Watching a Krystal Roxx DJ set can leave you short of breath. Not because she’s drop dead gorgeous but because of the sheer energy she exudes – her passsion for music is unquestionable when she’s in the DJ zone. We caught up with Krystal to chat about her new single We Are Amazing, her Superfoxx club brand, and playing alongside Fat Boy Slim at Morning Gloryville…
Your new single We Are Amazing is out now. Tell us about its sound. Does it epitomise your production style?
I have been playing with a lot of Disco and House loops and sounds for a few years now and I am a huge Bass music fan, so I wanted to make something that sits with where I am looking to bring my new stuff to – I am trying out the sounds of the future, my friends!
I worked on the remixes with some awesome people to find my feet in some of the other styles I like with Marc JB from Bimbo Jones, Mark Loverush and Stereojackers, Brendan Mills aka Jammy, and have been working with some incredible production partners such as Youngr and Matt Nash, and I think we have something really special to introduce into 2016.
You are the founder of the Superfoxx club brand, which you describe as an ‘immersive clubbing experience’. What is involved in a typical Superfoxx night?
The whole concept is to bring all elements of a night and day out together. We are opening in London soon and have some incredible people involved. We have the best of everything from live music, DJs, art, fashion, visuals, break dancers, food, drinks and fitness, all curated by the people that come to and are part of our events. It’s a creative hub of the finest women we meet from London and around the world.
When is the next Superfoxx event – we hear you’re launching a residency at Tape in London?
We are doing a big party in November on the 26th which is all a bit of a secret at the moment, then we have an amazing residency at Tape, and then we’re off to Verbier to the slopes to see my awesome friends, and then the Dominican Republic at Christmas.
As a DJ you exude a contagious energy behind the decks. What gives you this fire in your belly?
Eating healthy, bringing superfood and drink and the essences of fitness and yoga into everything I do. That’s what we do with Superfoxx, it is perhaps more complicated than people will ever see, it is an actual formula to how to feel good. It has become a bit of a mantra. I love the fun we have as a huge group of people of all ages who love music, fitness and all the best bits of life, and that is why I started Superfoxx.
Where have you been deejaying this summer? What has been the best party?
I think the best parties of the summer were certainly playing in Austria to 90,000 people and performing at Morning Gloryville with Fat Boy Slim, it was such a brilliant morning and the crowd there are simply my kind of people. I love the whole team and vibe there and playing with such a legend was just awesome, you won’t have ever seen a crowd react like realising it is Fat Boy Slim playing Praise you at 6am in the morning… heaven on earth!
Fitness is a huge part of your lifestyle. How do you motivate yourself after late nights and hectic tour schedules?
I guess it is because I have such an incredible group of friends and just generally enjoy life. I spend my days and nights doing what I love and building Superfoxx to being this epic lifestyle that has just made me realise how we all can do something that can benefit others, and that means a lot to me. We put our profits into educating a future generation of people by showing the positive role models and a beautiful way of life, you want to jump up and dance if the environment makes you feel so good. I love the whole process of making others happy, that’s what music can do – it transfers everywhere. I was in the Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, Miami, LA, Bangladesh through to Ibiza in a matter of days, and people everywhere can always enjoy music and dancing, I feel it is a powerful way to communicate to others.
You regularly play for Morning Gloryville – a very early morning club event where there’s not a drop of alcohol in sight! What goes on there?
I think the alcohol companies would have us believe that alcohol is necessary for partying, but I think that the whole way Morning Gloryville has taken off shows you that no matter what time of day it is, we can all have a really good dance and don’t need a single bit of booze to do so. I am all for a night out on the Razz, but I much prefer being up with the sunrise and partying with my mates from the Loose Cannons, Goldierocks and Timanti, whilst wearing a Superhero costume. I think we may have lost some of that fun side of nightlife recently and I am loving bringing the fun to new crowds.
For those unfamiliar with the Krystal Roxx name, where did you come from – how did it all start out for you? Was it easy to catch your first break?
I made a mixtape for a friend who loved it, and then I had to learn to DJ fast after being put forward for a gig at Oval in Embankment – I was so nervous! I then worked the length and breadth of the UK and Europe touring with Hed Kandi; I deejayed for Taio Cruz who is such an awesome guy, and also for Ricky Martin, seeing how those guys can command 100,000 people makes you realise you can do anything if you put your mind to. I don’t think any of the music industry is easy, but if you enjoy what you do then you build a fan base of people like you. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next few years. I have some awesome things to surprise people with along the way.
You are passionate about mentoring young woman, giving them the skills and confidence to achieve what they want in life. How do you go about this?
I get people to speak to me, and the awesome women I meet in the day-to-day work that I do and also at gigs, who I ask if they’d like to get involved in offering advice to women and girls in mentor videos that I make available online. I encourage people to speak the truth and be themselves. Sometimes people know what they want to do in life, and sometimes they still don’t. You sometimes hear it was easy, and sometimes it is tough, but all want to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. It is so inspiring.
We then host Superfoxx Events for under 18s where they can experience the whole immersive side of what we do before they are old enough to come to a club night or fitness event. They get to meet the role models we feature in our online Superfoxx videos, so they can ask first hand ‘how did you become a Superfoxx?’ It is so incredible to see women of all ages benefitting from meeting each other and then seeing that having a positive reaction to the people around them.
You’ve launched London’s first all-female DJ academy. What was your motivation to set it up?
We started the Academy as people kept asking me to teach them to DJ and I had to always explain that learning to DJ is not just about the technical it is the performance element as well and really taking people on a journey. Gosh, I bet that sounds really dramatic but it’s true. So I teamed up with the incredible genius of technology that is Samantha Nelson who is without doubt one of the most incredible Superfoxx DJs I have met, and we made the first London DJ academy for women and girls.
What should we look out for next production wise?
It’s a massive tune featuring Kelli Leigh, Youngr and myself – you won’t believe how addictive it is as a tune and the remixes are from some massive names. I am really loving making tracks with awesome people and cannot wait to keep making people feel good with the music I make.
And lastly, what keeps you up til’late?
Usually, I would say one of my gigs at Superfoxx and a cracking tune from Mark Knight and the guys at Toolroom, but right now it’s all about Phonox in Brixton before brunch with some friends.
We Are Amazing by Krystal Roxx is out now on Superfoxx Records
Buy on iTunes
https://readymag.com/57226
