Electronic production duo Naxxos is fresh off the release of their 2017 debut EP, Animal, and just released the EP’s latest self-titled single featuring English singer Dionne Bromfield. Rather than support the track with a traditional music video, Naxxos have opted to push the soulful, crackling single with a performance video which finds them recreating the beat live, perfectly complimenting Bromfield’s cinnamon vocals and electric energy.
Bromfield is the scintillating song’s star as her voice recall the sugared-and-spiced, soulful style of her godmother, Amy Winehouse. Naxxos incorporate clicky drums and swirling electronic sounds that evoke a slowed-down, smoother EDM sound, complete with computerized synthesized vocal clips. The contrast between the throwback vocals and the futuristic production creates enough friction to turn the smoky slow-burner into a potential hit.
Animal is a unique experiment in similarly fusing disparate and unusual sounds, and the results speak for themselves. Naxxos themselves describe the album as a mix of future bass, trap, future house and melodic pop. The members, Chris and Max, who have never revealed their last names, met in high school in Austria and began creating tropical-influenced house akin to Major Lazer’s early work before they began feeling the constraints of only working in one style.
“At one point, we just said fuck it, and tried something new,” explains Chris. “That was the turning point for making this EP. We’ve made it our rule to always evolve our music. This way, we feel we can go anywhere without getting stuck again. The essence of our songs remains the same: Melodic, lots of knocks and percussive elements.”
The formula certainly works in the live performance of “Animal,” which shines with that essence, and will almost certainly put Naxxos on the mainstream’s radar as a group to watch. The Animal EP is available now through Le Sofa.
