Meet Nuxe, a 25-year-old producer and sample maker from Australia with 12 years of experience in music production. His journey began with a pivotal moment listening to Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites,” which opened his eyes to the emotional depth that electronic music can convey. Influenced by a diverse range of artists like Powderfinger and Neil Young, Nuxe has a deep appreciation for all genres that evoke emotion.
In the studio, Nuxe swears by UAD Spark plugins and SoundToys, particularly EchoBoy, which he creatively uses to enhance his sound. He advises producers to start their mastering chain with the UADx Neve 1073 Preamp and Pultec EQP-1A for warmth and depth. His broader tip encourages experimentation with different sounds and genres, pushing the boundaries of traditional production.
Nuxe photoshoot for ‘first ivy (instrumentals)’
Looking ahead, Nuxe is excited about releasing new sample packs and working with emerging artists. He’s also passionate about helping producers monetize their work on streaming platforms through his new distribution platform, Dreamhause.
Join us as we explore Nuxe’s innovative approach to music production and the inspiring journey that drives his creative vision.
1. Who’s Nuxe?
I’m Nuxe, a 25-year-old producer and sample maker from Australia, and I’ve been producing for about 12 years. My inspiration for creating music, particularly electronic music, honestly originates from Skrillex. Listening to ‘Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites’ was a genuine life-changing moment for me when it was released. I would listen to that song hundreds of times on repeat — at the time, I couldn’t believe how effectively Skrillex was able to convey emotion without words, even within a genre as abrasive as Dubstep. That concept, as well as the vocal chops in SM&NS, are still huge inspirations for the heavy use of emotive vocal chops in my current production. There was also a lot of non-electronic music in my house growing up that had a huge influence on me — Powderfinger, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Missy Higgins, KT Tunstall, and more. It was a bit later in life that I developed a massive love of hip hop, and that’s probably where my current trap influence originated. There was never and still is not a specific genre or artist that I only listen to; I really love everything as long as it can convey emotion.
CABIN FEVER by NUXE; a solo release
I’d been making hip hop beats throughout all of high school, so when I graduated, I started saving for a long trip to LA. We have a myriad of incredible musicians here in Australia, but it’s certainly not the place to be if you want to rub shoulders with big US rap artists and producers. It took me about three years to save enough money to move to LA for six months (my visa conditions meant I wasn’t able to work while in the US, so I needed enough money saved to afford to live). I worked a bunch of jobs I hated (I’m never gonna be a removalist again…), gave up my weekends to DJ at night, and worked at a local sports club during the day. I had to fly to the US consulate in Sydney and pass an interview to get my visa — it was a massive ordeal. I sold everything I owned (except my laptop, headphones, and speakers) and got on a plane to Hollywood. I didn’t have a single family member, friend, or connection in the US, I just hustled on Instagram DMs and walked up and down Hollywood Blvd and Melrose Ave, starting conversations with people I thought might be in the music industry (face tattoos were always a dead giveaway lol).
TOURIST by NUXE; a solo release
It was in LA that I met a bunch of the lofi rap guys — Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds, Snøw, Teqkoi, SadBoyProlific, Beowulf, and others — and we made a lot of songs together. We had huge support from The Bootleg Boy YouTube channel, so almost all the songs we put out did well on Spotify. LA was a crazy, lonely, weird, fun, productive, and formative time, and I look back on it fondly. LA is a different beast, I love the energy there, everyone’s ideas and ambitions are enormous, and there’s none of the tall poppy syndrome we have here in Australia.
I came back to Australia, signed a great publishing deal with Dew Process Publishing/Kobalt, and met my current managers. I have a fantastic team around me that I’m enormously grateful for. My publishers were the ones to introduce me to Lola Scott/Coward, whom some people might know me for my samples with (Lofi Vocals Vol 1-4).
2. What are some of your favorite VSTs/Tools?
Right now, the UAD Spark plugins are in all my sessions — Lexicon, VoxBox, Oxide, and Studer (I use a LOT of tape emulation) are some favorites. I use SoundToys religiously as well, particularly EchoBoy. Pro-tip: add EchoBoy to your sound, turn the mix to 100%, but turn the echo time to 0ms and the feedback to 0%. Now, scroll through the ‘style’ options on the right to give a completely new flavor to one sound or your entire mix. LittlePlate, Decapitator, SieQ, and Radiator are also favorites of mine. A lesser-known plugin I’m using a lot right now is SimpleClip by PotenzaDSP — it’s a super sick clipping plugin that I often find myself reaching for more often than T-Racks Clipper/KClip/Ableton Saturator/Glue Compressor Soft Clip.
The ‘Lofi Vocals & Guitars’ sample pack series by NUXE and Lola Scott (Coward)
3. What’s a tip you would give to other producers & musicians that you feel would instantly improve their craft?
I’m gonna give a specific tip and a broader tip. My specific tip would be to start your mastering chain with the UADx Neve 1073 Preamp (default preset) going into the UADx Pultec EQP-1A (default preset). This is on my master chain for absolutely everything (samples, beats, mixes) — it’s one of those things that makes a very subtle but incredible difference to your master, really opening it up and giving it warmth and depth. If you don’t have UAD, I’m sure a recreation of that plugin chain with Waves or Analog Obsession would work well, too. I really try to push everything through as much analogue emulation as possible.
The Neve 1073 & Pultec EQP-1A by UAD
My broader tip would be to experiment as much as possible with different sounds, genres, and plugins. Put plugins that aren’t supposed to go on certain things, on those things. Mash together different instruments that usually wouldn’t go together. Pitch up your entire session by an octave, speed it up, and throw halftime and reverb on it. It sounds silly, but it’s often in these slightly avant-garde approaches (or more often, accidents) that you find something really cool, that you might not have thought of for the particular sample or beat you’re working on.
I think trap production (as much as I truly love it) has become a bit stale, and I think producers would find huge value in pushing themselves to create something different, without any expectation that they have to share or release it publicly. Learning to record and mix vocals, for example, ended up being a huge learning experience that taught me a lot about not only vocal production but production as a whole, and it shaped a big part of my process even when I’m not working with vocals.
The ‘Drum Life’ drum pack series by Nuxe
4. What does the future hold and what’s next for NUXE?
There’s a hell of a lot of samples in the works. My WAVS packs have been going great, and I’m excited to release more. Lola Scott and I will also be releasing our sample packs on Spotify/Apple Music very soon. I’m obsessed with the idea of discovering incredible artists that may not have a huge platform yet, working on samples with them, and getting those samples out to an audience that might not have discovered that artist yet.
I’m also hugely passionate about helping producers maximize their income, particularly by monetizing their beat catalogues on streaming platforms. Some insane producers are already doing this and killing it right now (shoutout Noevdv, lucidbeatz, Mo, Mimo, etc.), but we need more producers to realize the commercial value of their catalogues, particularly beats with vocal samples. Dreamhause is a distribution platform I’m working on right now to bridge this gap. You’ll be hearing a lot more about this very soon — watch this space!
firsty ivy (instrumentals) by Nuxe; a beat tape
As Nuxe continues to push the boundaries of production, his dedication to innovation and collaboration is clear. With new projects on the horizon and a focus on helping fellow producers thrive, it’s exciting to see where his journey will lead next. Stay tuned for more groundbreaking sounds and inspiration from one of the most versatile minds in music production today.
