{"id":327,"date":"2024-05-20T16:23:35","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T15:23:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/echoes\/?p=327"},"modified":"2024-05-31T13:11:07","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T12:11:07","slug":"navigating-the-melodic-maze-with-feux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/feedbackmag\/2024\/05\/20\/navigating-the-melodic-maze-with-feux\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating the melodic maze with: Feux"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

North-West London rapper, Feux<\/em><\/strong>, spoke on his future headline shows, dream collabs, and the importance of being authentic with his craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telling stories through his expressive lyricism, the 23-year old\u2019s dynamic sound and raw approach to his craft undoubtedly sets him apart from other artists. Touching on topics of battles with mental health and feeling lost, Feux understands the importance of connecting with an audience on a deeper level. Growing up in a French household originally inspired his sound, flitting between English and French through freestyles, his urge to experiment is what makes him so refreshing. He is constantly evolving and switching-up his tune, pushing the boundaries of rap. From uni dropout to over 150,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, we discussed everything from his newest album, MAX MANTRA, to his first ever headliner which is set to ignite stages across the UK in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Since this interview Feux went on to play the max mantra tour and had a blast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really appreciate you setting some time aside for us today -Go and introduce yourself to the readers!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, thanks for having me. My name is Max. I make music under the name of \u2018Feux\u2019 which is a French word for fire. I\u2019m from London and I\u2019m 23. I also do creative direction, I model, and yeah, just tryna do my thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel like your genre is a mix between rap and trance-like instrumentals, would you agree?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to say what my exact genre would be, but I think something kinda more alternative, soulful, but with the incorporation of hip-hop. You can have an indie song where I\u2019m singing, and then there\u2019s a rap verse within that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your most recent project, MAX MANTRA, incorporated more singing, was this something that was new to you at all?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo be honest I\u2019ve tried to sing for many years and this project highlighted it in the best way. I\u2019ve always tried to sing in my tracks, like \u2018Life\u2019 was one of my first times singing on a song. I\u2019ve always tried to not just <\/em>be rap, that\u2019s my main thing, I would rather stay away from it and try and make my own kind of genre. But yeah, I\u2019ve always tried to sing, I love singing, and for me it\u2019s a great way to express yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you enjoy experimenting with your sound?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah definitely. I think it really depends on who I\u2019m working with, but whenever I release, It’s like, is this an improvement? Has my ability to sing gotten better? How has the mix of the song gotten better? Does it feel like an elevation and evolution? That\u2019s kinda like my main focus. Sometimes experimentation comes with that. I\u2019ve got some producers that I have a lot of fun with and mess about and experiment and do some crazy shit, and then sometimes it\u2019s a bit more straightforward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Dan Hall: Feux<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cPeople ask me, if you were in the studio with your favourite artist, what would you do, and I say I would probably not go to that session. Like yeah, I\u2019m just not good enough to be in the studio with Kendrick Lamar, it\u2019s as simple as that [laughs]. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a pessimistic mindset, to me it\u2019s like I\u2019ve got a long way to go, but I’ll get there eventually.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I read somewhere that your older brothers rapped- did this spark your interest in the genre?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah I’d say so, to an extent for sure. The eldest was good friends with some artists that are still making music, and I think seeing his friends rapping, and him trying to rap as well was pretty cool, that was like early days of my childhood. And then, there\u2019s my mother who\u2019s a classically trained pianist and that\u2019s where I got the feeling for music from, like I was in the womb when she was playing piano, and that\u2019s kinda always been like my interpretation of where that came from, cause it was very unexpected for me to end up making music [laughs].\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe end of 2018 was when that kinda flame was sparked somewhat. then I\u2019d say I properly got my teeth into it in lockdown. I went to University in Glasgow, then I dropped out and covid hit, so I was just obviously in a position where I could make music for hours and hours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your creative process like? Do you have any personal, little rituals?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI guess I find melody first then I write to that, I just voice note whatever I find, that\u2019s when I\u2019m tryna be more impulsive with my creations. There\u2019s other methods where I may start with the writing, but I always try to cater it to the music, that\u2019s how you find that symbiosis the best. There are rituals I have before performing, like I do breathing meditation, mindfulness like that, but when I make music I always try to keep it open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a hard one- but what song or project are you\u2019re most proud of?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis project MAX MANTRA was quite a big achievement for me because it was like the biggest thing I\u2019ve done up to this point in terms of just the planning, the music, the promotion, the videos. Every aspect was so thought through and so meticulous. And there\u2019s some songs that I’m glad I made. \u2018Life\u2019 for example, I’m glad that in that moment I wrote something that I felt. I don\u2019t listen to that song anymore, but it’s amazing to see people appreciating it and it helping them in a way as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you say your French-speaking Belgian-roots sets you apart from the crowd?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always try and make it me<\/em> when I make music, I always just try to think of how I feel, and how I wanna approach it, just so it comes out as authentic as possible. It\u2019s a hard question when it comes around, it’s like what makes Feux\u2019s music Feux, I think it’s just the merging of experiences and sounds that I listen to and trying to make that into a tangible thing that sounds good.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I could probably count on my fingers how many other French artists there are, so it definitely is. I didn\u2019t mention it just cause it’s not something I\u2019ve done enough of to necessarily say I only brand myself as an artist that raps in French and English. I\u2019ve only got a handful of songs like that. Early days I rapped in French quite a lot, and that was kind of a big part of you know, the foundation of my sound, something I want to do more for sure, but it’s much harder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve got performances coming up in March, how have you been preparing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had rehearsal yesterday for it with a band, with the<\/em> band, which is cool. It’s still a learning process with the whole instrumentation side of things. I’ve got some amazing musicians around me who are helping me build this up to something that will hopefully be really great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy main goal, honestly, is to just enjoy it. There have been so many tours, and shows that I’ve been clouded by anxiety or just thoughts, and I think for me it’s just when I’m on stage, I have to just channel being in the moment as much as possible and enjoying it, and celebrating it. I\u2019ve opened up for so many artists, I\u2019ve always been the support act, so to have my headline is a big moment for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who do you want to collab with in 2024?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are mostly producers to be fair, people like Venna<\/em><\/strong>, a guy called Emil<\/em><\/strong>, guy called Jonah<\/em><\/strong>, guy called Jay Mooncie<\/em><\/strong>. I\u2019m just tryna dig into working with producers and finding that new, next wave of music. And then artists, maybe not 2024, but Little Simz <\/em><\/strong>would be great at some point, you know, Kaytranada<\/em><\/strong>, all in due time, I’m in no rush. These people have been crafting their sound and their music for like 10 plus years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are carving their way in the industry?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, I find it hard to find a balance, find a routine, because you have to be strong and implement it yourself. I\u2019d tell them to get ready for a whole lot of work, a whole lot of dedication. I think like you get to a point where your life becomes the artist, and it\u2019s a whole compromise really of your wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they were rap- I would probably tell them to stop listening to rap, and to listen to other genres. I stopped listening to rap for a while and that\u2019s when I thought, what I was consuming was what I was putting out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBe yourself is always quite a basic one, but if you can try and channel your experiences and your tastes into your art, it’ll always come out better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But that takes a long time to get there, so that\u2019s kind of like a down the line thing, the goal for an artist is to just be like you and to be singular, rather like, beatboxed into a genre. I think just enjoy it, yeah cause it can definitely get tough, it can get overwhelming, but when you have those moments to really have fun or enjoy the moment-\u00a0 you have to push yourself to just love it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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