BT, a pioneer of Trance and IDM and the mind behind the groundbreaking Stutter Edit, sat down with us at the Nexus Lounge Miami during Music Week — and, unsurprisingly, delivered one of the most thoughtful interviews of the week.
Reflecting on his long history with Miami, BT shared that his relationship with the city has transformed. “I had this very dystopian view of Miami because I was always here for work,” he said. But after moving there recently, he fell in love with the lifestyle. “I can rollerblade to the water and be under 100 feet of water in 10 minutes. The food, the energy, the culture — I didn’t get it until now.”
BT also walked us through a few defining chapters in his career, like producing Billie Ray Martin’s “Your Loving Arms”, which he worked on in England during a time when Radiohead was recording The Bends in the same studio. “It was a very special time in dance music,” he recalled.
A trailblazer both musically and visually, BT shared that the artwork for his albums has always been a vital part of his creative process. “I painted many of the pieces for Emotional Technology. Every album is a cohesive body of work.” Now on his 16th artist album, he’s still curating every element down to the cover art.
Health and balance are also a priority for the multi-hyphenate artist, who says he no longer tries to prove anything — just to enjoy the life he’s helped build. “In my 20s, it was all about proving. Now it’s about participating in the culture and enjoying it.”
From composing orchestral scores for films like “Monster” and “The Fast and the Furious” to producing pop hits like “Pop” for N’SYNC (yes, really), BT’s creative range is staggering. “Justin [Timberlake] and JC would fly from stadium shows to our House of Blues gigs. They asked for my signature edits on Justin’s vocals — and that became “Pop”.”
As part of our signature Take 5 segment, BT shared deeper reflections — from how he processes failure (“it’s the greatest teacher”) to the purpose of human existence (“learning to love yourself and others”). When asked how he knows a track is done, he explained, “Your brain says, ‘just one more tweak,’ but your heart says it’s finished. You walk away — and that’s when the emotional integrity stays preserved.”
Check out the full-length and exclusive interview with BT below — a must-listen for any fan of dance music’s past, present, or future.
