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RAPPED AND TAGGED: One-on-One With J.HEXX Written by Matt Molgaard,Sept 1st 2009
After reviewing (and becoming truly impressed by) The J. Hexx Project's latest release a couple of weeks back (read it here), FANGORIA MUSICK's Matt Molgaard had to track down Hexx for more on what makes him tick. Read on for more about the music, along with Hexx' massive affinity for the world of Italian horror! Be sure to check out the complete unedited interview as an MP3 via the FANGORIA ENTERTAINMENT Podcast! Simply search FANGORIA in the iTunes music store, where you'll find this and hundreds(!) of 100% FREE audio from the world of Fango!
Fangoria: Just for those unfamiliar with your music, define your sound, and your message.
J.Hexx: If I had to define the music, I would say it’s kind of like an amalgamation of darkness and light, intertwining into one. It’s kind of like, when you wake up in the morning, you see the sunlight, and it makes you arise with energy, but yet - it gets dark at night, which allows you to see the world in a different way. So I would say my music is the perfect contrast between dark and light, good and evil - in the aspect of how I view the world that I create through the music.
Fango: What inspired you to pursue music?
JH: Honestly, it was hip hop music in general. But going before that, I remember being a kid, growing up with my father who used to play a lot of jazz music, and a lot of Earth, Wind, And Fire and stuff like that. So as I was growing up I was really into a lot of the emotional aspects of music as far as storytelling, which actually extends a lot from my love of horror films, as well as anime and things of that manner.
Fango: Name some of your personal musical influences.
JH: I would say another deep one, would be the group Goblin who had actually collaborated with Dario Argento on the film DEEP RED. Goblin had a very big influence on me as far as the musical style that I’ve developed.
Fango: Now, give me a rundown on your musical history: how long have you been at this, how many albums have you released…fill us in.
JH: I’ve been doing this since I was 14. But I didn’t take on the J.Hexx persona until about 2001. To date I’ve released about 3-4 albums. Two were reissues, Seven Doorz Of Death was originally a 7 track EP which was self produced and self made. Then I created Twitch of The Deadz Nervez which was about a year and a half after I completed that [Seven Doorz]. I re-released those albums actually as one CD. Right now I’m in production on three others, two of which are for myself, and one is a gigantic group project.
Fango: How’s the reception been for the Seven Doorz To Death album?
JH: It was bigger than what I thought it would be, honestly. Since I was re-releasing it, the big difference was the artwork, and putting together the package and making it feel complete. Having Gus Cervantes do the artwork was one of the best ideas that ever came to light. I didn’t think people would be so open to something so different. I have to say I’m blessed that people that are into this music have actually taken it in and regarded it as a new classic for today’s age and time.
Fango: What’s your goal? Sell a million records, change a life? What do you really want to achieve that you haven’t yet?
JH: I really would like to see the genre grow into a larger beast than what it is. I do what I do, but I’m only part of an entire movement. And I think that it’s coming to the point where I’m starting to feel that it’s bigger than what I am, it’s bigger than anything - I just would like to see the horror genre, as far as music is concerned get more into the mainstream.
Fango: So it’s safe to say that you do this for the fans.
JH: Yeah, honestly - you know, I could be a liar and say I make millions of dollars doing this, but I don’t. I actually get more satisfaction out of doing something that people enjoy, that are true horror fans as well as true music fans. I’m hoping that by the things that I’m doing it will encourage other people to take those wild and different directions. To be themselves, and create their own characters and create their own worlds, so we can make the genre much more interesting and more lifelike to people.
Fango: Now, everybody who reads or listens to the interviews I conduct knows I like to talk movies, so let’s talk movies. Your favorite horror flick of the year thus far?
JH: There’s been a lot of really good movies, but I have to say the remake of MY BLOODY VALENTINE was actually something I really enjoyed. I would say that movie so far.
Fango: All time favorite?
JH: There’s so many…but I would have to say Argento’s DEEP RED. Fango: You clearly have an affinity for Dario Argento (as do I). Is it safe to say that he’s your favorite director? JH: He’s one of my favorite. I actually have about 4 or 5 of them. If I had to put it on a top to bottom list, I would say George Romero is number one, number two would be Argento, three would be Fulci, four would be Joe D’Amato, and five I would say would be Andrea Bianchi. Fango: You like a lot of the Italian stuff then? JH: Yeah, and the reason why I like it is because how visual it was, especially Argento and Fulci‘s work. Not only that, but a lot of it has a lot of social commentary content. A lot of the younger people now don’t understand, looking at these mainstream films. These mainstream films, they scare you, they gore you out, but they don’t really have the substance that a lot of these older films have. For example DAWN OF THE DEAD was about consumerism, if you look at Joe D’Amato’s BEYOND THE DARKNESS it was about the obsession of love that goes beyond life. There’s a lot of good messages within these older gory horror films that people don’t realize unless people look between the lines.
Fango: What do you say to those who have been supporting the J.Hexx Project?
JH: I say that J.Hexx may hate himself, but he loves all the people that have been supporting him. I do all this music for you, I try to be the voice of people that have a hard time expressing those dark thoughts and motives within their hearts. I’m just being a voice for the people who feel like they don’t have an outlet to express that type of thought or content.
THE SEVEN DOORZ TO DEATH/TWITCH OF THE DEADZ NERVEZ album is available digitally via CDbaby.com, Amazon.com, Itunes, Rhapsody.com, lala.com, and tradebit.com. If you'd like to obtain a hard copy of the album hit up any of the following retailors: SevrdNervezMusic.com, Official3SE.com, CdBaby.com, Target.com, Amazon.com, RedrumMedia.com, CdUniverse.com, CdConnection.com or O-Level.net (of Japan).
