Artist and producer NxxxxxS has released a new music video for his latest single “Every Day Further From You Is A Better Day”. The track, which features his friend and artist Arthrn, is a pop-rave mix full of smooth energy, auto-tune, and emotion. To depict it visually, NxxxxxS gained inspiration from one of his favourite movies, Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky. The 1979 science fiction art film shows characters laying on uncomfortable environmental elements for no apparent reason, and it is easy to see that influence in NxxxxxS’ own work.

NxxxxxS worked with Maison Mimésis to create a video full of trippy typography, atmospheric landscape shots, varying camera speeds, muted tones, and slight video effects that will make you rewind to check if you imagined it. It starts with two men following Arthrn and NxxxxxS, but the later pair quickly turn the tables and begin following their followers. It tells a compelling and enticing story of who-follows-who and feels like a darker version of a game you may have played on the playground growing up. Shot in Iceland during -18 Celsius / 0 F temperatures, the nature elements play a part of their own as NxxxxxS and Arthrn make their way through water, earth, air, and fire.

NxxxxxS’ upcoming album Short Term Agreement, a 19-track project, will showcase even more depth from the Paris-based artist — exploring different sounds and collaborations within a style all his own. We had the pleasure of talking to him about his musical inspirations, upcoming project, and constant evolution.

Watch the visuals…

And now for the interview…

Hey NxxxxxS! Where are we speaking to you from?
I’m in Paris right now.

Could you talk us through your start in music?
I started making music a super long time ago, like 2011. I remember watching Odd Future videos on YouTube and seeing Tyler The Creator making beats on GarageBand, that made me want to try too. I had absolutely zero knowledge in music, for example I had no idea the drums and instruments should have a particular rhythm, I was just doing everything randomly. I started by posting type beats on YouTube, like Odd Future, 9th Wonder, Curren$y, Mac Miller Type beats. I guess it helped me get my first audience, it was probably easier to reach people at this moment because less producers were doing it.

Who are some artists that have influenced your sound?
It changes with the time, when I started I would say Odd Future, 9th wonder, ASAP then with the SoundCloud era I got into phonk and the early SoundCloud underground scene like Xavier Wulf, Bones, Spaceghostpurpp, Dj Smokey, Da$h… Today, not necessarily for what I listen to, but for what inspires me, I like Dean Blunt, Falls, Young Nudy, Veeze, Windows96, ICYWTAT, Valee…

How was your upcoming album Short Term Agreement first conceptualised?
It was a bit of a challenge to find a way to make this album make sense because it started as just a series of features. It was really important for me to not make it be just a compilation of singles. That’s why I kept a lot of solo tracks and haven’t released any of them yet. When you listen to the album you’ll still be able to understand it as a whole, to follow a story and to feel a particular atmosphere. All the visuals are supposed to help make these things true, a lot of the solo instrumental tracks will have music videos to come along with.

Your latest single “Every Day Further From You Is A Better Day” is inspired by Tarkovsky’s Stalker. Do you often find inspiration in films?
Yes, for me, and I guess for a lot of people, music is a visual thing. When I hear a song (particularly an instrumental) I have images in my mind. All of my music is inspired by my favourite movies like Ghost Dog, Stalker, Ghost In The Shell, Pusher, Maps To The Star, Heat, Only Lover Left Alive…

I can give you a precise example of how a movie can inspire my music, there is this scene in the movie Heat where De Niro just met a girl and they are having a drink on his balcony enjoying the view, nice night weather; so everything seems cool but at the time but when you watch the movie you know things are not that simple and he’s actually dealing with a lot of other stuff. The soundtrack is a super 90’s synth track with electric guitars by Terje Rypdal. And on my 2020 album Blood Rage I have a song called “STALK (Feat. Saint Dx)” (who played the electric guitar) that is exactly a reinterpretation of what this particular scene and music makes me feel. It’s exactly what’s interesting to me, being able to share a precise state of mind with the person watching or listening

Lastly, what do you want people to take away from your upcoming project?
For the people who already know my music I want them to understand the evolution, hopefully to have them appreciate the fact that I got out of my comfort zone to work with more vocal artists. For the people who don’t know me yet, just enjoy the project, listen to the big songs but also take the time to listen to the more discreet tracks.