey.
Dimitris: How do collaborations influence your creative process and the final outcome of your music?
BiXX: Nothing very complicated. I study the other artists strengths. Then I try to bring out the best in them. To present an idea or an approach that brings their best. It is not so easy and I sometimes fail. But I am getting better at it as a grow as an artist. It is up to me to create the inspiration to get the best out of the people I work with. I enjoy the collaborative process which makes it fun. It can be magical when you get into that zone.
Dimitris: How did you structure the tracklist to create a specific journey or narrative for the listener?
BiXX: I put a lot of thought into the order of the track list. I changed it several times. The first track is about inspiration to explain the album with some darker sounds. The next 3 tracks, while some degree of uplifting, are a little more driving without the big uplifting feel Then Beauty Within is a great transition track to go from a little darker to uplifting. Then 4 beautiful banging uplifting tracks with big inspirational messages followed by a stunning acoustic mix to finish the first 2/3 of the album. To give the listener a break with an injection of emotional beauty. Then 3 huge uplifting tracks going into the final part of the album, then slow down into deep emotion. The first track in the last section is Inner Sanctum at 124 bpm finished with 2 stunning emotional acoustic mixes. With the last track creating that triumph of the human spirit feeling.
Dimitris: Are there any tracks you think will surprise your audience, and why?
BiXX: Yes. Karma’s Comin’ For Ya. It surprised me. Once I found the vocal sample, Karma’s Comin’ For Ya, the message that needed to be delivered just took over. It is very bold. Something that everyone thinks and says when bad things happen to them. Let’s just say I am dedicating this track to anyone who wronged me over the years, and I hope that I am not on anyone else’s list for the same reason. 😊 Karma’s Comin’ For Ya is a surprising track. Like a cherry on top type track for the album. The track applies to all of us.
Dimitris: How do you hope listeners will feel when they experience this album from start to finish?
BiXX: First of all, I want them to enjoy the journey of different styles of music. Then experience some ah ha moments from the messages in the tracks. How will that message help them improve their life, their job, their approach to achieving their goals? And to also feel that they have never experienced such a meaningful and musically enjoyable album to listen to. Something that caused them to experience a variety of emotions and thoughts. It was my goal to pair inspirational messages with uplifting music to inspire personal growth and enjoyment.
Dimitris: What feedback from fans or peers has been most meaningful to you regarding this project?
BiXX: Interesting question. Often artists present ideas to fans on social media asking what do you think? All the answers that come back are this is great, can’t wait to hear it. I want to know what is missing. What can I do to improve the track? I have a few friends and fans who I send tracks for feedback welcoming constructive criticism. One of my friends is a real ball buster. He often rips my tracks apart. But most of the time he is right and he helps me improve my track. His heart is in the right place so I listen.
Dimitris: Looking ahead, how do you see the impact of this album shaping your future musical direction?
BiXX: The answer is year because the title of the album forced me to get a lot more focused on what is my brand. What do I enjoy doing the most? To deliver inspirational music through uplifting trance music. It has helped me fine tune my brand to be more in line with what gives me the most purpose and creativity. Love what you are doing and the rest will take care of itself.
Dimitris: What role do you think AI technology plays in the future of electronic music production, and have you experimented with it in the creation of this album?
BiXX: I think it will play a role. For remixes or bootlegs, it is now quite easy to rip vocals and specific sounds out of older tracks. Many classics can be remixed to the point original stems can be obtained if the publisher likes the track. I just finished a trance version of Brooklyn Bounce Get Ready to Bounce using the original vocals. Not sure what I will do with this track. It can help with song writing to come up with words that sound and flow better, but still at the direction of the song writer. For 6 tracks on the album, I used various versions of AI talking to help deliver the message in the title, rather than hire a vocalist. But you have to be careful when and how you use AI in tracks. It can be overdone. There are some great production tools coming onto the market using AI. I see it as another big tool in the tool box.
Dimitris: Please tell us your final statement to our readers who will read this interview.
BiXX: First of all, if you read the entire very long interview, thank you very much. It tells me you have a growth mindset and enjoy learning. We are in the short attention span economy. But most great success is achieved slowly, deliberate and more long term. If you want to lead people or even influence people, state your intentions through an interesting story. People love to hear interesting stories. My story, has been told through the inspirational title of The Voice of Reason. What’s your story?
Dimitris: Thank you so much BiXX for taking the time to share your journey, insights, and experiences with us. Your thoughtful responses will surely inspire and resonate with fans and fellow artists alike. We truly appreciate your contribution to the electronic music community and look forward to witnessing your continued success!
Thanks so much to BiXX for dedicating time and effort to reply this interview with so much useful and insightful details.
Thanks so much to Greg Sawyer at Additive Music PR for organizing this interview.
The Voice Of Reason Tracklist
1. BiXX - The Voice of Reason
2. BiXX & That Girl - Glass Ceiling
3. BiXX - Sense of Urgency
4. BiXX - Karma’s Comin’ For Ya
5. BiXX & Natalie Gioia - Beauty Within
6. BiXX - Moment of Truth
7. BiXX & Susana - Believe in Me
8. BiXX - The Road Less Traveled
9. BiXX and JSKA - To Find Myself
10. BiXX and Cari - Your Time Will Come (BiXX Sunrise Mix)
11. BiXX & Natalie Gioia - Beauty Within (Paul Skelton &BiXX Acoustic Mix)
12. BiXX - Fingerprints
13. BiXX - Appreciation
14. BiXX - Master the Mind
15. BiXX - Inner Sanctum
16. BiXX and Susana - Believe in Me (Paul Skelton & BiXX Acoustic Mix)
17. BiXX & Cari - Your Time Will Come (Paul Skelton & BiXX Acoustic Mix)
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