Johnny Reyes and Jonnie King of AEONIX recently released their single, “A Star Was Born” featuring Kelly Day. I was able to interview them and get some insight into what makes AEONIX unique and how the two came to work together. You can check out their latest single below, and the full interview shortly after that!
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First, can you tell our readers a little about yourselves?
We really enjoy getting weird in the studio and making animal noises.
How did you first form AEONIX?
We had a mutual friend that introduced us. We soon realized that we had a lot in common as to where we wanted to go with our musical careers, and decided to sit in the studio and do some tracks together. The chemistry was there, so we decided to go all-in with it. After all, Reyes means Kings, so how could we not try it out.
What are some of the biggest challenges of working together rather than a solo project?
We have different work flows, merging them was a task, but we ultimately looked toward the end result. We each specialize in different areas, so fusing these elements has turned out really well.
What first got you into electronic music? Was it a specific DJ / producer or something else entirely?
Jonnie: In my teens I was introduced to artists such as Paul Van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold. The way they incorporated melodic aspects into trance music was very alluring to me. I kind of went in and out of electronic music, because I was a rock n’ roll guy at heart. Then when I moved LA my whole lid got popped open.
Johnny: I went to Homebase in Oakland. Then I asked for DJ equipment for Christmas. The rest is history.
You have just released “A Star Was Born” featuring Kelly Day, what was the inspiration behind this track?
Lee Burridge and the whole Burning Man experience heavily influenced this one. We wanted to bring a cinematic presence to electronic music, and really saw this composition as being a perfect introduction for the project.
Do you have musical inspirations you look to for ideas when producing?
Tons, but it’s more of a mad scientist approach. We’ll hear sounds from the most random things, such as construction workers building a house, and figure out how to make that sound cool in a dance track. We try to cultivate the ear candy we use. We’re obviously inspired by a lot of people, but always try and reach outside the box, sometimes painfully. We’ll sometimes spend days on a single sound.
What music is normally playing when you are not working on anything AEONIX related?
To start our days, Jonnie listens to Kundalini mantras, and Johnny listens to NPR. It really depends on what we are working on at the moment. If we are pulling heavy 18-hour studio sessions, it’s pretty much silence for a while afterwards. Our mind’s really need peace. Sometimes you have to check out a bit and ground yourself to stay motivated.
Outside of music, how do you guys spend your time?
Jonnie: I try to workout and do yoga as much as I can. I’ve been a personal trainer for 10+ years so staying healthy is very important to me.
Johnny: I spend a lot of time at Venice beach. I’m also a really avid soccer fan. Go FC Barcelona!
If you could play any festival or venue with one other artist, where would it be and with who?
Hm. Hardest question ever? Monkey Safari would be awesome to collab with. Those guys are so innovative with everything from their sounds to branding. They really understand how to intertwine melodies into their grooves. We met them at Further Future and had a few words with them before our performance. We’d love to play a B2B with them at Sonar one day 😉
For 2015, what musical plans do you have besides the new music you’ve released thus far?
We just wrapped our LP and are going to start shopping it out soon to labels we think will fit best with our sound. Some really good labels we can’t mention right now have expressed interest in a few of the singles we have sent out, so it’s just a matter of logistics right now.
Do you have any advice for up and coming producers/DJs?
Learn on decks before you decide to turn to a laptop or controllers. Be prepared to be your biggest promoter. Never settle for mediocre selections during your sets. Stay away from the bigger hits. Everyone plays them. Taste is everything, so make sure you spend adequate time hunting for new music continuously. Learn how to read a room. This takes years and years. Don’t plug one of your songs in if it doesn’t fit the mood. If you do play one of your songs and it doesn’t work on a floor, see where you lost the crowd and go back to the drawing board from there. Be extremely versatile with your sound, and don’t limit yourself to one genre. You want to be able to play anywhere from a daytime pool party to a grungy warehouse after-hours. Do your research on the industry. Know who everyone is, from the small-town DJs around you, to the label heads.
Any last thoughts?
R.I.P. Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Big L, Big Pun, Nate Dogg, Eazy-E, and all the fallen soldiers.