Lxlita Dances With Demons
When Lxlita reached out to me on Instagram a year ago, one of the things she asked me in that conversation was what was my favorite song of hers. That track was “Mindfuck”. The reason it was my favorite, I explained to her, was because despite having been released in 2020, it sounded like 2023. It was a stupid response, but it was honest and spontaneous. While I still think it’s a great track, it’s no longer my fav. It has been replaced by ‘Monster’, the first track off of her new album, “The One”. It’s the perfect song to start off the album with, since this one holds more weight, and sounds stronger than her previous offerings. Lxlita makes club music, the kind that won’t allow you to leave the dance floor, and will leave you pleasantly exhausted at the end of the night. But “The One” takes it further by turning up the bass and dimming the lights a bit more, so that The Predator can see better with its infrared sight, targeting and zapping unyielding asses into motion.
The day I began listening to your music, you were using the “Lolita” moniker. Was it changed for obvious reasons, or because your music was listed in streaming services with other musicians of the same name?
It was changed because there were artists of the same name, so I found it difficult to stand out online. The “X” also symbolizes the unknown, which could be intriguing.
Your new album, The One, was released on March 22. How would you compare it to your previous efforts?
Creatively, I felt much more free this time around due to the fact that I had taken a long break to experience life and truly figure out what I wanted out of it. I had a much better idea of the direction I wanted to take with my music and the different facets of my personality I wanted to reveal through my songs.
As for the technical aspect, I spent a lot of time learning new production techniques and improving my mixing and mastering skills.
The first single off of your new album, Monster, is a different kind of beast. It has “muscle”, and evokes a predator stalking its prey. What were you feeling when you composed it?
I wrote and recorded “Monster” at the height of the pandemic. Spending so much time in isolation made me reconsider a lot about my life, but also gave me the time to look within myself and analyze everything. Although the whole world was shut down and there was so much confusion, my future started to become very clear. I felt like the creativity I had pushed down for so long was dying to pour out of me again — almost like a monster inside of me ready to take control (laughs). I think the few years spent away from music were just brewing up a musical beast.
The earliest Lxlita track that I can find is “Driving”, which was released in 2013, around the time that hyperpop became a thing. That song is, I think, clearly a hyperpop song. So, on that point, my questions to you are: was it by happenstance that “Driving” possessed the sound of what would soon become the hyperpop subgenre, or were you aware of the existence of this style of music, and chose to incorporate it into what you wanted to do with that song?
I don’t recall hearing much hyperpop when “Driving” was created. I was listening to a lot of underground electronic dance music at the time. Hyperpop was a lot harder to find, and it was a much smaller circle of artists than it is now.
On the surface, your music may seem to some as sex-focused, but it’s much more than that. You sing about love, romance, and heartbreak as well. But apparently, you don’t care much for labels, or being pigeonholed, when it comes to your music. Is this what you’re trying to convey in “No Labels”?
Definitely! Now that I want to expand on more topics within my music, I needed to convey this important message: I’m not interested in being labelled or put into a box. I want “No Labels” to speak to those who have been labelled or pressured into labelling themselves by society, but crave to break free from that mold and just be themselves unapologetically. I feel ecstatic at the idea of a world where we no longer have a concern or obsession with someone’s identity, sexual preference, physical attributes and so forth. I dream of a world where humanity can just see each other for our souls and nothing else.
The title of your album, “One Girl Show” as well as the title of your latest release, indicates to me that (remixes aside) you handle everything in the studio yourself. Or do you have a little help in the studio when you’re recording?
Yes, I handle most things myself. I am grateful to have a home studio that allows me to be a control freak (laughs). I taught myself production by watching tons of tutorials and experimenting with different programs. Sometimes I exchange production tips with other artists I meet online. On my latest album, I had a couple co-productions with Adam Tease where we sat on calls and bounced files back and forth or worked on some of the sound design together.
You have such a solid body of work with your songwriting, song structure, and production values. It’s apparent to me that you have a disciplined approach to making music. Would that make you a perfectionist?
Yes, I would consider myself to be a perfectionist. Especially in recent years, I have a system where I put some songs away for months, so I can come back and listen to them with fresh ears. Since I do everything myself, I have to hear the same song hundreds of times, which can cloud my judgment. I find taking a break from it can almost give me a “reset”. I also like to go layer by layer and pick apart each sound until it’s perfect (or close to it).
Looking back on the early days of your career, your output was tremendous. How did you find the time for all of that recording?
One thing I’ve always been pretty good at is time management. I always made sure to set aside a couple of hours for music every single day. I also spent a lot of weekends working on music and pulling all-nighters, especially if I was determined to get an idea down or finish a song.
What’s your state of mind when you’re in the studio?
Sometimes I come into the studio with a lot of inspiration and ideas that I’ve gathered into my notes over time, other times I just like to let the creative juices flow naturally and see what happens. I often try to unravel feelings about things that have happened in the past, although some of it can be painful — it gives me great drive to work on new material.
Many of the recording artists I’ve interviewed have loads of collaborations on their albums, but you’re an exception. The only collabos I’ve seen in your music come from Adam Tease. Are you averse to such collaborations with other musicians?
Not at all! Collaborations are definitely something I want to focus on more going forward, now that I’m fully committed to music. I already have some artists in mind that I’d love to work with.
Have you ever heard your songs played at clubs or radio (if so, how did it make you feel the first time)?
One of my songs, “Bimbo” was played at a couple DJ sets in NYC last summer. I wasn’t there, but I received some videos in my DMs, and it felt exhilarating to say the least. It has driven me to want more.
Making dance music is what you do, but do you dance? How well, and how often, can you be found beating the floor at a club?
I love dancing, and it’s always been such a huge part of my life. Sometimes I plan out choreographies for my songs as I create them. I’m pretty much on a dance floor almost every weekend, I think I would die without it (laughs).
There are references to biblical themes in some of your songs, and inverted crosses appear in your social media. I’m not one to make assumptions, so I’ll just ask you what’s all of that about?
Growing up Roman Catholic, and having it shoved down my throat by my Italian family, definitely pushed me to look into religion further. In a way, it is my rebellion against an institution that in my opinion is full of hypocrisy, however the inverted cross is actually a symbol of humility. St. Peter was crucified just like Jesus Christ was, however he wanted to be crucified upside down because he thought he wasn’t worthy of being executed the same way Jesus was. For some reason, that story has always fascinated me.
Did your desire to be a musician begin during your formative years, or later in life?
I was always enthralled by music growing up. I remember sitting in the car with my parents trying to pick apart the different layers and instruments of songs that would play on the radio. I spent most of my childhood watching music videos and concerts on repeat, and I just knew that’s what I wanted to eventually do. I didn’t know I would take it as far as doing music production, though.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician?
What I enjoy the most is the ability to be able to conceptualize my songs into performance and feel the response from the crowd. The energy exchange is the most enjoyable part of being an artist. To me, that is the moment when the music fully comes alive, and I’m able to tell the story behind the song in the most raw and authentic way possible.
Who were some of your musical influences?
My first musical obsession was the Spice Girls, and then later on Britney Spears and Madonna. I’m also influenced by Kylie Minogue, Robyn, Marina, Tinashe, and Nadia Oh.
Which recording artists are you into these days?
Right now, I’m loving horsegiirL. I also really enjoy Poppy’s discography — there’s so much variety.
Have you had the opportunity to perform live, and if so, what are the crowds like?
Yes, I’ve done a few local shows in Toronto that were generally at festivals. Although the crowds didn’t really know me beforehand, they were very receptive to my performance, and the younger people in the audiences seemed to love it the most.
You mentioned to me previously that, though originally from Toronto, Canada, you spent some time in Italy. In which of those places did your interest in making music begin?
My interest in music definitely began while growing up in Toronto, watching all my musical influences take over mainstream music, but I started to experiment and learn how to produce while living in Italy as a teenager.
Considering the frequency and volume of music you release, do you plan to take a break from recording for the rest of the year?
I most likely will start recording some new material towards the end of the year, but there’s a chance I will have a couple collaborations before then.
Stream Lxlita at Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. Follow her social media on Instagram and YouTube. Shop Lxlita merch here.
