Over the last decade, UK producer Huxley has quietly evolved into one of the scene’s most versatile and respected figures.
Photo credit: Huxley – Official
From the breakthrough success of ‘Out of the Box’ to his deeper, more refined work on labels like Hypercolour, 20:20 Vision, and Aus Music, he’s continually shaped his sound without ever standing still. His latest release, ‘A Day Trip To The Valley’ on HE.SHE.THEY. Records, marks another turning point — a return to club-focused grooves with purpose and clarity.
Always one to experiment while staying grounded in the needs of the dancefloor, Huxley’s journey has seen him collaborate with the likes of Sam Russo, Ethyl, Steve Bug, and Cinthie, while simultaneously building a strong solo catalog and community presence through his new platform, R TRYBE.
In this conversation, Huxley opens up about returning to his roots, staying consistent in a fast-moving scene, and the deeper motivations behind his new EP.
EG: Hi, Huxley! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been doing?
Huxley: I’ve been good thanks! Lots of stuff going on, so I’ve been keeping busy. I feel like these last couple of years I’ve been really back in the groove direction and production-wise, and it’s been a great thing. Also, over the last year not only am I focusing on my own music, I’ve also started R TRYBE, a production community with Ramin Rezaie and Bakkis. That’s been taking up a lot of my time! We’ve just celebrated our first birthday and put on our first production retreat in Spain.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your new EP, ‘A Day Trip To The Valley’. What are some of your first thoughts now that it’s out for everyone to hear? What has the initial reception been like so far?
Huxley: The reception has been amazing. This EP took quite a while to put together with the guys. We had a couple of tracks moved on and off, and the final EP actually only came together at the end of August. I’m feeling very honoured to release on a label with such high standards, both musically and morally.
EG: What can fans of Huxley expect to find on this one? Is there a concept or emotional trigger connecting these cuts?
Huxley: I’m not sure about emotional triggers, but recently I’ve been very keen to make sure that when I do a bigger EP like this, I can stand behind all the tracks on the EP, and most importantly will play all of them. My sound has changed a lot over the years, but I feel like it’s starting to become more cohesive again, which has been a very conscious decision.
EG: In many ways, the sound of ‘A Day Trip To The Valley’ feels reminiscent of your early ‘Out of the Box’ days. What drove you to re-explore this particular line of sound more than a decade after the release of ‘Out of the Box’?
Huxley: Absolutely. I feel as I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt less need to try and fit with what’s “relevant”. I think for a few years I felt the need to bow down and fit in. But now I’m just happy to focus on the music I want to make and not be swayed by any outside influence. Like I said, the move back towards what I see as my sound has been at the forefront of everything I’ve made in the last two years, and now the fruits of my labour are coming to fruition — whether it’s this release or the one on REKIDS or even my track that recently dropped on Southern Fried.
“I think, even though it’s a scary thing, if you’re not embracing these new things that are available to you, you will fall behind”
EG: Having obviously gained new perspectives and production methods, what new things do you feel like you’ve incorporated into that sound as you revisited it?
Huxley: It’s interesting, as I think as you develop over the years you don’t really think about what you’ve added, or even what you don’t do anymore. I recently discovered some old demos that never made the cut from 2011/12, and sometimes I even think about what the processes were when I was writing like that. In the last few years actually I’ve been unlearning stuff, to be honest. I got in a few bad habits and relied too heavily on certain things.
EG: Now, strolling down memory lane… It’s been just over a decade since the release of your breakout hit, ‘Out of the Box’, which was recently reissued alongside a remix by Cinthie & Meat. How have things changed for you since then? Did you imagine it would become a staple?
Huxley: I had absolutely no idea it would turn into the record it has done, to be honest. I’m still getting people tagging me in videos pretty regularly of them playing it or whatever, and it’s nice that it means so much to people still, after all this time. Also, I’m very thankful that Cinthie and Meat agreed to do the remix for the reissue. They’ve done a great job at reimagining it into something more 2025, while keeping the vibe the same.
EG: How do you feel about the state of the scene these days? What would you like to see more and less of?
Huxley: It’s in an interesting place in my opinion. Obviously more and more people who shout loudest or feel more comfortable on social media are reaping the benefits. But also, it’s allowing people to break through who are actually making great music that I would never have discovered if it wasn’t there, so I can’t be like all these old guys saying how the scene ‘needs to go back’ blah blah, as it’s definitely got pros and cons.
I think a lot of the time now though the issue with “the scene” is the life-cycle of a record is so much shorter. Even the “big” tunes last a couple of months these days at best. It works for me as I love to write music and release music, but 10 years ago, you could live off a record for 6 months and only release 2 or 3 EPs a year.
EG: Given your experience, what would you say are some of the biggest obstacles artists will face in the near future? What advice would you give to newcomers and rising artists?
Huxley: I’ve asked this question myself to our podcast guests on R TRYBE, and honestly it’s an extremely hard question to answer. Technology, AI, whatever — it’s all moving so fast these days that it’s hard to predict what will be available to us in the next few years. I think, even though it’s a scary thing, if you’re not embracing these new things that are available to you, you will fall behind. The obstacles though are pretty similar to how they’ve always been: How do you get people to care about your music? How do you get the support you need? Why isn’t my ‘brand’ cutting through? The answer to all these is still the key to breaking through. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than old-fashioned networking, be it in real life or online.
Another thing I would say — and it’s maybe a bit rich for me to say it, as I haven’t stuck to this in previous years — but make sure your output is consistent, especially for the first year or so. Don’t do anything that’s confusing and build a solid foundation. Once you have this and a fanbase, that’s the time to stretch your legs.
“I feel as I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt less need to try and fit with what’s relevant”
EG: What’s next for Huxley? What milestones are you looking forward to now? Where can your fans catch you next?
Huxley: Let’s see. I have a lot more than just my artist project going on at the moment, but I’m also really enjoying being in the studio, so expect a lot more music. Also, any budding producers/artists please check out R TRYBE we’re a great community of like-minded people who are there to offer feedback, support, production videos, monthly podcasts, and much much more! We’d love for you to join the trybe! My next release is a remix for my friend Color.Love, which is coming out in a few weeks, so keep your ears peeled for that too!
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Huxley! We wish you all the best in the future. Take care!
Huxley: Thanks for having me guys! Always a pleasure!
Huxley’s ‘A Day Trip To The Valley’ is out now on HE.SHE.THEY. Records. Stream and download here.
Follow Huxley: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
