Antix

Antix is a progressive trance duo from Auckland, New Zealand, made up of brothers Barton Strom and Hayden Strom. Active since 1999, they work in electronic and psychedelic-influenced progressive trance and also use the name Fiord for a side project.

Background and development

The brothers begin making music together in 1999 and set up Slowburning Studios in Auckland. Their earlier musical development starts with childhood record collections at home and a shared interest in trance in 1995, after hearing a tape from a friend. Barton starts DJing at small parties in Auckland, then moves to Japan to buy studio equipment and teach himself production. Hayden later joins him there before they return to New Zealand and continue refining their sound through a series of studios around Auckland.

Their production style develops into a minimal, organic groove influenced by the European trance sound associated with DJ Philipp of Plastik Park and Anti of Spiral Trax. Antix signs its first 12-inch, Rainstick, to Plastik Park after Philipp tours Australia and New Zealand in 2000. By the mid-2000s, they are also working commercially for film and television through Slowburning Studios.

Releases and collaborations

Antix publish close to 50 works. Their debut album, Lull, appears in 2003 on Iboga Records and gains a strong reputation for its polished production, percussive detail and broad range, shifting between club settings and open-air listening. In 2005 they follow it with Twin Coast Discovery, also on Iboga Records, which moves their sound toward progressive tech-house with tighter drums, layered beats and vocoded effects. Their third album, Wanderers, continues their use of deep atmospheres, bass and minimal grooves.

In 2004 they create Fiord and complete remixes for Fitalic, Bedrock and 19 Box. They also remix The Fanatics’ Girl, which receives a nomination for best remix at the B-net Music Awards, and Rhian Sheehan’s Hiding Place, which appears on his remix album Music for Nature Doco's on LOOP Recordings. They also work on a Pitch Black track from Ape to Angel and team up with Auckland DJ Rob Salmon.

Touring and live work

Antix tour widely, with an early European trip in 2001 and repeated returns in following years. They play festivals and venues including VooV and U-Site Fusion Festival in Germany, The Boom in Portugal, Rainbow Serpent in Australia and Fabric in London for New Zealand music night. Their 2003 world tour includes dates in Denmark, Sweden, Croatia, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Australia, New York, Mexico, France and New Zealand. In late 2006 they tour North America, including New York, Seattle and Montreal, and record footage for a DVD/CD release built around the tour and their live setup.

Sound and releases

Their recordings are described through a progression from deep, minimal grooves to a more progressive tech-house direction, while keeping the dense atmosphere and bass-led style associated with their earlier work. The 2007 release Wandering The Remixes and DVD pairs remix versions with a film of the North American tour, presenting their material in dubstep, minimal and trip-rock forms.