Serious Vibes with Aejix

Mike Serapinas is an intriguing and inspiring fellow.

A clearly talented multi-instrumentalist, he has a well-versed skill across a whole universe of musical disciplines and styles… Yet it’s drum & bass where he’s found his home.

To be even more specific, it’s the more unusual and experimental corners of jump-up where he really looks at home the most. There have been various examples since he first started to release productions as Aejix in late 2023 but most notably it’s been his inclusion on Vision Recordings’ last Mission album with the track Dishonesty, where Noisia founding member Nik Roos described him as ‘designer jump-up’.

Many other similarly fitting descriptions are available. Especially in regards to his latest single on DnB Shack – Serious Vibes. A symphony of twisted textures laced with a strong sense of fun and playfulness, Serious Vibes Only is in good company. Another track on the release is called Phonk, a dnb exploration of the wave of very electronic hip-hop beats that emerged 10-15 years ago from places such as Memphis. Both hit in a striking and untypical way.

There’s plenty more striking material on Aejix’s Instagram, too, where he frequently showcases his musical dexterity with a wide range of ideas and fusions including different drum patterns, experiments with other instruments and analysing different sounds and characteristics of drum & bass. Often to humorous effect. It’s exciting and inspiring to see an emergent artist finding so much creative potential within a genre that has seemed a little lost and homogenous since the mainstream explosion in recent years… And a reminder that the stuff that dnb still has huge amount of potential for new takes, fresh ingredients and new generation recontextualising.

We needed to know more.

Aejix! Take a look around your environment and tell me about the three most interesting things you see. Why are they interesting?

At the time of writing this I’ve been in 3 different locations – the pub, District line train and a bus, so I’ll give you one from each. At the pub, it was without a doubt the half pint of Guinness in front of me – it’s rare when you get it and the taste is off the charts, so absolutely worth the shout out (The Bald Faced Stag, East Finchley). On the train there wasn’t much to be honest, maybe the floor – it was surprisingly clean. And lastly on the bus, I’d have to say it’s the stop buttons on the backs of seats; there’s literally one for every 2 seats (in between USB/C charge inputs). TFL are really stepping up their game here.

Now take us to Phonky town and tell us three interesting things about your new tune Phonk.

Phonky town! I’ll start with the most interesting first. The vocal on it is actually my own voice pitched up! The next interesting thing is the lyrics – I wrote them for a different idea originally as a place holder, but ended up just using them here instead. Lastly, when I made the drums I wasn’t intending on using them for a Jump Up orientated tune, but it just kind of happened.

Phonk is an interesting genre. A real melting pot moment between dance music and hip-hop… How did Phonk come into your life?

It really is! I think I heard the “Gigachad Theme” (which is really Bring Me The Horizon – Can You Feel Me Heart) a few years ago first, and that opened the floodgates to many more videos and memes (particularly involving car drifting).

How easy was it to infuse elements of phonk into DnB?

The simplicity of Phonk is what makes it brilliant. With the main element being the distorted cowbell I thought dialling it up to 11 would make for a perfect fusion to cross into Jump Up DnB, and it was quite easy and seamless to do.

And if anyone reading was interested in hearing some phonk what artist would you recommend they go to first and why?

To be completely honest I actually don’t know any artist in the genre that well (at this point in time) for me to say “go listen to them, they’re the best”! A lot of my discovery has simply been searching “phonk” on YouTube, clicking something on the right hand side (it always seems to change) and then taking it from there.

I’m interested in your musical journey… You’re classically trained. You’ve been in bands. You play multiple instruments. Tell us about your musical roots, the instruments you play and your proudest/most accomplished moments so far…

Where do I even begin? Let’s take it back to a simpler time… I’m actually originally from Lithuania and started on Classical music with trumpet age 5 and piano age 6, along with music theory sometime around there. When I was 10, we (my parents and younger brother) moved to London and in school I started listening to more varied music, in particular Rock and Metal. I learnt drums, bass guitar, electric guitar, did a bit of singing and tried doing some bands, as well as managing to do my Grade 8 exam on Trumpet and Grade 5 in Theory.

I also began going to the Junior Royal Academy of Music on Saturdays (having been doing a different Saturday program prior to that called HYM – Harrow Young Musicians) where I eventually completed my Grade 8 in piano. When I went to college (for sixth form) that’s when I started really getting into other electronic genres and DnB, which is kind of coincidental because that particular college is ELAM, founded by Will Kennard (Chase & Status) along with his brother Charlie (sorry for being a pain Charlie!) and I was part of the very first year ever.

That’s where I started learning to DJ and produce myself, as well as starting my first DnB project/group Sycopax. After that I went to uni (ACM in Guildford), but before I started, I joined a Camden rock band ‘The Garage Flowers’ in which I played bass guitar (and did some BVs), and we toured a lot around the UK and Europe. This did impact my time at ACM a lot, but I still managed to scrape my grades together and get my degree. Anyway, I realise this isn’t a biography, so long story short – all my previous projects/groups/bands ended one way or another and in 2023 I became Aejix, utilising everything I learnt previously and taking it from there. My proudest/most accomplished moments so far are getting a release on VISION, playing at All Points East and everything mentioned above.

Amazing man. This intrigues me and inspires me. You’ve been on a huge musical trip yet you’ve found inspiration and an exciting creative space in DnB – so tell me how things are from your perspective and why DnB is such a fresh playground for you.

It really is an amazing genre, there’s so much you can do with it! Because it’s rooted in tempo, you can fit so many other genres of music into it and make it work, and maybe I’m biased, but drum & bass especially seems to have a lot more of that than other dance music genres. The energy has always drawn me – it feels very current but also like it’s the future.

Your socials are a real insight into your free-thinking approach to DnB. I love the experiments into beat patterns and your recent trumpet endeavours. These are the type of things that show people boundaries and formulas are there to be tested, not adhered to. Firstly what’s your take on that and why do you think it’s important to do this?

Thank you! To be honest I didn’t actually view my content in that way; I’m just exploring sides of (dance) music that already exist, but are generally less explored. However, it’s definitely important to keep testing the boundaries of music, whatever they may mean to you as an artist – you can never get too comfortable in life.

What’s been your favourite experiment / fusion so far and what areas and ideas are you hoping to explore in the future?

I’ve really enjoyed doing the different time signature reels with notation, and think I really ought to actually make some tunes like that. So I’ll probably keep exploring that whole aspect of it, alongside live instrument stuff and figuring out new ideas as I go too.

Serious Vibes Only is a great example of boundary pushing / subverting current themes in dnb isn’t it?

Maybe, to an extent. I just wanted to make an uplifting and energetic tune that was melodic, but which also could knock your socks off in the dance. I’ll let the ravers be the judge of that.

There’s some pretty daft noises in there. Which daft noise came first? The one that sounds like an old rusty car starting, the one sounding like a kid’s laser gun toy with the batteries starting to run out or the one sounding like a 60s interpretation of an evil alien?

They are quite invasive noises lol, but I wouldn’t have them any other way. The first was the car start sounds, I’ve got them from a different tune I made and changed them. Next came the laser toy gun sounds, again taken from something else I’d already started (but didn’t finish) as it didn’t fit that idea anyway. Lastly, I made the “60s interpretation of an evil alien” with some synths.

Seriously though, what vibes are serious for you right now? It’s not all cranky cars and angry aliens so sign out by telling us about three things that you are VERY serious about and why.

We need to support grassroots promoters and venues (in all music) now more than ever, without them some of our favourite artists/musicians wouldn’t be where they are today. Next, whilst the emergence of every-day (generative) AI in the last few years is certainly interesting, I do hope the future of our planet isn’t prophesied by Idiocracy (2006 film). And lastly, I think it’s really important to enjoy life’s moments, especially with your friends and family. Time waits for no one, but that doesn’t mean life has to be a race – it’s a sightseeing journey, and everyone travels at their own rhythm.