Felix (aka Xfile) leaves her mark on the London underground

Felix (aka Xfile) produces mesmerizing beats

The mystique of girl and guitar keeps on

by Dawn Dickson Van Ness

For the US, the charting UK sound has been populated with names like Adele, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Amy Whinehouse; these young artists are predominantly soulful with an American music flavor from another generation — in other words, these fresh faces have what is recognized as a classic American sound — tradition tweaked for the new millennium.

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“I can’t say it has got to the point where its just normal and boring to be served by a woman in a guitar shop or have a female studio engineer.” — Felix

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But there is always more than just the institutionalized sounds, and without recognizing it, popular American music has been delivering the UK electronic sound.

UK Electronica

Felix (aka Xfile) is entrenched in UK electronica, producing and contributing through Xfile Productions and her label Tigersonic Records.

Felix (aka Xfile) has been in and around the UK music scene since she was 13. -- Photo by Nora Mancini provided by XFile Productions.

London ladies of the underground music scene

When asked generally about women in music and specifically about women in the London music scene, Xfile said there is a presence.

“There are loads of great talented females out there working,” said Xfile in response to our online interview last week. “But I can’t say it has got to the point where its just normal and boring to be served by a woman in a guitar shop or have a female studio engineer.”

Music by Xfile, Video directed by Koot Hoomies

Where you can hear Xfile’s influence is in the production of the music, the style that takes shape, and the bass line.

“I am a bass player,” said Xfile. “But I guess the studio, cutting stuff up and effects are my main instruments at the moment, so I would add protools, ableton live, and tweaking effects as instruments.”

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“The tunes take their own shape depending on who plays on it and which way it wants to go.   It’s quite a long way of working, it’s a bit like sculpting, the more you edit out the more the track appears and at a certain point it becomes obvious that’s it done.” – Felix

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Is she or isn’t she?  Some perspective on production and the past

This unconventional, post-90s music artistry is more familiar and accepted in today’s generations, but debates still divide musicians in classrooms.

Those who have taken a history of music class, particularly Jazz,  may recall the sometimes loud and emotional debate of the last two decades regarding electronic instruments, tools, and production.  Acid jazz is a sensitive topic to traditionalists as the traditional instruments have all but been replaced by electronic keyboards — improvisation and some tongue and cheek references to the classics like “Take Five” remaining definitive Jazz elements.

For traditionalists and some others, instruments would be restricted and then the labeling of Felix (aka Xfile) as a musical artist would be a tad contentious and not the consensus some of us assume.

Even in my preliminary introduction to this column, I too was using artificial and arbitrary markers as a way to help focus my search, but then my investigation into Felix, Xfile, and Xkollective began to have me reconsidering.

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My aside:  Is it hands-on production of the female musician that is important for this column?  Yes, I am willing to draw my line in the sand there.  For now.

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Xfile explains her process

Felix in the studio, Photo by Dulmini

“Mainly how it works that I have some basic track started or just a bline or a beat or a mood,” said Xfile. “The tunes take their own shape depending on who plays on it and which way it wants to go.   It’s quite a long way of working, it’s a bit like sculpting, the more you edit out the more the track appears and at a certain point it becomes obvious that’s it done.”

Overall, the emphasis is more on the music, the sound produced, versus any individual artist which gives it a highly spiritual quality.

Xfile collaborations are varied, but she also spends time in the studio working alone.

“Producing in the studio brings together my two favourite things,” said Xfile.   “Working completely on my own and working with other people.”

Her mark on the group, Xkollective

Music by Xkollective, Video directed by Eleonora Mancini

Liner End Note

I would like to thank Felix/Xfile for taking the time to answer some of my questions about her and her profession, and I hope to one day be able to do a follow-up.

Cheers!  With mad love from America!

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