By Sean Maldjian, Contributor

Meet Nuxx Vomica

A self-portrait by, Nuxx Vomica

Would you rather…

only be able to buy things with coins or by trading random objects? Please explain.

Trading random objects! I already have so many knick-knacks and random objects lying around, I’d be rich! Besides, the idea of finite value has always been so abstract to me. I’m a firm believer that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Some questions with Nuxx Vomica

If you could create your own Ben and Jerry’s flavor, what would it be?

Man, that’s tough. I love ice cream, especially Ben and Jerry’s. If there’s one thing I think I’d love, it would be some sort of a mashup with chunks of dried mango. Maybe with vanilla? And some Mexican Spices? They could call it “Mango Mayhem.” “Mango Tango.” 

What gear was essential in finding your sound as Nuxx Vomica?

When writing, I love switching synths as a way to spark new ideas. Finding new synths has become somewhat of an addiction for me (as I’m sure is true for many musicians). But one of the best and first pieces of gear that I ever purchased is the Akai MPC 2000XL. It has endless capabilities when it comes to sampling and sequencing, and I like the simplicity. It forces me to think, yet can still allow for happy accidents along the way. 

Was there a catalyst or spark that brought the project together?

It’s kind of a cliche, but it was a break up with my partner and music collaborator that really got me writing for this project. It wasn’t so much of an emotional drive as much as it was just an increase in time for me to focus on my own project. 

I absolutely love the look of your album art through your two recent releases. Who does the designs? What’s the inspiration behind them?

Thanks! Sam Mckenzie, a really cool Brisbane-based Illustrator, made my logo and album artwork for ‘Burn It’. For the second release, ‘A Different Place’, I actually did the album artwork myself. The image is a glitched-out frame from the music video for ‘Claustrum’, that was shot on tape. It came together pretty organically. I love how a glitch can create something I wouldn’t have thought of. I also felt like the image captured the cabin-fever, the feeling of isolation and failure that we’ve all enjoyed over the last 12 months. 

What was the creative drive behind your December release ‘A Different Place’?

I wrote most of the music during the first half of 2020, which - as everyone knows - was an emotional rollercoaster. I was mainly swaying back and forth between intense feelings of anger and helplessness. Looking back, I wrote this EP as a way to escape what was happening in the world. Each day, I was recreating the goth dance parties I used to love - all for a party of one.

How do you feel about the reception to your 2020 release ‘A Different Place’ so far?

I’m grateful and surprised to have gotten the support that I’ve gotten so far. I self-released it on my label, Surveillance State Records and wasn’t expecting much more than the support of my friends. It’s been exciting to get the attention of a wider audience, and I’m eager to release more music soon.

What is the best snack food of all time? Why?

Let’s be real here: Hummus. You can never get bored with so many flavors and vehicles for dipping. I went vegan for about a year when I was 20 and I think I lived pretty much solely off of different forms of hummus for that time period. Not the healthiest choice I’ve made, but my taste buds never got bored. 

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Nothing is perfect, and nothing turns out as you first imagined. That’s the beauty of it, and kind of the whole point! So much great art comes about when the person making it fails at what they were attempting, so don’t let your quest for perfection – or one specific sound - silence you.