Canadian producer Waxman has built a reputation for melodic electronic music that values emotion, atmosphere and patience over chasing trends. Growing up in Toronto before immersing himself in Montreal’s thriving music community, his sound has been shaped as much by friendships and shared musical discoveries as it has by influential artists like Deadmau5, Flume, Max Cooper and Justice.
His latest release sees him return to Magnetic Magazine Recordings to remix Olendo’s ‘Folklore’, transforming the original into a deeper, progressive leaning interpretation while preserving its emotional core. The release also marks the label’s milestone 60th catalogue entry, continuing an ongoing creative relationship between artist and imprint. We caught up with Waxman to discuss his musical beginnings, the producers who shaped his sound, his evolving creative process, and why melody remains at the heart of everything he creates.
Where did you grow up, and how did your environment shape your relationship with music?
I grew up in Toronto, Canada and really fell in love with music in my teen years as most people do. But it wasn’t until I went to Montreal for uni that I really started delving deep into all sorts of genres and just basically having an insatiable hunger to find more cool and interesting music. It was also during these years that I started experimenting with music production. A bunch of my friends all got Ableton and just started messing around with it when one of our floormates showed it to us. I got pretty damn hooked (and still am!). I’ve always loved sharing music with friends and being given recommendations from them. I’d say my friendships have had easily the greatest influence on my relationship with music.
Who was the most influential person in your life growing up in terms of your musical development?
I’m not sure I can pick any one person – but I definitely have a handful of friends who instantly jump into my head when I think about this. Certainly some artists have also had very significant influences on me and my musical inclinations and ideas but I definitely think the music-sharing and gig-going-to has done the most (and continues to).
What’s the first memory you have of making music?
I downloaded Cubase when I was around 14 with aspirations of making hip hop beats. I quickly realized I didn’t have the patience at the time to properly figure out my way around a DAW but I did make a few suspect edits/attempts to sample. Thankfully I still have those files and no one will eeeever get to hear them haha.
When you think back to your earliest projects, what’s something you would do differently now?
Finish them quicker and move on. Like most producers starting out, I agonized over details that chances are no one but myself was going to hear or notice. Don’t get me wrong, every track/song is a product of all its parts but at a certain point you need to finish them or move on. You won’t discover the new ideas that are waiting for you in the back of your head and you won’t progress with new techniques, sounds, and creative direction.
Who’s been your biggest supporter throughout your career, and what’s their impact been on your success?
That’s a tough one. Obviously there are DJs and established producers who play my music which is amazing and always a massive moral boost (as well as legitimate profile boost) but I think I always got the most out of friends and family who legitimately listened and connected to my music. Something really special about that.
Who are the artists or sounds that most shaped your style early on?
I have a ton of old electronic faves who I still love to listen to. Deadmau5, Flume, Max Cooper, Justice, Boys Noize, Stimming. They were all early influences of mine when I really dove head-first into my love of electronic music and decided to try my hand at production. It’s funny how years later these guys are still some of my very favourite artists to play and listen to no matter how many different phases I go through and how many new artists I discover and delve deep into. I relistened to some Crystal Castles again recently and man does their stuff rock still.
What’s the one sound or technique that you think defines your signature style?
I love playing with vocals – chopping them up to create texture and mood, whether they’re leading the way, chopped up, or just kind of providing harmonic points of interest to create more depth.
What’s the one element every track you release has to have to feel complete to you?
Melodic emotional connection – sometimes it’s a lead arpeggio or a grain delay splashing weirdness all over the upper frequencies. Or punctuated by vocals. I’m not really going to pursue a working on a track if it doesn’t hook me first with melodies.
Can you describe how your creative process typically begins when starting a new track?
I change it up but generally the way I work is with an expanding loop. First maybe just 8 bars, then develop more ideas and push out to 16, maybe 32. Then play within that loop. I map parameters to my controller and essentially jam out the track. If I’m dancing in my seat and getting into the flow of it all, then chances are the track is a keeper. It gets promoted from my general project folder to my ‘projects to finish’ folder and I keep developing and eventually arrange it!
What inspired you to create this particular song?
For this remix (and really for any remix I work on), I listened through to the parts and picked a few that I really liked. Then I deleted the others and started building around those parts – in this case, primarily the vocals, but also the guitar found it’s way in in a sort of underscore/background way.
How does this song reflect your growth or evolution as an artist?
I love doing remixes because they tend to come out with less of a leadtime than EPs and singles. So this one is kind of a sneak-preview of where a lot of my music will be going over the next year or so (it’s already gone there but it just won’t end up released until then!).
With ‘Folklore (Waxman Remix)’, Waxman once again demonstrates the measured approach that has become a defining characteristic of his work. Rather than reinventing the original for the sake of it, the remix builds on its strongest ideas, adding fresh perspective while staying true to its emotional identity. As his music continues to evolve, it’s clear that curiosity, patience and genuine connection remain the driving forces behind every release. ‘Folklore (Waxman Remix)’ is available now via Magnetic Magazine Recordings.