Opheliaxz and I have been interconnected online and IRL since the beginning of the infamous, now-defunct Terry Radio based out of Kansas City, Missouri. My partner Pascäal and I used to host Scorpio Alliance—a weekly show that we would broadcast out of a shipping container that was planted in a tree-and-cicada-covered woodworking studio complex in Austin. I have sweet memories behind the decks of an XDJ, blasting into the Texas dusk.

Terry Radio was for the heads. Mixes overflowed with a naive sense of wonder that made them more like diary entries than promotional content. With shows like “Tito Fuego's Hot Mix Volume 13” and my personal fav, “wall of oil august 11 2017,” Terry Radio demonstrated that it was very ahead of its time and forever an archive of worldwide infinite joy. All it took to tune in and vibe out was a love for music and an internet connection. Plain and simple.

Listening back to Opheliaxz’s Terry Radio mixes, it’s clear that she has always been on some highly advanced wavelengths. She consistently showcases a sound that feels organic to her nature and being. Her production has a mystical feeling that pits nostalgia against the whomp of a subwoofer, captivating anyone who listens. It’s clear that she has a bright future ahead of her.

With this rapid pi movement Q&A we chat about sun-less habits, aquatic dreams, and intoxicating nostalgia.

deep creep: Good Morning, good day, and big hello Opheliaxz! What sleeping position did you wake up in today?

Opheliaxz: On my stomach, though I didn't start out that way. I tend to roll around in my sleep like a rotisserie chicken.

I, like many music people, tend to not be a morning person whatsoever. Are there any morning rituals of note that help with these sunless days?

Well I’m a bit of a gremlin. I  like to hide in my room so I don't really mind sunless days—the more moody the better. IF… I do however have one of those rare days that make me feel weird. I do a lot of stretching, chug water, roll around endlessly in my bed, and I'll then listen to some music that makes me feel better or match my mood while I doomscroll the internet.

If you could meet a producer in your dreams that would tell you the secrets of their music-making, who would it be and why?

Ah geeez, where do I begin!? I think I would want to link with Timbaland in my dreams because he's already inspired me so much in my own downtempo production works, however I don't know if he uses Ableton live. Something tells me he would just figure it out with a snap of his fingers and tell me how to do everything within minutes.

Lately I have been overstimulated by the sounds of the city. To ease my mind I have been imagining the sweet sound of cicadas in Texas summer. What sound of nature could you listen to guide you into slumber peacefully?

Raindrops and a mild wind whipping at my back like it's trying to give me a hug.

As a late-night secret food enthusiast, some of my favorite concoctions come at the strike of midnight post a long musical dig session. What is your favorite late night snack?

CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE! I'm talkin' a good quality Brie on top of some mid cracker(s), an olive, and some kind of fizzy drink. It is truly a chef's kiss.

What was the most vivid dream you had in recent memory? Do your dreams influence the way you produce?

I had a dream that I was in the ocean recently and there was a huge swell approaching and in the water with me adjacent to me was one of my close friends and she turned to me and said, Are you ready?, just as the huge wave was crashing down on us and I woke up in a jolt. I love to look up dream meanings and I found this "Waves in your dream reflect your spiritual and emotional self. It implies that strong emotions are hidden behind the surface. You are unable to express yourself because you are afraid of being judged or rejected. Enormous waves represent big problems and emotional anguish in everyday life.” I would say weird kinds of dreams like that reflect my emotional state and definitely impact my music that I make. I tend to use a lot of synth pads on top of rather brash percussion and deep bass lines. I'd like to think when I have crazy dreams that miiiight mean something it makes me create some deep shit.

Tossin’ and turnin’, hard to sleep these days… if you woke up at 4:44 am every night for a week... what track would you listen to make you fall back asleep and why? 

Planetary Assault Systems - Railer (Further Exploration) 

This song always reminds me of home.. Kansas :') , I'm a bit of a sucker for nostalgia and my roots in digging for electronic music. This one definitely hits some calming emotional nerves for me and I know it would bring me right back to where I need to be from wherever I'm coming from. 

Like a chef in a kitchen I imagine a producer in their studio, having all their little pleasures around in order to cook up some hot tunes. Please give the Nina readers a taste of what your studio looks like in full detail. 

Desk, Chair. Trippy lava lamp. Two Mackie Speakers, laptop stand, My Macbook pro, Ableton Push 2, My two hands and ten fingers. Sometimes I use my brain and wiggle my toes.

With that producer brain of yours, what advice would you give to a newbie producer that you wish you would have known yourself at the beginning stages?

Don't be afraid to ask someone you look up to for production tips! Ableton live IS goated. You really can find just about anything you want to learn on Youtube for free, it's insane and I now call it Youtube University.

What inspirations do you have that have nothing to do with music?

Kansas, the midwest, the flint hills, floating in water, sitting on top of a big hill or a mountain. Cooking a nice dinner for my friends. Smoking zaza. Squishmellows. The color green. Badlands. Rocks. Clouds making weird shapes. Long walks through the city. Long walks in the country. Getting lost. Finding myself again.

What does this track mean to you?

This track was something I made for a live set and it did not come to me easily. It means a lot to me in the sense that I was even able to create it. It took me a lot of long nights nearly pulling my hair out wondering, "What the hell am I even doing!?" I'm pretty hard on myself when it comes to creating music and I'm still learning a lot when I'm not overworked from my day job, so it means a lot to me to finish any project. I feel proud of this song and it's always a trip to listen back and realize, "Wow this is mine? Siiiick."

Cover photo by Shy