Name: Alisa Chernysheva aka Inox Traxx
Occupation: Producer, DJ
Current release: Inox Traxx ‘It’s All Just Memories’ is out now on RPM by KNTXT. Get it HERE.
Recommendation for Berlin, Germany: I’d recommend visiting Volkspark Friedrichshain in Berlin. I love walking there, and sometimes I go for a run. There is a mountain that actually was a bunker, Mont Klamott. If you go up to the top you have a nice view to the Berlin TV tower at Alexanderplatz. Also there is a lake and a lot of trees. It feels like you are in a real forest, not just in the park in the city.
Topic I am passionate about but rarely get to talk about: I like perfumes and scents, but I don’t talk about it that often. Its difficult to choose a favorite one but I find very nice scents are from Byredo and Le Labo brands. If I wasn’t making music, I’d be creating fragrances instead. I would try to create something from eucalyptus for example.  

If you enjoyed this Inox Traxx interview and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook. 



When it comes to experiencing strong emotions as a listener, which albums, performances, and artists come to mind?

What first comes into my mind is ‘Untrue’ an album by Burial. Very emotional, deep, melancholic music.

My favorite tracks off that album are: “Archangel,” “Raver,” “Near Dark” and “Endorphin.”



There can be many different kinds of emotions in art – soft, harsh, healing, aggressive, uplifting and many more. Which do you tend to feel drawn to most?

I’m most drawn to melancholy.

I am a melancholic and introverted person and I see melancholy as something that's not bad or sad, it's just what it is. I am happy with that.

So art with a melancholic touch attracts me more.

I have had a hard time explaining that listening to death metal calms me down. When you listen to a song or composition, does it tend to fill you with the same emotions – or are there “paradoxical” effects?

Yes, absolutely. There are songs that bring me a lot of joy.

For example there is my favorite song from childhood, ‘La Isla Bonita’ by Madonna and it always reminds me of summertime. For me its joyful music.



But when I want to calm down, I love listening to Frédéric Chopin. For example: Nocturne No. 8 in D-Flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2.Performed by Artur Rubinstein.

Or Nocturne No. 1 in B flat minor. Performed by Artur Rubinstein.



In as far as it plays a role for the music you like listening to or making, what role do words and the voice of a vocalist play for the transmission of emotions?

I think the voice plays a big role in music, and I love how it can also function as an individual instrument.

In general, vocals are very attractive to me — three of my tracks have been inspired by vocals (samples that I found), and the entire composition was built around them.

One of these is ‘Free’ from last year’s KNTXT EP. 



When it comes to experiencing emotions as a creator, how would you describe the physical sensation of experiencing them? [Where do you feel them, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or a build-up of tension etc …]

It feels like warmth in my chest that flows up through my neck and shoulders into my head - the same feeling you get when you’re in love.

When it comes to composing / songwriting, are you finding that spontaneity and just a few takes tend to capture emotions best? Or does honing a piece bring you closer to that goal?

The first take usually captures the idea and emotion best. Everything else is just the technical side of things.

How much of the emotions of your own music would you say are already part of the composition, and how much is the result of the recording process?

I believe my music is full of emotions.

Music is emotional before the mastering takes place because the idea of the composition is a combination of sounds that fit together very well and some right sequences. It’s like a dialogue between elements.

For your current release, what kind of emotions were you looking to get across?

For ‘It’s All Just Memories’ I didn’t really set out to convey specific emotions. I think, unintentionally, circumstances in my life brought me certain feelings, and I made these three tracks pretty quickly. It’s more about expressing those emotions in the music than trying to get something across.

The source of the emotions is too personal to talk about haha.

How do you capture the emotions you want to get across in the studio?

It’s an intuitive process.

Honestly, I don't really know how I make music - it just happens. My head isn’t thinking at that moment; I just feel that a certain sound or sample is right and how the arrangement should go.

It’s literally one of my favourite things to do.

How does the presence of the audience and your interaction with it change the emotional impact of the music and how would you describe the creative interaction with listeners during a gig?

I love seeing when people respond to my music with smiles and happy faces, when they feel free to express themselves - especially in the moments when they go wild, in a good way, of course.

What kind of feedback have you received from listeners or concert audiences in terms of the experience that your music and or performances have had on them?

After my Berghain closing set, when I left the club, a lovely couple came up to me and told me that they had a date while listening to one of my tracks - they fell in love and are now together. That really touched my heart.

They had been dancing in front of me for my entire set - real legends!

The emotions that music is able to generate can be extremely powerful. How, do you think, can artists make use of this power to bring about change in the world?

Music is a really powerful tool to change minds and shift perspectives, and an artist has the power to connect millions of people around the world.

When you meet someone who’s a fan of the same music you love, you immediately feel a connection. Artists have the power to unite people.