Contributing Writer
Amsterdam’s PARADIGM X has been honing his craft, blending sumptuous melodies with driving rhythms. With sights set on expanding on his successful 2023, we caught up with him following his debut appearance on NEED with his latest single, “Move The Beat.
We’re officially halfway through the year, what do you make of 2024 so far?
I started this year doing full-time music production, and I’m pretty happy with the upcoming releases following ‘Move The Beat’. This month, I’m producing the finale show music for a Dutch festival that will be held near Amsterdam at the end of the summer, so that keeps me quite busy, in addition to making my own tunes.
Your latest track ‘Move The Beat’ is set to land on NEED this month, how would you describe it to someone who hasn’t heard it yet?
Imagine you are dancing on the dance floor anywhere from Ibiza, Amsterdam to Berlin, where the music keeps on grooving from dusk till dawn, you will hear the groovy percussions along a bass drum hitting your body at 132 BPM vibing along those jazz-influenced chord stabs.
What was the inspiration behind the track?
I wanted to make fast-paced house music and infuse it with a very repetitive percussive rhythm. In my mind, I envisioned the percussion of DJ PP’s track ‘Desert Night’. I sort of wanted to recreate that same funky rhythm vibe.
Once I had set the groove I found an amazing sound which turned into the jazz chord stabs that go throughout the whole song. After two hours or so, I caught myself dancing in my studio and was so excited to send it directly to the label NEED.
The EP features a remix by Reboot, what sparked this partnership?
When I had a chat with the guys from the label NEED, I felt that we should also get a slightly slower version of my track ‘Move The Beat’, as the original is at 132BPM. They were in touch with Reboot, and he really liked the original, so he was very keen on delivering his remix, which I was absolutely blown away by, it’s such a nice deep groover.
Do you have a particular process or method that helps you get in the zone when making music?
Yes, for me, it helps to be very organized. My studio always needs to be very clean and empty. Before I start, I listen to a few tracks that I’m currently inspired by, to get into the groove and feeling. However, sometimes ideas pop up out of nowhere in my mind, then I just need to rush myself back to the studio to quickly turn the idea into the production.
What’s the electronic music scene like in Amsterdam, and in what ways has the local Dutch music scene influenced the artist you are today?
Today it is very vibrant. It looks like there is more music producers and DJ’s than ever. You can see loads of new talents rise up every month here in Amsterdam I must say.
I feel very influenced by the house music back of the 90’s, sometimes I discover an old house label that appears to be Dutch and then I just go over there whole discography to find if there is any undiscovered gold in there.
What’s an essential track every DJ must have in his arsenal?
This is very personal to the taste of every DJ, but if I had to choose it might be ‘Midland – Final Credits’.
When you think about it, you can play this track at peak time, or while warming up if you slow down the BPM.
Festival season is upon us, what would be your top three dream festivals to play at next year?
I would say it would be the places I would visit myself if I were on the dance floor. However, I’m much more of a club person than festival, I just love the cozy vibes of a club more.
Amsterdam’s clubs like Garage Noord and LOFI.
Festivals: DGTL, Dekmantel, Draaimolen
If you looked into a crystal ball revealing your future self on this day in five years time, what would you see?
I’m not sure if I would like to know what lies ahead in my future as I try to live in the moment.
Follow PARADIGM X
Instagram / Soundcloud