Ahead of the release of her new EP CA$HED UP tomorrow – featuring the single of the same name – we caught up with NYC-based, Australian electronic DJ and producer BRUX. We spoke about the influence that New York City played on the record, working with UK Label LUCKYME and artist Surya Sen, and we find out if she has any plans to come back to Australia. We also reflect on how audiences have changed for her shows since the pandemic, and she also lets us in on some other artists we need to listen to.
Your new EP is said to have been “inspired by the frustration, noise, and urgency of New York City life,” which is no surprise given that’s where you live. But perhaps there’s some irony in the fact that the album is getting released on an iconic UK label, LUCKYME.
You’ve collaborated with Surya Sen for “CREATURE$” and the title track of the record. To an outside observer, they feel like the bridge between those two worlds… he being London based, and heavily influenced by the New York scene in his own right.
Is this purposeful or coincidental? How did the collaboration come about?
You know I haven’t made that connection until just now, you’re right. Totally coincidental. Outside of electronic / dance music, Surya Sen and I connect over our love of American hip hop, and beyond that artistic curation that aims to be forward thinking – I think that’s why our styles mesh well. We met in London in 2023 at our friend lau.ra’s event series Wonk. I had heard some of his recent collaborations and loved his sound.
For “CREATURE$” specifically, can you talk about the collaborative process between you and Surya? Did you sit in a room together? Or it a more typical topline collab – send in the music, get back the vocals?
“CREATURE$” has an interesting story actually. The original version lived online as a music NFT in 2022 as an instrumental titled “B.00002” (via Sound.xyz ). It was part of an analog jam series I was doing. I left it for about a year and then one day decided to rework it, posting the new and improved demo to Instagram late 2023. Surya Sen saw the post and asked me to send him the beat (we had just recently met weeks before at a show in London). 2 hours later I got the demo back with his verses on it and I was blown away!
You’ve recently played a quick succession of shows in the UK and the US. Not to treat either scene as a monolith, but from the shows you’re playing at the moment, what are the main differences you’ve noticed between audiences? And do you find you have to cater your sets differently at all between countries?
I’m still figuring that out to be honest as I’m still growing my audiences in both territories. But, if anything I’ve noticed that US audiences love a juicy edit / mashup – in both club and festival settings. So I feel I need to include more of those moments in my sets when playing in the US. Whereas in the UK, I can pull some more experimental moments with the music I play out.
How much of the CA$HED UP EP did you test out on the road before you finished them in the studio? Or do you wait until it’s ready?
I love to test out as early as possible in my sets. It’s helpful to get real time reactions from the audience to learn quickly where the potholes are in the demos. “CREATURE$” I was testing out from Jan 2024. Here’s me playing it on the Lot Radio for the first time…
I knew back then that we were sitting on something special. “CA$HED UP” was made with Baauer in March 2024 at an 1800’s carriage house, we tested it out at a b2b show with Mija & GG Magree a few weeks later and it went down a treat. RUB DUB was made around the same time, which I was also testing out right away at Miami Music Week playing the Fool’s Gold Records party with A-trak.
“U$ELE$$” was created a few months ago with DJ ADHD here in New York. We made it in a few hours and he played it out at his show that night at Elsewhere! It was a real moment. Madness.
Talk me through how the new tracks have been going down live?
I played a show last month in London with Joy Anonymous and Surya Sen and I played out “CREATURE$” and “CA$HED UP” live – it was so surreal, they went down well with the crowd!
Dance music feels stronger than ever right now – both on record and live. Yet there has been a lot of rhetoric around how much audiences have changed since the pandemic. Do you think that’s true? Have audiences changed? What have you noticed?
I’ve noticed some changes yes, there’s this new culture of audiences capturing themselves being “seen” at an event / focused on just the “content”. Seeing the viral Keinemusik show videos where the crowd is standing completely still and filming says it all. But I’m hopeful for change! A lot of venues are now banning phone usage on the dancefloor which is great. Sad that it’s come to that though.
There are plenty of aspects of New York that you don’t find out unless you move there. What’s one thing that’s surprised you as an Australian artist living in New York, perhaps more than anything else?
Oh so many surprises! My first time coming here as a visitor was back in 2013 and I remember the energy of the city then was chaotic and gritty, which I found alluring. But actually living amongst the chaos and grit day in day out is a different experience. The chaotic energy of the city infiltrates its dwellers – New Yorkers are overworked, easily agitated and desensitized to sensory overload (I notice this in myself every time I come back to Australia for a visit!). But still, somehow, we can’t bear the thought of leaving New York.
You’re in illustrious company with your new label. Who was the artist (or what was the song) that first made you aware of the LUCKYME?
I’ve been following a number of great artists on the label for years – Kucka, Hudson Mohawke, Baauer, Nikki Nair, Jacques Greene – it’s always been a compass for taste and continues to be! I believe the TNGHT 2012 ep with mammoth track “Higher Ground” was the first time I had heard of LuckyMe.
And since signing to release this EP with them, is there anyone you’ve discovered, that we should check out too?
Yes, Eli Keszler! He just released his self-titled album and it’s beautiful. He’s a drummer / percussionist and composes for film too (he worked with OneOhTrix Point Never on the score for Uncut Gems). Definitely recommend.
Talk us through what’s coming next in terms of live shows – and are there any plans to get back to Australia off the back of the EP?
There’s always plans to come back to Australia. Since moving to New York in 2021, I’ve been lucky enough to come back each summer to play shows – I can’t share any show details just yet but stay tuned…!
CA$HED UP from BRUX is out tomorrow – 14th May, 2025. You can pre-save it HERE. You can keep up to date with BRUX via Instagram YouTube, and TikTok.
Header image credit: Jess Licata
