Joining us at the Lee Jeans pop-up studio in the Nexus Lounge, Amsterdam edition, we spoke with Ørjan Nilsen and Mark Sixma about their joint project NILSIX and what fans expect to hear from them in 2024.
A DJ duo like no other, NILSIX combines the talents of two incredible artists. Since releasing his debut album In My Opinion, in 2011, Ørjan Nilsen has gained a reputation for his distinctive trance and house tracks. Meanwhile, Mark Sixma was busy as one of the most productive artists on the circuit, releasing a constant stream of singles from 2007 up to 2021. And together, the two are even more significant than the sum of their parts.
By their admission, the NILSIX project started because a pair of good friends decided it was time to pool their creative talents and have real fun. That fun has led to an incredible output level, with the pair saying they recently finished two tracks in the space of a week.
“I think when we’re in the right place mentally and it’s just fun, and you’re working on it together, you can really get over those failed moments in production when you’re not sure what to do.”
While the two certainly don’t have set roles in their tracks, Sixma did describe Nilsen as “the king of writing a simple, catchy melody.” For those interested in the more technical side of production, it may be interesting to learn that both artists like to work in Cubase, making collaboration all the easier.
That being said, they don’t have one concrete starting point for a track like some artists but lean far more towards inspiration and iteration as the source of their creativity.
“There’s no recipe. We just start from the point we have. So maybe I have a beat I’ll send over to him. Maybe I have a melody, and he does the same. Basically, we never know what to do, we just do it. We don’t have any assignments. You have to go and do the beats.”
So what can fans of NILSIX expect from them in 2024? As it turns out, they’ve got quite the year planned. Not only will they be remixing a number of old tracks for Armada, but fans can almost certainly expect more new music and some incredible tour dates worldwide.
If you’d like to learn more about the NILSIX collaboration, their joint creative process, and how their musical tastes have shifted and changed over the years, then check out the full, exclusive Nexus Radio interview.
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