NYLON: Hi Boris! How are you?
BORIS: I’m good and in the studio now.
N: Let’s talk about your music. Can you describe the genre of High-Tech Minimal… are you the original artist who started this category of electronic music?
B: Yeah, actually, I started it. But it came randomly. I mean, I was starting to release music when minimal was super big in the past… and after a while, I was getting a little bit bored about that. And in my childhood, I also produced a lot of trance music, and so I was just trying to combine these two styles together. And as there was no sound like this in the past, I just decided to make a new name so that the people know, okay, this is Boris.
N: Who are some of the DJs that you are inspired by?
B: When I started to produce music, I was producing a lot of trance music. So I was listening to Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, and all these guys.
N: For someone who is new to your music, which of your tracks would you recommend listening to first?
B: I would have to say, listen to Purple Noise… maybe Gravity and It Start’s. So these three tracks, I guess, describes my sounds in the best way.
N: I’ve been living listening to Gravity on repeat for the last hour, and it’s a fantastic track — it’s got a strong hook to it. How do you begin writing a new song?
B: Most of the time, I start with a beat… like with the kick drum and the bass line, and then I just see how it goes. There’s not, like, a big idea in my head; I just go to the studio, jam around, and then what comes around is good. But for example, for Gravity, it was totally different, because I remember I was at home — I was alone, and it was raining, so it was a really negative mood. And then I was thinking… Okay, let’s play some PlayStation, but then I decided to go down to the studio and play a little bit on the piano. And then this melody came up. And so this track came up. It was really nice.
N: Your new track Reflections, just came out about less than two weeks ago. Can you tell us a little bit about that track?
B: The track is mostly based on my new concert show that I’m gonna do this year, which is called Reflections — because we have a new stage design and a lot of new music. So basically, this track is gonna be my intro. But it’s also a cool name, because it’s a reflection of everything… of me, of my music, of my past, of my fans, of totally everything. So that’s a super nice name.
N: Your shows have been described as an immersive performance. How is it immersive?
B: In general, it’s nice to play at festivals or in clubs, but I mean, if you have the opportunity to make your own show — which is not so easy to handle, it makes you somehow really happy. And it’s in that fact, it’s an impact, because all the people are coming just for your show, so they’re just coming for me and having a good time. So that’s really crazy to see all the fans with their merchandise and with so many tattoos and stuff like that.
N: Can you tell us a little bit about the Joker mask that you wear during your shows? How did you come to this design and and decide to incorporate it into your identity?
B: I mean, the best things come randomly, or when you’re not thinking about it. And for the mask, it was the same thing. When I started to produce music and I was releasing my first tracks… and as I live in Germany, my first booking came from Brazil. I was a little bit shocked. Why in Brazil? And then I was just thinking, okay, there’s so many details. I need to do something that people can remember me by. And I was thinking about the Carnival in Rio, and so I’ve just got this mask. And then it became me. It was totally random. But I really like it, because the Joker is like… if you play cards, the Joker is the best card you can play.
N: This is going to be your first time performing in Singapore. What have you heard about Singapore, and what do you think about our country?
Last year I had an Asia tour, and then when we were flying back home, we had to stop over in Singapore, and we went to this crazy hotel at the park with this big pool on the top. I guess everybody knows this hotel with the long pool on the top. [N: That’s Marina Bay Sands.] Yes, that was really, really cool. The view was really cool, and the pool was really cool. And they had the pool open until 10pm. But actually, that’s the only thing I saw in Singapore. So I hope this time we’re going to have more time to explore and meet people and have some good food. I’m really excited.
Boris Brejcha plays in Singapore on May 10th, 2025 at 27 Pasir Panjang. Boris Brejcha is brought in by Collective Minds Asia and tickets are available here. Follow Boris Brejcha on Instagram @borisbrejcha.
