NLX

By Liem Vu

From Steel town to the Big Apple, this Hamilton native has hit strides in her unconventional music. She has been knighted the pseudonym of “Trent Reznor with Tits” after being a repeat performer in a New York club. The title comes with no surprise as her music reverberates with depth, darkness yet still with a shimmer of hope. She uses the piano to lay down melodic riffs and melodies only to shake it up with drum beats and ambient vibes.

Code Red is a song that is the very embodiment of her; an enigmatic guitar riff is looped with an indecipherable voice with synths providing an ambient atmosphere. In what appears to be a mélange of chaotic and undecipherable layers suddenly makes sense once her voice breaks in with a gritty tone. Her name is Natasha Alexandra, also known as NLX.

Growing up and going to school in Toronto, Alexandra began to “test the waters” of her musical talent through open mic nights wherever she could find it. In an attempt to find fertile soil to cultivate and perfect her craft she would often travel between New York and Toronto. Taking buses either at nine, ten, or even eleven at night, Alexandra would wake up after a long journey to her future home of New York..

“I always had an affinity for New York. I always liked the shoes. I always liked loud music. I always liked the city,” says Alexandra.

While the hustle and bustle of the city might deter many, for Alexandra she has found home. The multi-tasking tones of her music is not isolated in just her notes but in her life as she speaks through a headset while driving her Mazda to a gig in Albany.

The Mazda has served her well but it will take a well deserved rest as she will be heading to SXSW in Austin, Texas very soon. Although the Mazda will be left behind, her music will not. Having performed at many clubs and venues she discusses that she still has the goal that she always had.

“I’d like for people to go to my concert and here my music and dig what I’m doing. It’s hard to get yourself out there to the masses and there’s so much competition and music out there. I’ve been lucky. When I go out, people come up to me and say ‘I didn’t know who the fuck you were but now I do.’ And it’s a positive experience because you build a fan base and in those situations, you feel that they’ve discovered you and you feel the support.”

Although the concert may be a positive experience, don’t be too shocked when Alexandra takes out her sharp tongue. Without any intent of malice, she enjoys having fun and playing tug of war with the audience especially if there are comments being spewed. But other than that she admits that her goal is to “try to sing my ass off.”

When she does sing, the message in her music is “pretty honest and authentic and dark and hopeful.” Sonically, Alexandra is a fan of the gritty, the dirty, the harsh and the raw. Her preference for honest music is revealed in her favourite artists who include Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, Arcade Fire, and Radiohead. It is the honesty that she shares with them because according to her, she “likes artists who aren’t afraid to punch you in the stomach.” Not necessarily the advocate for abusing anybody, Alexandra seeks to “punch” audiences with music that is neither formulaic nor hokey but rather, music that is raw and straight to the point.

With the layers of her music suggesting high production value, it truly isn’t the case as Alexandra is still an independent artist, but whether or not she seeks to be signed by a major label depends.

“I’ve never been under the major label umbrella. I think there are some holes in it right now. There have been so many friends of mine who have been signed with big producers and big labels but they never got their album done. If it’s a good deal then I think that would be good and exciting for an opportunity to spread my wings to different territories.”

Whether or not NLX is signed, her music and her opening act positions for Stabilo, David Usher, and Matthew Good are all testaments to her success. With New York being the cornucopia of the arts, NLX will continue to churn out her music with her first full length album slated for this spring. But until then, fans can bask in NLX’s musical sensibilities by catching her at various gigs or checking her out online. With a clear penchant for music composition that is both dark and hopeful, Trent Reznor better watch out because the “Trent Reznor with Tits” is quickly picking up steam.