by Atlanta-based producer FRQ NCY has been known to grace the FUXWITHIT site frequently. First landing on our radar with a premiere back in 2018, FRQ NCY has been nothing but consistent in his releases. From EPs on Bassrush and SATURATE, to impressive singles and flips, FRQ NCY has proceeded to evolve and expand his sound with each passing year. With his upcoming Gems EP dropping next week, we had the pleasure of debuting ‘Appearances’ just a few days ago. Today we give an even deeper look into what’s to come from FRQ NCY with his guest mix + interview. This mix is jam-packed with IDs and tracks from FUXWITHIT favourites. As for the interview, we discuss his new creative direction, the upcoming project, what makes NFTs so exciting, and much more. Listen to the mix and read the interview below.
Where are you taking listeners with this mix?
For this mix I wanted to share my most recent tracks and ideas with everyone. I’ve had so much inspiration recently and this mix embodies a lot of that inspiration!
How has this year been treating you?
Lots of ups and downs but focusing on the ups! Lots of creativity, ideas, and opportunities. It’s been odd adjusting to playing shows again and getting into the flow of everything, but I love it and I’m ready to bounce back into the mix of things.
In reality there’s a lot of outside influences that determine what someone decides to create. When you take out that influence, what are you left with? For me it was Gems!
Gems marks a new evolution in your sound. What brought you here?
Quarantine brought me here hahaha. There was a lot of time to think about what really made me happy in regards to creating music. In reality there’s a lot of outside influences that determine what someone decides to create. When you take out that influence, what are you left with? For me it was Gems!
What is the significance of the project’s title?
It goes back to finding some honesty in myself while creating music. While thinking of a name, Gems felt right because of how vulnerable I felt at the thought of releasing it. It’s “pure” in a way which is really beautiful.
What was the writing process like for the project? How did it differ from your previous work?
It was effortless in a lot of ways. I found a vibe that I really enjoyed and kept running it until I felt that I expressed that feeling. There were a lot of sampling and melody driven ideas with this project, which wasn’t so much the case in my previous work. Still some bass moments but a lot less!
Should fans expect future releases to follow a similar direction?
Yes and no! I have a bunch of music that I’m currently sorting out. Overall I’ve kept a lot of the melodic aspects with my most recent tracks and they definitely hold a similar feeling in that way. Some heavier, some a lot more laid back… And house music? And riddim? WHO KNOWS.
Artists shouldn’t be confined to platforms that decide the creators’ worth based on plays, and releasing NFTs are a leeway into recreating this broken system we’ve had to stay under for so long. Why should my art be valued strictly off plays and then have that platform decide the value of those plays?
You’re going to be pairing the release with an NFT drop. What excites you about the NFT space? Why should fans want to collect your NFT? What will it include?
Love this question. In my opinion audio NFTs are the future of music for many reasons. Artists shouldn’t be confined to platforms that decide the creators’ worth based on plays, and releasing NFTs are a leeway into recreating this broken system we’ve had to stay under for so long. Why should my art be valued strictly off plays and then have that platform decide the value of those plays? Selling audio NFTs is a new and exciting way to get people invested into collections of art, pay what they want, have something unique, unlock extra content and perks, and support their favorite artists (shoutout Catalog). I could go more in-depth but this would turn into a very long interview haha. For my NFT release we’ll be adding something unique for listeners that have supported me in the past and the Gems release which is exciting.
What’s it been like working with the Electric Hawk team so far? What makes them special?
The Electric Hawk team has been great. I’ve never met so many talented and driven individuals on one team. Very very VERY big shout out to my manager Hunter. This release has been in the works for a long time (about 6 months) and having her help with every little detail has been a blessing. I would have been lost with releasing this EP without her and the EH team.
On that note – also shoutout to Tate and Arielle. True inspirations in the industry and have helped me so much with the release and music-related-activities.
What was your reaction when you saw someone got a FRQ NCY tattoo? How does it feel to be a fixture on someone’s body?
Hahaha so that’s one of my best friends Mars and more recently a roommate. It’s pretty funny how I figured it out. Apparently he had this tattoo done for 3 months prior to when I noticed it – one day I went over to his apartment and as we were playing chess, I dropped a piece of the floor. As I reached for the piece he stuck his leg out and that’s when I noticed. I thought it was fake for a good 5 minutes… MIND WAS BLOWN. He’s a highschool teacher and gets asked about it sometimes.
What do you enjoy most outside of music?
Rock climbing is probably my favorite activity outside music but I haven’t had too much time for it recently. Other than that just being with friends and hanging out when I can!
Having connections where we truly care for one another and the goals we want to obtain become in reach because of it… Profound.
What’s the last thing that had a profound impact on your life?
Surrounding myself with like-minded individuals has had the biggest impact on my life and music. Having connections where we truly care for one another and the goals we want to obtain become in reach because of it… Profound.
What’s next for you?
More music, more releases, and hopefully more shows in the near-future. We’re just getting started and I’m excited as hell to start showing people what’s been going on.
Tracklist:
FRQ NCY – ID
FRQ NCY – ID
FRQ NCY – ID
FRQ NCY – ID
FRQ NCY – ID
FRQ NCY – Gems
FRQ NCY – ID
FRQ NCY – Epiphany
FRQ NCY – Rubberband
MUST DIE! X Akeos x Skream – LOL OK
Cadofox – On My Own
MUST DIE! – Chaos (Cadofox remix)
Jon Casey – KISS
FrostTop – Burn
LYNY – Kill Count
Travis Scott x Quavo – Go (Saint Miller Remix)
Jon Casey – B.T.T
FRQ NCY – Appearances
