Interview with Hotboxx

During the whirlwind of Amsterdam Dance Event, we had the chance to connect with Hotboxx, an artist whose signature blend of groove-heavy beats and polished production has earned him a growing presence on dance floors worldwide.

His sets carry a distinct personality, equal parts vibrant, smooth, and irresistibly rhythmic. All in all, making him a standout in a scene that moves at lightning speed. As the city buzzed with showcases and creative energy, Hotboxx opened up about the inspirations behind his sound, the evolution of his artistic identity, and the momentum that continues to drive his music forward.

Your sound spans House, Deep House, Tech House, Minimal/Deep Tech, and Latin influences. How did you arrive at such a broad palette, and what ties all these styles together for you?

“Well, I think I've just listened to a lot of music through all my life. There's definitely been phases where I've been more into things and less into other things. And I think a lot of creatives like to make a lot of stuff, what they release may not be so all over the place, but it's kind of just been the journey, so to speak. You know, I started with kind of the groovier stuff and the gigs you play have so much influence too. I was playing a lot of lounges at that time. I had a lot of residencies, more chill type places and that musical influence pushed me to make a lot more of the deep house, house-y groovy stuff, which I love to this day and still make some. Recently, I've been releasing more club centric things, but I've also been getting booked for more club centric and festival type gigs, where I'm playing higher energy. So I think that's kind of pushed me into some of the Latin and tech stuff that I've made in recent times. But, you know, it's really just been part of the journey. I love it all. And I'm trying to find a way to make it all cohesive. And I think I'm kind of getting to that more through the percussion where even if it's a deep house track or a tech house track, there's something in there that's noticeable. Like, oh, this is a Hotboxx track. And so that's the whole idea, just trying to develop my sound and really hone in on it."

You’ve mentioned you’ve played quite a few sets. Would you say there's a particular venue or an environment that’s influenced you the most or has been your favourite?

“I've been able to play, thankfully, a good amount of places, especially recently. I would say, there's a residency I have now in Nashville that's just a special place as far as the environment. They're very family, they know me well. Everyone takes care of everyone. That's definitely helped. I wouldn't say there's a venue in particular that pushed me to the sound, but they've all had different influences at different times. There's definitely some more special venues that I've been able to play that are more iconic type venues that have been special to me, as like a milestone in my career type thing or festivals that I've been able to play like a milestone in my career, but I wouldn't say there's something that particularly is tied."

In a scene where sound and format are evolving quickly, how do you make sure you remain true to your artistic identity while still moving forward and exploring new sonic territories?

"I think it's really just knowing the track. If it's something that feels like it might not be right for me, maybe that track I use it for some other reason, sell it to somebody, use it as a beat for a vocalist, whatever it may be, but don't necessarily have my name on the front end. I really try to keep the Hotboxx sound somewhat cohesive, even if one's a little groovier and loungier, versus one being, more clubby, but I still want there to be a general direction. And it makes it easier too for talent buyers and booking agents to be like, ‘Okay, this is the type of show that he plays’. And I do try to really mix all of that in my sets. I try to kind of create a story and build something. So I do mix within those genres as well depending on, obviously the gig, but it's really just trying to stay genuine and not get caught up in trying to make something that you think is going to blow up, and just staying true to your sound and keep creating because sometimes you don't know what's going to hit. And at the end of the day, it might be the song that you hate and it ends up hitting. It has to be in the style that you want to create, and that's what I'm trying to push… just make sure my sound stays consistent."

You've talked about milestones already, and we are here at ADE, which is a huge event in the industry. What does ADE mean to you at this point in your career? 

"It definitely feels different this year than when I came two years ago. I feel like there's been so much progress just in the people I know and the people that we’re meeting up with and having talks with. Shaking hands with people that we've been able to release the tracks on or collabs that I'm working on, being able to meet them face to face and kind of solidify the progress that's been made. Also playing an opening party was absolutely amazing too. So it's definitely time to sit back and kind of breathe and say, ‘Okay, we're going somewhere with this’, which is a great feeling. But at the same time, no time to take the foot off the pedal and kind of know, okay, the work's there and now when I get back, it's time to hit the garage store again."

You played at an ADE opening party this week. What did you bring to your set that perhaps you haven’t shown before?

"I did play a couple unreleased tunes that I haven't played, that I just finished recently. I was able to play a release that came out today, called ‘El Ritmo’. So it was a good place to just showcase, played a lot of original tunes. I wouldn't say that there was something in particular, but I always try to bring something a little different in the style of mixing and whatever it is. And again, I got to at least showcase a few tracks that were first heard here at ADE, so that was nice to do."

Given that ADE brings together a global audience with varied tastes, how do you craft your set to balance the deep/groove side of your sound with the more high-energy, dancefloor moments?

"For me, it's finding, I always say like a bridge track is kind of my idea. So if I'm going from higher energy techhouse stuff and I'm trying to go into something more deep and groovy, what's a track that can connect that? What's a track that's maybe in the middle, that has kind of the tech housey rolling drums, but maybe it has more of a deep housey baseline to then be able to bring something else in that's more of a groover or vice versa, if I'm trying to turn up the energy and go from kind of the groovier chiller stuff, find that track in between, to get into the higher energy stuff. So, I think it's just being cohesive and not trying to take a whole 360 turn set to me, it's making it sound like it's a set and not single tracks. I mean, that's what the best DJs do. There are ways to do certain things, quick cuts and stuff where it can still be really cool where it's a more obvious transition, but it's still clean on the ear. But I would say that it's finding a way to just make everything flow cohesively and I really don't ever plan my sets or anything like that. I'll go in and pick 100 songs and be like, okay, I'm going to play some of these tonight and half the time, I play two of them. And then, end up going, I'm really feeding off the vibe of the crowd, you know? And if I start going in a certain direction, if I'm playing a little groovy and the people are really resonating with it, then I'm going to stay in that bag. But if I see that, maybe I threw in one that was a little bit, that bridge track and people were starting to go with it, then I'll keep going in that direction. So it allows me to kind of flip back and forth in directions while keeping things cohesive and also, reading the crowd and making sure I'm doing something that they enjoy. And the environment has so much to do with it too, right? Like it's clubs versus festivals, a daytime set on a rooftop versus a nighttime set in a warehouse. I also picture those things, even when I'm producing, like where would this track play? And some of them would be good anywhere, but for some of them, I can really picture this in this kind of environment. You hear it there and it really hits differently than when I played it in the place that it wasn't necessarily the right time or vibe. So I think that people should think about that more, even when they're making tracks. Like, what situation could you picture this? What set could you picture an artist playing this, and kind of visualise that. Because it's cool to know and normally it has worked when I do think of something, and I go and play it in that kind of scenario. It ends up in the way I thought it would."

While you’re here in Amsterdam for ADE, have you discovered any artists, labels or sounds that are catching your attention — and might influence your next release or set?

"Last night, we actually ended up at this Slap Funk party. Definitely a really cool, very underground party. I  was hearing things that I don't normally hear and there was one guy playing tech house in particular there, but it was just the way it flowed, the set was perfect for that setting. So that really made me think about making some stuff like that. And it was still very much on par with my sound, just a little bit more underground, just a little bit darker. So it was cool to kind of hear some different stuff. There's been great music all week, honestly."

Looking ahead, where do you want your sound to go in the next 12-24 months? Are there unexplored genres, techniques or collaborations you’re excited about?

"Yeah, so I got a ton of new stuff I'm working on right now. Like I said, a release just came out today. I got a release in three weeks on House of Hustle, a release from Material in January and a few others that are lined up, that we’re just waiting on the release date. So I'm excited for all of them. It's music I've been dying to get out there. As far as collabs, I've been working on a lot of stuff with a bunch of artists, Vampire Sex being one of them. And many, many more, as well as probably a big one that I'm looking forward to that I'm doing vocals on. We haven't finished, but we're working on a couple tracks together with Josh Butler. I'm working on some vocals for him and linking with him this week to kind of talk about things. I’m really, really excited for that collab."