Fox Stevenson Talks About His Newest EP, His Production Process, & More!

UK artist Fox Stevenson talks about his newest EP, creating multiple genres, and his love for rock climbing.

Fox Stevenson has made quite a name for himself in the span of a few short years. He’s released on major record labels such as Spinnin’, Disciple, Firepower, and Liquicity. And he does not just produce music in one singular genre – this guy does it all. From house tunes to drum & bass and even some impressive dubstep tracks, you can get a good idea of how talented Fox Stevenson is from the sheer spectrum apparent in his production.

Stevenson went back to his drum & bass roots on his newest EP, Take You Down / Melange, which he released on Liquicity. The EP features vocals from Fox himself along with catchy melodies and his trademark synth stabs. We had a chance to catch up with Fox Stevenson and chat about the new EP, how he creates music in so many different genres, and much more.

Related: Can’t get enough of Fox Stevenson? Read more about him in our 2017 interview!

Stream Fox Stevenson – Take You Down / Melange EP on Spotify:

You produce a variety of genres from d&b to house to dubstep – when you’re making a track, how do you pick which genre to make?

Pretty much just on a whim, I have ideas showing up in my head of any genre or off genre stuff too, I just go with whatever’s going on in my brain. Usually, if I try to make something specific from the offset without an idea it ends up pretty soulless, usually.

What was the production process behind Take You Down / Melange EP like?

Both very different. “Take You Down” was kinda cobbled together from pieces of bandy / rock recordings I’ve been part of recently then remixes into what it is now. “Melange” I wrote in Croatia while on holiday with friends. It came about from a little sound design idea, which eventually presented itself as the main riff in the track.

“Melange” features your signature synth stabs. How is this achieved from a production standpoint?

Usually, the stabs just start as saws, then after finding the melody, I’ll supplement it with another layer to get it the tone to fit the mix right. It’s way more about the choice of chord phrasing than the sound if you ask me.

Is there any special production that you’re currently challenged by in a new way? How do you overcome the challenges of a new genre or collaboration in your production workflow?

I’m always working on new stuff. Every track poses different challenges. I wouldn’t say that’s related to which genre it is – I often find it best to remove the idea of something being of a certain genre, because that can influence your creative decisions, and you end up just making something following a trend or typical trait, instead of letting the track be the track.

When you go into the studio, what’s the number one goal you have in terms of creating a song?

There isn’t one. I think goals for tracks are dangerous. I reckon it’s best to let the track tell you what it wants to be. Listening out for that is the fun part because no one would hear the same thing being suggested by an early sketch.

Liquicity is one of the biggest d&b YouTube channels out there. How did you link up with them for this EP release?

Been with Liquicity for years! They were my first big break into being promoted, all the way back in 2008.

Given your vast touring over the past year, what are you most excited to accomplish touring this year? Is there a location or event you really want to hit?

I’d love to finally get to Australia and do another Asia tour too.

In our last interview with you, you mentioned that you’re an avid rock climber. With all your producing and touring you have going on, do you still make time for rock climbing?

Yeah! Climbing twice a week still, everything gets quiet when you’re working hard on a route, which by comparison makes your internal ideas louder when you need them.

What are some personal goals you have set for yourself in 2018?

I wanna cement Fox Stevenson within the dance scene as a particular sound and tone, not as a genre act, which will involve making sure that there’s good crossover appeal between the various groove sets I like to use.