Taking over the 1s and 2s for this month’s mix is Up and Away founder and purveyor of all things electronic Poly-x.
AMF met Poly-x DJing at The Crown & Kettle and really enjoyed his emotive and melodic selection. His mix for AMF doesn’t disappoint; it’s an uplifting, introspective, and emotional mix that pulls all the right strings at all the right times. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Catch our interview with Poly-x below:
Hey Poly-x, aka Emmett, how are you, hope you’re good. Thanks for putting together AMF’s first mix of 2022 we’re really excited to talk with you and hear all about your musical influences and journey. I always like to start these interviews by asking our guests to tell us a bit about themselves. When did you start DJing and why? What did that journey look like for you?
It was around 2015/16 when I first started messing around with a DJ controller and a laptop, this was a year or so into my exploration of electronic dance music in clubs. At that time I still didn’t really know what exactly it was I liked about dance music but I definitely wanted to find out.
Over the years I eventually found the sounds and styles I loved and began taking DJing a bit more seriously. I delved into it a bit when I went to University in Bristol and studied Electronic Music production. This gave me the technical knowledge of music to help me pick apart what I loved so much about all of the different types of music I play.
You’ve said you like to focus on the deep and melodic elements of dance music and I was wondering if you have any inspirations in the dance community that you look to and that help you model your sound? Are there any DJs, producers, club nights, or venues you constantly look to and admire?
I think my inspirations come from lots of different avenues, whether this is from different genres of music, indie, hip-hop, techno, house, or even things like playing a new sci-fi video game or watching a movie.
All I know is that in most of the media and art I surround myself in there is an element of escapism and brightness, this is one of the reasons I love to include bright and hypnotic melodies in the tracks that I play and produce.
In terms of inspirations, there are many huge DJs and promoters that inspire me with the work they do on and off the decks, some of these being Nick Warren, Guy J, Lee Burridge, Oliver Koletski. These are all people that share what they love and have found the people that love it too.
You’ve recently started your own mix series called Up And Away, can you tell us a bit about how and why you started that? What are you looking to get out of the venture and how’s it been going so far?
This follows on very well from the previous question. I think that finding your niche in the current world we live in is very hard and you are able to consume so much different music that you might not always know where you belong.
I wanted to start Up and Away to show people, particularly in the UK where the scene for this music is not flourishing as much as other parts of the world, that there are also people that are into this and you know where to find them.
Let’s move on and talk a little about your mix. True to form, it’s a melodic venture through electronic music. Moving, a bit mellow, and at points pretty emotional. How did you put this mix together and do you have a process when it comes to recording a mix? Do you tend to plan a mix out meticulously or is it more of a free-form endeavor?
I take a different approach with most mixes I do, this all depends on who or what it’s for. I think with a mix for podcasts like All My Friends I was a lot more strict on my song choices and very much intentional with the vibe I was trying to portray.
In this mix, I wanted to show who I am not only as a DJ for clubs but also my tastes outside of the dancefloor, including tracks with a much slower tempo than you may have heard of me before as well as a lot of vocals and organic instruments.
That being said, when I DJ Infront of a crowd I tend to get a bank of tracks that can tailor for a lot of different atmospheres so I can always keep hold of the crowd, surprise them and try to give them a set to remember. I believe taking the energy from the crowd and relaying it back to them is the best way to get them on your side.
Are there any stand-out tracks in the mix you wouldn’t mind telling us about? Any tracks that have had an impact on you or that maybe have a story attached to them?
In this mix in particular there are a few parts that particularly resonate with me, one of these is a track from Recondite named Jim Jams. Recondite was one of the first artists that I was able to see at a large festival, Awakenings in Amsterdam, that made me realise the beauty of melody in dance music.
Being surrounded by thumping techno and finding a lovely melodic line through a crack was a real eye-opener. The second is a track called Louna by Sam Shure, this track doesn’t have much of a story with it but it’s just a track that I have played in almost every DJ set since its release in 2019 and I think it’s a perfect example of blending beautiful melody, organic instrumentation and beats to dance whilst doing it with amazing style.
Thanks for chatting with us today. I always like to end these interviews by asking you what you’ve got planned for the near future. Do you have any gigs, radio shows, or events you can tell us about? What’ve you got lined up for 2022?
2022 should hopefully be a good year for me, with the expansion of Up&Away, hopefully branching into some more avenues within the music industry alongside the mix series and the Up&Away radio show on 1020 Radio. I will be releasing some of my own tracks later in the year in an exciting project but at the moment I’m seeing where 2022 will take me. Thank you so much for having me, I have really enjoyed showing my personality through the mix and interview for AMF.
