Crossbow: I am married to Techno

We are glad to present to you our next guest - Crossbow!

Techno Artist Crossbow has an impressive roster of releases under her belt to labels like IAMT, Phobiq, Reload & Funk'n Deep. Outside of the studio, she has shared the stage with world renowned artists such as Julian Jeweil, Marco Faraone, Ramon Tapia, Monoloc, Julia Govor, Brennen Grey, Lady Starlight, Sophia Saze and Agent Orange.

The nature of her sound centers around knocking and spacious kick drums, dramatic synth riffs, evolving pads and grooving drum patterns; carefully blending together light and dark. She continues to gain momentum with each release and performance, proving her capabilities both as a music producer and performer.

We talked to the young talent about her path in the industry and new release "Techno is My DNA" coming later this month on Codex. Enjoy!
— Hello Rachel! How are you doing these days? Thank you for chatting with us.
— Hey Olly! Of course, it's a pleasure to speak with you. I'm doing well, thank you for asking. I hope things are going great for you guys also at the Radio Intense channel!
— Tell us more about Crossbow. What's the story behind the project and the artistic name?
— I was talking with a friend one night at a party who's into astrological signs; she told me that I'm a Sagittarius and that the symbol for this is a half man/half horse figure holding a bow and arrow. Since dance music is electronic, we decided on the name "Crossbow" as it's the more "technological" version of a bow. It's kind of silly in hindsight, but I guess it's cool to have such a unique name that's sort of, ambiguous!
— Congratulations on your upcoming release on Codex - "Techno is My DNA"! There are 2 tracks on the release. How are they different from each other?
— Thank you! I am beyond excited & honored to be working with this label, it's been a favorite of mine for many years. "Techno is my DNA" has more of a straightforward and mechanical feeling since it's built using only a few elements that sort of "talk" to one another. "Acid Angel" is a bit more atmospheric and basically leans on one main acid line that evolves over the course of the track. I think the tracks provide a nice contrast to one another, but they still feel cohesive. I like this EP a lot because it's dark but also a little bit groovy!
— Based on the name of the release, I can tell that you love techno a lot ☺ Was techno your first choice between genres or you had a journey towards it?
— Haha, yes I am married to Techno:) Actually, when I first began DJ'ing in 2017, I was playing a blend of Deep House, House, and Minimal Tech. This was before my friends and I went to Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit, where I heard true Techno for the first time. I fell in love with it immediately and began looking into the genre more. It took me some time to build up the courage to begin making my own music, but I knew I wanted to ultimately focus on the production side of things. In early 2019 I had my first release, and since then I've been working hard to improve my skill. I found IAMT & Codex in late 2019, and was struck with so much inspiration that I focused most of my attention towards signing to these labels. Overall, I'm so pleased with how the Crossbow project has evolved!
— You are based in New York. Obviously, New York is famous for its nightlife, but we would like to know what are the best places for a night out in the city in your opinion?
— NYC nightlife is very interesting! In Manhattan, Hip Hop and Top 40 are the popular styles. Brooklyn specifically is amazing for underground dance music. I'd say the most popular style is Deep House, but there are a few local groups who support Techno specifically. For example, Techno Brooklyn is a brand known for booking headliners and having locals open for them; they are my personal favorite parties to attend! Then of course, there are specific venues like Brooklyn Mirage that hosts headliners of all genres, and have different event groups throwing parties on rotation regularly.
— Can we see you DJ somewhere soon?
— Right now I have one gig pending confirmation that I don't think I can announce yet. Other than that, nothing in the pipeline at this moment!
— It is the end of the year, so how would you describe your 2021 and what do you expect from 2022? Thank you!
— 2021 was a year of massive growth for me, both as a person, and an artist. I was given so many amazing opportunities to sign music to my favorite labels, open for artists who I respect deeply and connect with people all over the world through music. I couldn't have asked for more honestly! For 2022 I hope to continue to grow stronger as a music producer; I love the challenge and the goal setting mindset, since it gives me something to strive for every day. The sense of achievement in creating art and releasing it out into the world is unparalleled. I'm hoping to have more regular gigs in the new year, but I think my focus will still be very production heavy!