Mindex Headlines The Black Box [Exclusive Interview]

The Black Box hosts another mind-bending experience as Mindex headlines on Saturday, 2/11. It comes as no surprise the home for the underground sold-out the evening with this immersive Neurofunk line-up. The main room captivated us with an audio-visual experience featuring VJ actualize and support by Soulacybin, Crimbrule, and Indubitably.

The Experience

We undeniably had to hop onto this journey for ourselves after being teased by Mindex last month with exclusive DNB WIPs. First, an original set by Indubitably kicked us off, featuring a Tribal-bass, unreleased by Josh Teed. Then, the tribal-state flowed into glitchy funk sets by Crimbrule and Soulacybin. Soulacybin’s gratifying frequencies and hypnotic visuals certainly kept the immersive energy alive.

Mindex took the stage with actualize’s signature visual experience, as The Black Box‘s main room packed in. From Neurofunk to liquid DNB, Mindex delivered high-energy waves while remaining true to his meditative soundscapes. Mindex’s upbeat stage presence and DNB WIP kept us dancing as we channeled our inner primate. After dancing with orangutans and gorillas, we were graced with favorites like “Doomed” from his most recent hybrid bass album. The set ended on a thumping techno high note that left fans buzzing. Afterward, Mindex was found side-stage, meeting with fans and signing his The Art of Distortion vinyl, which we were lucky enough to get our hands on.

Enjoying the event from The Black Box’s VIP Bass Couch was an honor. The performance felt way more intimate, and the private vibe was a perfect setting. Feeling the energy from the talented artists with front-row seats to actualize visuals was an unforgettable experience. If you haven’t tried the Bass Couch, check the details here and book your next VIP bottle service!

Reflection with Mindex

We had the opportunity to catch up with Mindex post-event and reflect on his set, side project, and future plans for his followers.

Khalila (Electric Hawk): Let’s talk about the creation behind this particular set. What were the sound inspirations for The Black Box’s audience? :

Mindex: It started after I played an extended set for the Astronox festival a few years ago. I thought playing the same type of vibe for 2 hours would not be exciting. Instead, I wanted it to be a very fine, eclectic, journey-type set that would take listeners and dancers through the full spectrum of emotions, various tempos, constructs, intensities, and moods.

“I wanted to create a feeling of being gently picked up and then gradually broken down into molecules and sent into another dimension, maybe with a landing somewhere on a weird but friendly planet. Starting with slower ethereal vibes, going through darker storytelling 140, hip-hoppy jazzy boppers, classical music flips, into rolling drum’n’bass tunes and more.”
Slava Mindex

I kept refining and tweaking that set since I put it together for the first time. I’ve been moving, adding new, and taking out old tracks, to find a smooth yet dynamic flow with harmonious transitions. I also like to have some contrasting moments here and there, so it’s become an endless process of re-finding that balance while keeping it fresh. Saturday night’s The Black Box version was the most satisfying to me personally. I was very happy with how the puzzle came together. It looked like the audience enjoyed it as well, which is always the best reward 🙂 I played techno and house tunes in the last 15 minutes from my side project – Neversky. Adding some Neversky at the end of The Black Box set has become a tradition already.

Gorilla Drum-n-Bass?

K: We talked briefly in the green room about dancing gorilla visuals for your DNB madness. Did actualize properly deliver the aesthetic you were going for?

M: David Actualize did a great job! Every Instagram story clip I’ve seen was very diverse, dynamic, and matched the audio really well. Thanks for all of the tags guys. My last-minute special request was dancing monkeys, which was perfectly executed and became my favorite moment. Maybe a gorilla is my spirit animal, haha.

Mindex’s Next Moves

K: We’re very much anticipating your next moves. Do you have any upcoming events you’re able or willing to share?

M: There are some this year that I’ll be preparing more uptempo tracks for! Sol Fest in May should be fun; Denver will be included, of course. That is all I can tell right now 🙂

K: Anything else you’d like to mention or add here (new music, shout-outs, future endeavors)?

M: New music is always in the works. Last week I finished a 70-minute-long ambient album. A planetarium-360 visuals USA tour with this album would be a dream come true. Just putting it out there! 🙂 Currently, I have a dilemma about what to put out next. I’m about to start working on a mini-mix with unreleased Bass music from 2019-23. Also, the next vinyl release is on my task board.

“Shout out to all of the wonderful, supportive people out there who attend the shows and listen to my music. To all of the promoters who curate great events where we all are able to connect, reset and recharge. Big Thank you.”
Slava Mindex

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