September 23, 2025 • 32 mins
On today’s show, we’re joined by JH-X9 🎹⚡—the Detroit-born synth-pop visionary whose latest single Heavy Water 💧🔊 is making waves across the electronic scene. With haunting monotone vocals, fluid melodies, and mechanical rhythms, the track embodies Detroit’s industrial roots while pushing synth-pop into bold new territory. Inspired by both Enya’s fluid new age textures and the robotic precision of techno, JH-X9 crafts music that’s as danceable as it is introspective. Featured on Communion After Dark and Synthentral, Heavy Water is proof that he’s defining his lane in darkwave, techno, and beyond. Dive into the hypnotic sound of JH-X9. 🌍🎶
https://x.com/JHX9official
https://www.facebook.com/JHX9Music/
https://open.spotify.com/album/4sKJMYNIFRmHXksZPsXHJL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g52sH_SJEI
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Episode Credits:
Produced, edited, mixed, and written by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Artwork designed by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Show Introduction by Kate
Segment jingles composed & produced by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Additional music licensed through 7th Sign Recordings
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https://x.com/JHX9official
https://www.facebook.com/JHX9Music/
https://open.spotify.com/album/4sKJMYNIFRmHXksZPsXHJL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g52sH_SJEI
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/vigilantes-radio-live--2166168/support.
Vigilantes Radio Live! by The Only One Media Group ℗©2025
Episode Credits:
Produced, edited, mixed, and written by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Artwork designed by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Show Introduction by Kate
Segment jingles composed & produced by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Additional music licensed through 7th Sign Recordings
Links:
onlyonemediagroup.com
https://www.instagram.com/vigilantesradio/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/966-vigilantes-radio-live-29999229/
https://www.instagram.com/whodiniblakin3d/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26009230/
To support our show, please leave reviews, ratings, or you can help fuel the passion over at buymeacoffee.com/vigilantesradio
Email us at onlyonemgt@gmail.com or vradio@onlyonemediagroup.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are now listening to Vigilantes Radio, presented by the
only One Media Group. This is the people's choice but
quality interviews celebrities and special guests, hosted by Demitrius Denny Reynolds.
Call in to join the mix at seven oh one
eighth one, nine eight one three. For the complete archive
of episodes, visit only onemediagroup dot com and be sure
(00:24):
to like us on Facebook at Vigilantes Radio. We welcome
all enjoy the show. Ladies and gentlemen, Please welcome your
host Demitrius who Demi Black Reynolds. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Hello, Hello, Hello, what's going on? Guys? Welcome to another
incredible episode of Vigilantes Radio live right here on iHeartRadio,
and I am your host, Deani. We have a very
special guest for you. Guys. You could definitely want to
stick around for that, and as a matter of fact,
go ahead and text your buddies, family members, even share
(01:05):
it on social media right now and let them know
that we are about to dive deep into another interview.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Before I bring my guests on, I do want to say,
you know, this is the frequency of the fearless.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You know, Detroit has always been a city.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Of machines, rhythm and reinviction, invention. You know, from the
assembly lines to the dance floor, sound has been forged here.
Like Stell, today's guest is carrying that tradition forward, blending
mechanical beats with hypnotic melodies to create a sound that's
both futuristic and deeply human. His new single is Dark,
(01:47):
Fluid and Unforgettable.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
A track that doesn't just move you, it haunts you.
You're not just here for a talk show. And this
isn't just radio, This is revival for your mind, body,
and spirit. This is Vigilantes Radio Live. My name is
Coach Deani, and change is possible. Are you ready?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Are you ready?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Are you ready to read?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Are you ready?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Well, let's go, let's go, all right, all right, all
right again, Welcome to the show. You're listening to vr L.
That's Vigilantes Radio Live right here on iHeartRadio, and I
am your host, Deani. Our interviews are designed to go
beyond the.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Music, news, books, art, acting, films, technology, education, entrepreneurship, entertainment, spirituality,
and sometimes even past.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
That thing that we call the ego. Our interview use
our designs to go behind the scenes and into the
minds of these incredible human beings, you know, the ones
that are out there giving it. They're all for me,
for you, and for the world. Well, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
From Metro detroits Underground to international playlists.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
J h x nine, the alter ego of Justin Horbes, is.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Reimagining what symppop can be with this new single heavy Water.
He blends hunting melodies, industrial grit, and cinematic textures into
a sound that's hypnotic and immersive. Featured on Communion at
the Dark and Center Trill Central, his music embodies the
(03:47):
legacy of Detroit while carving out a style of his own.
So tonight we step into the mechanical dreamscape of jx
x nine. So please join me and saying welcome friend
to J eight.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
It's nine. Hey, Hey, welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Hey, good evening, Dannie.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Hey, how's it going?
Speaker 5 (04:12):
Doing all right? Not too bad? Kind of recovering from
a little bit of a cold here.
Speaker 6 (04:17):
Hopome to give my voice fully back before Sunday.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
I got a show on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Oh man, Yeah, where you're playing at? Where are you
playing it?
Speaker 5 (04:28):
So?
Speaker 6 (04:29):
I'm playing at the place called the Paris Bar in
ham Trammic. I'm playing alongside two other bands, Search and
Destroy and Origami Phase, and the music starts at seven.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
All right, all right, well listeners, if you are in
is this in Detroit?
Speaker 5 (04:48):
Oh yeah, I'm located in the Metro Detroit area. Yeah, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So that's where you're playing at this weekend?
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Yeah? Yeah. The place, the bar is it's called the
Paris Bar. It's in ham Trammick.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Okay, cool, cool, all right, listeners, if you're in that area,
be sure to pull up and enjoy the sounds of
j X I mean, j h X nine. So before
we get into heavy Water and your evolution as an artist,
what's been on your heart and mind lately?
Speaker 6 (05:19):
Well, so this past month, I've really been making a
conscious push with the release of heavy Water to expand
the reach of JHX nine. And I've really been I've
been in the studio working really hard to craft in
(05:39):
albums worth the material that is hopefully thematically and sonically compelling.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Awesome. And what is the title of this album.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
The tentative title of the album is Behind the Firewall.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Okay, So let's talk about heavy Water. It's both hypnotic
and haunting. What story or filling were you chasing when
you first started writing this piece.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
So when I first started writing the piece, I started
out with just.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
A simple melodic line.
Speaker 6 (06:22):
There is a synthesizer melody in there that comes from
a keyboard called roll in D ten that is actually
an old digital synth. It's from nineteen eighty eight. It's
eleven years older than I am.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Actually I was born in ninety nine. But I started
out with that melodic line and I kind of.
Speaker 6 (06:42):
Built up the rhythm around that, and the lyrics actually
came very last. It's kind of part of my production
style is I kind of let the instrumental I let
the instruments and the.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Sound and the textures kind of tell me what the
words are going to be.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So the music basically, you know, kind of help inspire
the lyrics or write the lyrics for you.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
Yeah, yeah, it'll it'll definitely kind of influence the tone.
The tone of the music influences the tone of the lyrics,
and that gives me kind of like a guide point
for writing.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Okay, And I think you said also that the role
in D ten gives the track this oceanic feel, and
the track is.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Called heavy water. But how do you decide which hardware
or simp will shape the mood of a song?
Speaker 6 (07:42):
Honestly, the very very first part of I think writing
any good sound kind of just starts with jamming. I
have like, you know, five or six different synthesizers that
I kind of, you know, I just play around on,
I make sounds, and kind of from there, you know,
(08:06):
depending on on any given day, you know, I could
decide I want to use the corganalogue or I want
to use the Eleasa's eye on you know, on any
given dayes depending on how I feel, you know, I'll
be gravitated towards using a particular synthesizer. But as I
craft the sound, as I kind of jam and see
(08:27):
what kind of you know, what kind of melodies, what
kind of baselines, sound.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Lends itself towards.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
That kind of helps me to decide what kind of uh,
you know, what kind of.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Melody is going to come out of it? And that
was much the same with heavy water.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, how long does this process usually takes?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
It seems like you you do trial and error, are
you tessed? Or you just have fun playing whatever you
feel until something sticks by.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
So normally I'll start just by jamming.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
On the keyboard, and then after that, I'll lay down
kind of a drum track.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
I'll lay down, you know, with any given you know,
set of drum samples or drum machine.
Speaker 6 (09:19):
I'll lay down a drum track to give it some rhythm,
give the melody kind of a back you know, a
backbone to play along to, and then kind of around that,
you know, I'll adjust the melody or the bassline or
whatever part of the song, and I'll kind of tweak
it to uh fit that rhythm.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
And i'd say, you know, that.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Process, uh, you know, depending on how satisfied with the
way I am, uh with you know, how the things
sound together.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
That process can sometimes be like.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
You know, a single night, a single evening, or it
can spread out to you know, a few days, you know,
depending if I feel like I need to make changes
or just redo something entirely heavy water. Actually, there are
parts of it where I kind of had a different
song in mind, and then I ended up.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Kind of changing out some elements.
Speaker 6 (10:20):
So originally I had a different bassline, I had a
different rhythm track, and then later on kind of as
I came up with that melody, I basically kind of
you know, redrew the schematics for the song kind of
from scratch.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, that's dope, man. So how long have you been
like musically in clonate?
Speaker 6 (10:43):
So I first started making music when I was prob
about six years old, maybe five years old. My parents
got me a drum set for Christmas, and I took
drumming lessons and that gave me kind of this you
know background in rhythm, and from there I eventually.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
You know, figured out how to make electronic music. And
that was where I really.
Speaker 6 (11:12):
Kind of, you know, started to get enthusiastic about music.
Because the drums there's actually a drum set on its own,
There's not a whole lot you can do with the
sound design with that, and you know, I had always
been kind of you know, gravitated towards like dance music
and electronic music, where you know, the drum tracks kind
(11:35):
of have you know this. You know a lot of
times there can be incredibly diverse sounding. You know, you
can have really really deep eight o waights, you can
have you know, sharp, you know, plenty sounds and stuff
like that. So I really probably when I was about
i'd say eleven or twelve years old, I got into
making music first with just free software, and then eventually
(12:00):
I got into making music with fl Studio and kind
of my you know, my passion for you know, making
the songs and eventually releasing the songs kind of took
off from there.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, do you ever drum any steal?
Speaker 6 (12:19):
The drum set nowadays mostly kind of just collects dust.
To be honest, there are times, there are times that
I actually have on some tracks, I have sampled the
drums and then you know, I've created loops from that.
Speaker 5 (12:35):
I've done that before.
Speaker 6 (12:39):
I have ideas for the drum set for interesting things
to do with it. I've experimented a little bit with
Piso electric mics, which you don't know what those are.
It's basically like a small microphone you can stick on
something and then it basically converts the uh that kind
(13:00):
of analog sound into a digital uh into a digital signal.
So I haven't found the right kind of mic to
use for that yet, but uh, there are some uses
in mind that I might I might use the drum
set for.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
Actually have I actually have a number.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Of percussive like percussion instruments that sometimes I sample.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
There's uh, not just the drum set. But I have
an African talking drum, I.
Speaker 6 (13:32):
Have a set of roto toms.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
I've got a rainstick.
Speaker 6 (13:40):
So I have a lot of different percussive instruments.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Uh kind of you know, kind of hidden away in
the closet for when I when I need them, and
when I need you.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Know, when I decide that I want that, you know,
extra bit of spice, I guess for a track.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, man, that's dope.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And Detroit. I love Detroit. It's the birthplace of techno.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
I don't know if many people know that, But how
do you see your sound connecting to that legacy and
and how do you want to push it forward?
Speaker 6 (14:19):
So Detroit techno, I'm kind of, you know, gravitated towards
it because Detroit techno.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Has this futuristic.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Mechanical, kind of robotic but at the same time very.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Forward, kind of looking.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Like ethos.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
You look at the work of artists like uh, Kevin
Saunderson and Jan Atkins, Derek May Underground.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Resistance, and these are you know.
Speaker 6 (14:55):
All artists that helped to kind of, you know, to
find that Detroit techno sound, and that sound is kind
of rooted in the background of the city that you know, futuristic,
mechanical sound of machines that's kind of rooted in Detroit's
(15:19):
own automotive industry.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
I think.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
The surroundings that an artist is in, uh specifically, you know,
in the case of Detroit techno, you know, there's that uh.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
You know, that automotive background, and.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
You know kind of unfortunately you know a little bit
a little bit falling into disrepair.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
You know, there's there's a there's also that which I
kind of adds that environment that.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
That kind of edge of grittiness that you know, also
contributes to the character of Detroit tech you know music.
So for me, as someone who is drawn to you know,
industrial sounds, mechanical sounds, like science fiction, it's kind of
(16:14):
a you know, a natural fit. And so I kind
of hope to build on to the legacy of Detroit
techno by kind of infusing in, you know, some influences
from other genres that I'm also fond of, you know,
things like things like you know, eighties synth pop, nineties
(16:39):
j pop, industrial music, things like that.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
All right, well, j h X nine, it is time
for some music and listeners, I know you've been waiting
for this.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
We have heavy Water ready to go, and then we'll
be right back to put j h x nine in
our traditional hot seats where he could perform for us
if he wants to sing, rap spoken words, tell a
dad joke, tell a story from his life, play instruments,
gives him advice, or do nothing at all.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That is cool as well. But for right now here
it is heavy Water. Stay tuned.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
In.
Speaker 8 (18:02):
Jena agiself in scaptenna, and she said, this city is
where critical.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Stratatana. It's its way as.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
This fiction, no ways, construction in descend webbing, the.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Way this one streets explained spies.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
All right, all right, welcome back again. That was heavy
Water by j h x nine. Dope record. All right,
let's go ahead and bring them back. Yo, yo, you're
back live with us and in our hots eat. Are
you going to perform for us?
Speaker 5 (22:04):
All right? So, in the interest of preserving my vocal cords,
I'm not going to sing. However, I am going to
tell you a story.
Speaker 9 (22:15):
And since I told you about the instrumental to heavy Water,
I figured it's probably a good opportunity to tell you
how I came up with the lyrics. There's a specific
event actually, so in the metro Detroit area where I live.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
There's a mall where there was a mall in Sterling
Heights called Lakeside, and I used to go there with
my parents a lot as a child growing up, you know,
to get things like as closed for school, Christmas gifts.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Or just you know, to you know, like get toys
or something you know as a and uh, you know,
I I even as a even as a teenager, you know,
I'd go to the mall on my own. You'll buy
clothes and stuff.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
So it's a place that I have, you know, a
lot of fond memories of And a couple of years
ago they announced that the mall was finally going to
close for good, and I was actually I was, I
was like depressed about it for like a week. And
(23:33):
I know a lot of people might say, well a
mall or a store or something like that is kind
of I guess, you know, a trivial thing. But if
you think about you know, your hometown.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
And the places that you know you were surrounded by
going up, you know, growing.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
Up, and then you know, if it's if it's a
place where maybe change happens rapidly and those places disappear.
For me, it kind of feels like losing a part
of myself. It's like losing a part of your personal history.
And so I wanted to explore that theme with heavy Water,
(24:18):
with you know, kind of living in a changing world.
You know, if you think, like what it must be
like for like, you know, I kind of think, you know,
like if I imagine, you know, for someone in any decade,
you know, not just you know, they imagine somebody, like,
you know, someone that was like, uh, you know, born
in the nineteen forties or something. You know, all the
(24:41):
you know, Hamburgers, fans and things and stuff that they
grew up with in the fifties and then you know,
let's say, you know, in the eighties, let's say, you know,
maybe a lot of that stuff was gone. It's kind
of a timeless kind of feeling, you know, watching the
world change without you and you know, around and not
really being able to do much about it. And so
(25:05):
I wanted to kind of write a song that encapsulates
that feeling.
Speaker 5 (25:11):
And that's kind of the story behind the lyrics to
heavy Water.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Nice Nice And that mall is still close to this
day or did they build a new one there?
Speaker 6 (25:26):
Nope, it it stands there, closed, vacated and they're gonna
demolish it.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I guess this year, at the end of this year,
they're going to demolish it and they're going to.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
Put up a new Uh, They're gonna they are gonna
build something new there. They're gonna build something called a
town center, which is it's like a mixed use kind
of development.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
They've got a plan to put up apartments and in
some stores and things.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
So I am there's a part of me that's really
excited kind of to see, you know, what they put
up and you know what.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
The result of the new construction is. But there's always
a part of me that is, you know, going to
be kind of sad to see them all go right.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
All right, Well, looking ahead, man, what can fans suspect
from Black Magic and how will it expand on the
sonic world that you've been building?
Speaker 6 (26:22):
So looking forward kind of for j h X nine,
I'm planning to with this upcoming album that I'm working on,
I want to really showcase kind of my versatility as
(26:42):
a producer. I want to work with a lot of
kind of you know, experiment with influences from different styles
of music that I like, and that kind of.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Contrasts with in the past. I think some of my.
Speaker 6 (27:01):
Songs I've made in the past, I've kind of consciously
tried to steer them into a particular genre, like, you know,
to say, Okay, well, this has to be a certain
you know style, it has to have this kind of beat.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
And so really now that I have, you know.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
Since started, since I started making music and since I
started recording.
Speaker 5 (27:24):
Music electronically, I feel like I've really kind of.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Perfected my production like skills, and so I feel much
more comfortable now just kind of you know, letting I guess,
you know that kind of you know, phantom muse, you know,
kind of just kind of guide me and kind of
(27:49):
guide just the making of the music and you know,
not feeling like I have to steer it into a
particular you know, style of dance music one way or another.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Right, awesome man?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
And where can our listeners connect with you on the
internet and check out more music?
Speaker 2 (28:09):
So I am on Twitter or it's.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
Called x now, but I'm on there at jh X
nine Official. I also have JHX nine Facebook page, and
I have a jh X nine band camp page as
wellww dot band camp dot com.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
That's a great platform.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
For independent artists. On there you can actually buy a
physical CD of mine. I had a CD made a
few years ago, and you can also stream my music
at the usual places, usual suspects. Jhx nine is on Spotify.
Jhx nine is an Apple Music. Jx nine is on YouTube.
(28:59):
All this.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Right, listeners.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Just in case you need those links and no worries,
I will have them in the description of this episode
and in the show notes, so all.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
You guys have to do is just click those links.
Jh x nine. Tonight you took us beneath the.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Surface of heavy Water and into your mechanical cinematic world.
We explore the roots of your sound in Detroit, the
inspirations behind your production, and your vision for pushing simp
pop and dark wave into new territory. And to our listeners.
Make sure that you scream heavy Water now on all platforms.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Follow jh x nine and prepare for us upcoming work
as he continues to innovate at electronic music.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
And don't forget subscribe a Vigilantes Radio Live, leave us
a rating. You can purchase me a coffee over at
buy meat Coffee dot com for a slash Vigilantes Radio
and share this episode with your circle.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
H X and nine. Thank you for reminding us that
even mechanical beats can carry deep emotion. Thank you so much, man,
I have a great evening.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Thank you for having me Gannie have.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
An excellent one. Thank you, Take care right a peece
to all.
Speaker 10 (30:18):
My name is Denie and I am the host of
Vigilantes Radio Live. I think that we are beyond just
asking cool questions and getting cool responses. I think that
we are here as creatives to provide and example that
(30:38):
you can do things different outside of expectations. Because some
of us simply we're not boring into the club, but
there is perhaps a door window or back of the
gate that we can leave a clue for you to
get into.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Life is short, but.
Speaker 10 (30:59):
There are plenty of moments to try and get it right.
Pursuing your dreams and learning from mistakes may be tough,
but regret it's tough.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
To book your interview.
Speaker 10 (31:11):
Email us at V radio at only one media dot
com that's a v as a victorious or visit only
one media Groogle dot com of counting on you, Heavenly,
we all are counting on you to step into your
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(31:35):
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Speaker 2 (31:40):
Dive deeper.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
You and now listening to vigil Lancy's Radio, the people's
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Speaker 2 (00:43):
Hello, Hello, Hello, what's going on? Guys? Welcome to another
incredible episode of Vigilantes Radio live right here on iHeartRadio,
and I am your host, Deani. We have a very
special guest for you. Guys. You could definitely want to
stick around for that, and as a matter of fact,
go ahead and text your buddies, family members, even share
(01:05):
it on social media right now and let them know
that we are about to dive deep into another interview.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Before I bring my guests on, I do want to say,
you know, this is the frequency of the fearless.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You know, Detroit has always been a city.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Of machines, rhythm and reinviction, invention. You know, from the
assembly lines to the dance floor, sound has been forged here.
Like Stell, today's guest is carrying that tradition forward, blending
mechanical beats with hypnotic melodies to create a sound that's
both futuristic and deeply human. His new single is Dark,
(01:47):
Fluid and Unforgettable.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
A track that doesn't just move you, it haunts you.
You're not just here for a talk show. And this
isn't just radio, This is revival for your mind, body,
and spirit. This is Vigilantes Radio Live. My name is
Coach Deani, and change is possible. Are you ready?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Are you ready?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Are you ready to read?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Are you ready?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Well, let's go, let's go, all right, all right, all
right again, Welcome to the show. You're listening to vr L.
That's Vigilantes Radio Live right here on iHeartRadio, and I
am your host, Deani. Our interviews are designed to go
beyond the.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Music, news, books, art, acting, films, technology, education, entrepreneurship, entertainment, spirituality,
and sometimes even past.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
That thing that we call the ego. Our interview use
our designs to go behind the scenes and into the
minds of these incredible human beings, you know, the ones
that are out there giving it. They're all for me,
for you, and for the world. Well, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
From Metro detroits Underground to international playlists.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
J h x nine, the alter ego of Justin Horbes, is.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Reimagining what symppop can be with this new single heavy Water.
He blends hunting melodies, industrial grit, and cinematic textures into
a sound that's hypnotic and immersive. Featured on Communion at
the Dark and Center Trill Central, his music embodies the
(03:47):
legacy of Detroit while carving out a style of his own.
So tonight we step into the mechanical dreamscape of jx
x nine. So please join me and saying welcome friend
to J eight.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
It's nine. Hey, Hey, welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Hey, good evening, Dannie.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Hey, how's it going?
Speaker 5 (04:12):
Doing all right? Not too bad? Kind of recovering from
a little bit of a cold here.
Speaker 6 (04:17):
Hopome to give my voice fully back before Sunday.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
I got a show on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Oh man, Yeah, where you're playing at? Where are you
playing it?
Speaker 5 (04:28):
So?
Speaker 6 (04:29):
I'm playing at the place called the Paris Bar in
ham Trammic. I'm playing alongside two other bands, Search and
Destroy and Origami Phase, and the music starts at seven.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
All right, all right, well listeners, if you are in
is this in Detroit?
Speaker 5 (04:48):
Oh yeah, I'm located in the Metro Detroit area. Yeah, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So that's where you're playing at this weekend?
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Yeah? Yeah. The place, the bar is it's called the
Paris Bar. It's in ham Trammick.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Okay, cool, cool, all right, listeners, if you're in that area,
be sure to pull up and enjoy the sounds of
j X I mean, j h X nine. So before
we get into heavy Water and your evolution as an artist,
what's been on your heart and mind lately?
Speaker 6 (05:19):
Well, so this past month, I've really been making a
conscious push with the release of heavy Water to expand
the reach of JHX nine. And I've really been I've
been in the studio working really hard to craft in
(05:39):
albums worth the material that is hopefully thematically and sonically compelling.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Awesome. And what is the title of this album.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
The tentative title of the album is Behind the Firewall.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Okay, So let's talk about heavy Water. It's both hypnotic
and haunting. What story or filling were you chasing when
you first started writing this piece.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
So when I first started writing the piece, I started
out with just.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
A simple melodic line.
Speaker 6 (06:22):
There is a synthesizer melody in there that comes from
a keyboard called roll in D ten that is actually
an old digital synth. It's from nineteen eighty eight. It's
eleven years older than I am.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Actually I was born in ninety nine. But I started
out with that melodic line and I kind of.
Speaker 6 (06:42):
Built up the rhythm around that, and the lyrics actually
came very last. It's kind of part of my production
style is I kind of let the instrumental I let
the instruments and the.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Sound and the textures kind of tell me what the
words are going to be.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So the music basically, you know, kind of help inspire
the lyrics or write the lyrics for you.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
Yeah, yeah, it'll it'll definitely kind of influence the tone.
The tone of the music influences the tone of the lyrics,
and that gives me kind of like a guide point
for writing.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Okay, And I think you said also that the role
in D ten gives the track this oceanic feel, and
the track is.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Called heavy water. But how do you decide which hardware
or simp will shape the mood of a song?
Speaker 6 (07:42):
Honestly, the very very first part of I think writing
any good sound kind of just starts with jamming. I
have like, you know, five or six different synthesizers that
I kind of, you know, I just play around on,
I make sounds, and kind of from there, you know,
(08:06):
depending on on any given day, you know, I could
decide I want to use the corganalogue or I want
to use the Eleasa's eye on you know, on any
given dayes depending on how I feel, you know, I'll
be gravitated towards using a particular synthesizer. But as I
craft the sound, as I kind of jam and see
(08:27):
what kind of you know, what kind of melodies, what
kind of baselines, sound.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Lends itself towards.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
That kind of helps me to decide what kind of uh,
you know, what kind of.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Melody is going to come out of it? And that
was much the same with heavy water.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, how long does this process usually takes?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
It seems like you you do trial and error, are
you tessed? Or you just have fun playing whatever you
feel until something sticks by.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
So normally I'll start just by jamming.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
On the keyboard, and then after that, I'll lay down
kind of a drum track.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
I'll lay down, you know, with any given you know,
set of drum samples or drum machine.
Speaker 6 (09:19):
I'll lay down a drum track to give it some rhythm,
give the melody kind of a back you know, a
backbone to play along to, and then kind of around that,
you know, I'll adjust the melody or the bassline or
whatever part of the song, and I'll kind of tweak
it to uh fit that rhythm.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
And i'd say, you know, that.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Process, uh, you know, depending on how satisfied with the
way I am, uh with you know, how the things
sound together.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
That process can sometimes be like.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
You know, a single night, a single evening, or it
can spread out to you know, a few days, you know,
depending if I feel like I need to make changes
or just redo something entirely heavy water. Actually, there are
parts of it where I kind of had a different
song in mind, and then I ended up.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Kind of changing out some elements.
Speaker 6 (10:20):
So originally I had a different bassline, I had a
different rhythm track, and then later on kind of as
I came up with that melody, I basically kind of
you know, redrew the schematics for the song kind of
from scratch.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, that's dope, man. So how long have you been
like musically in clonate?
Speaker 6 (10:43):
So I first started making music when I was prob
about six years old, maybe five years old. My parents
got me a drum set for Christmas, and I took
drumming lessons and that gave me kind of this you
know background in rhythm, and from there I eventually.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
You know, figured out how to make electronic music. And
that was where I really.
Speaker 6 (11:12):
Kind of, you know, started to get enthusiastic about music.
Because the drums there's actually a drum set on its own,
There's not a whole lot you can do with the
sound design with that, and you know, I had always
been kind of you know, gravitated towards like dance music
and electronic music, where you know, the drum tracks kind
(11:35):
of have you know this. You know a lot of
times there can be incredibly diverse sounding. You know, you
can have really really deep eight o waights, you can
have you know, sharp, you know, plenty sounds and stuff
like that. So I really probably when I was about
i'd say eleven or twelve years old, I got into
making music first with just free software, and then eventually
(12:00):
I got into making music with fl Studio and kind
of my you know, my passion for you know, making
the songs and eventually releasing the songs kind of took
off from there.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, do you ever drum any steal?
Speaker 6 (12:19):
The drum set nowadays mostly kind of just collects dust.
To be honest, there are times, there are times that
I actually have on some tracks, I have sampled the
drums and then you know, I've created loops from that.
Speaker 5 (12:35):
I've done that before.
Speaker 6 (12:39):
I have ideas for the drum set for interesting things
to do with it. I've experimented a little bit with
Piso electric mics, which you don't know what those are.
It's basically like a small microphone you can stick on
something and then it basically converts the uh that kind
(13:00):
of analog sound into a digital uh into a digital signal.
So I haven't found the right kind of mic to
use for that yet, but uh, there are some uses
in mind that I might I might use the drum
set for.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
Actually have I actually have a number.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Of percussive like percussion instruments that sometimes I sample.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
There's uh, not just the drum set. But I have
an African talking drum, I.
Speaker 6 (13:32):
Have a set of roto toms.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
I've got a rainstick.
Speaker 6 (13:40):
So I have a lot of different percussive instruments.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Uh kind of you know, kind of hidden away in
the closet for when I when I need them, and
when I need you.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Know, when I decide that I want that, you know,
extra bit of spice, I guess for a track.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, man, that's dope.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And Detroit. I love Detroit. It's the birthplace of techno.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
I don't know if many people know that, But how
do you see your sound connecting to that legacy and
and how do you want to push it forward?
Speaker 6 (14:19):
So Detroit techno, I'm kind of, you know, gravitated towards
it because Detroit techno.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Has this futuristic.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Mechanical, kind of robotic but at the same time very.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Forward, kind of looking.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Like ethos.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
You look at the work of artists like uh, Kevin
Saunderson and Jan Atkins, Derek May Underground.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Resistance, and these are you know.
Speaker 6 (14:55):
All artists that helped to kind of, you know, to
find that Detroit techno sound, and that sound is kind
of rooted in the background of the city that you know, futuristic,
mechanical sound of machines that's kind of rooted in Detroit's
(15:19):
own automotive industry.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
I think.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
The surroundings that an artist is in, uh specifically, you know,
in the case of Detroit techno, you know, there's that uh.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
You know, that automotive background, and.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
You know kind of unfortunately you know a little bit
a little bit falling into disrepair.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
You know, there's there's a there's also that which I
kind of adds that environment that.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
That kind of edge of grittiness that you know, also
contributes to the character of Detroit tech you know music.
So for me, as someone who is drawn to you know,
industrial sounds, mechanical sounds, like science fiction, it's kind of
(16:14):
a you know, a natural fit. And so I kind
of hope to build on to the legacy of Detroit
techno by kind of infusing in, you know, some influences
from other genres that I'm also fond of, you know,
things like things like you know, eighties synth pop, nineties
(16:39):
j pop, industrial music, things like that.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
All right, well, j h X nine, it is time
for some music and listeners, I know you've been waiting
for this.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
We have heavy Water ready to go, and then we'll
be right back to put j h x nine in
our traditional hot seats where he could perform for us
if he wants to sing, rap spoken words, tell a
dad joke, tell a story from his life, play instruments,
gives him advice, or do nothing at all.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That is cool as well. But for right now here
it is heavy Water. Stay tuned.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
In.
Speaker 8 (18:02):
Jena agiself in scaptenna, and she said, this city is
where critical.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Stratatana. It's its way as.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
This fiction, no ways, construction in descend webbing, the.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Way this one streets explained spies.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
All right, all right, welcome back again. That was heavy
Water by j h x nine. Dope record. All right,
let's go ahead and bring them back. Yo, yo, you're
back live with us and in our hots eat. Are
you going to perform for us?
Speaker 5 (22:04):
All right? So, in the interest of preserving my vocal cords,
I'm not going to sing. However, I am going to
tell you a story.
Speaker 9 (22:15):
And since I told you about the instrumental to heavy Water,
I figured it's probably a good opportunity to tell you
how I came up with the lyrics. There's a specific
event actually, so in the metro Detroit area where I live.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
There's a mall where there was a mall in Sterling
Heights called Lakeside, and I used to go there with
my parents a lot as a child growing up, you know,
to get things like as closed for school, Christmas gifts.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Or just you know, to you know, like get toys
or something you know as a and uh, you know,
I I even as a even as a teenager, you know,
I'd go to the mall on my own. You'll buy
clothes and stuff.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
So it's a place that I have, you know, a
lot of fond memories of And a couple of years
ago they announced that the mall was finally going to
close for good, and I was actually I was, I
was like depressed about it for like a week. And
(23:33):
I know a lot of people might say, well a
mall or a store or something like that is kind
of I guess, you know, a trivial thing. But if
you think about you know, your hometown.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
And the places that you know you were surrounded by
going up, you know, growing.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
Up, and then you know, if it's if it's a
place where maybe change happens rapidly and those places disappear.
For me, it kind of feels like losing a part
of myself. It's like losing a part of your personal history.
And so I wanted to explore that theme with heavy Water,
(24:18):
with you know, kind of living in a changing world.
You know, if you think, like what it must be
like for like, you know, I kind of think, you know,
like if I imagine, you know, for someone in any decade,
you know, not just you know, they imagine somebody, like,
you know, someone that was like, uh, you know, born
in the nineteen forties or something. You know, all the
(24:41):
you know, Hamburgers, fans and things and stuff that they
grew up with in the fifties and then you know,
let's say, you know, in the eighties, let's say, you know,
maybe a lot of that stuff was gone. It's kind
of a timeless kind of feeling, you know, watching the
world change without you and you know, around and not
really being able to do much about it. And so
(25:05):
I wanted to kind of write a song that encapsulates
that feeling.
Speaker 5 (25:11):
And that's kind of the story behind the lyrics to
heavy Water.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Nice Nice And that mall is still close to this
day or did they build a new one there?
Speaker 6 (25:26):
Nope, it it stands there, closed, vacated and they're gonna
demolish it.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I guess this year, at the end of this year,
they're going to demolish it and they're going to.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
Put up a new Uh, They're gonna they are gonna
build something new there. They're gonna build something called a
town center, which is it's like a mixed use kind
of development.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
They've got a plan to put up apartments and in
some stores and things.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
So I am there's a part of me that's really
excited kind of to see, you know, what they put
up and you know what.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
The result of the new construction is. But there's always
a part of me that is, you know, going to
be kind of sad to see them all go right.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
All right, Well, looking ahead, man, what can fans suspect
from Black Magic and how will it expand on the
sonic world that you've been building?
Speaker 6 (26:22):
So looking forward kind of for j h X nine,
I'm planning to with this upcoming album that I'm working on,
I want to really showcase kind of my versatility as
(26:42):
a producer. I want to work with a lot of
kind of you know, experiment with influences from different styles
of music that I like, and that kind of.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Contrasts with in the past. I think some of my.
Speaker 6 (27:01):
Songs I've made in the past, I've kind of consciously
tried to steer them into a particular genre, like, you know,
to say, Okay, well, this has to be a certain
you know style, it has to have this kind of beat.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
And so really now that I have, you know.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
Since started, since I started making music and since I
started recording.
Speaker 5 (27:24):
Music electronically, I feel like I've really kind of.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Perfected my production like skills, and so I feel much
more comfortable now just kind of you know, letting I guess,
you know that kind of you know, phantom muse, you know,
kind of just kind of guide me and kind of
(27:49):
guide just the making of the music and you know,
not feeling like I have to steer it into a
particular you know, style of dance music one way or another.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Right, awesome man?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
And where can our listeners connect with you on the
internet and check out more music?
Speaker 2 (28:09):
So I am on Twitter or it's.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
Called x now, but I'm on there at jh X
nine Official. I also have JHX nine Facebook page, and
I have a jh X nine band camp page as
wellww dot band camp dot com.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
That's a great platform.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
For independent artists. On there you can actually buy a
physical CD of mine. I had a CD made a
few years ago, and you can also stream my music
at the usual places, usual suspects. Jhx nine is on Spotify.
Jhx nine is an Apple Music. Jx nine is on YouTube.
(28:59):
All this.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Right, listeners.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Just in case you need those links and no worries,
I will have them in the description of this episode
and in the show notes, so all.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
You guys have to do is just click those links.
Jh x nine. Tonight you took us beneath the.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Surface of heavy Water and into your mechanical cinematic world.
We explore the roots of your sound in Detroit, the
inspirations behind your production, and your vision for pushing simp
pop and dark wave into new territory. And to our listeners.
Make sure that you scream heavy Water now on all platforms.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Follow jh x nine and prepare for us upcoming work
as he continues to innovate at electronic music.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
And don't forget subscribe a Vigilantes Radio Live, leave us
a rating. You can purchase me a coffee over at
buy meat Coffee dot com for a slash Vigilantes Radio
and share this episode with your circle.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
H X and nine. Thank you for reminding us that
even mechanical beats can carry deep emotion. Thank you so much, man,
I have a great evening.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Thank you for having me Gannie have.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
An excellent one. Thank you, Take care right a peece
to all.
Speaker 10 (30:18):
My name is Denie and I am the host of
Vigilantes Radio Live. I think that we are beyond just
asking cool questions and getting cool responses. I think that
we are here as creatives to provide and example that
(30:38):
you can do things different outside of expectations. Because some
of us simply we're not boring into the club, but
there is perhaps a door window or back of the
gate that we can leave a clue for you to
get into.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Life is short, but.
Speaker 10 (30:59):
There are plenty of moments to try and get it right.
Pursuing your dreams and learning from mistakes may be tough,
but regret it's tough.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
To book your interview.
Speaker 10 (31:11):
Email us at V radio at only one media dot
com that's a v as a victorious or visit only
one media Groogle dot com of counting on you, Heavenly,
we all are counting on you to step into your
purpose and your passion. You are listening to Vigilantes Radio
(31:35):
live on iHeartRadio, providing you with an opportunity to.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Dive deeper.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
You and now listening to vigil Lancy's Radio, the people's
choice for quality interviews, art, music and heart topics, hosted
by Demetrius Houdini Black Reynolds. All episodes of this podcast
are available for free download at www. Dot only one
media group dot com
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