Exclusive Interview with NOX PULSO

New Wave of Industrial Metal duo from Manchester UK. Inspired by the fictional nightclub scenes in films like Blade, The Matrix, Strange Days and The Crow, Nox Pulso formed in 2022 with the intention of making 90’s influenced industrial music with a distinctive guitar-driven flavour. Check out the exclusive Interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

NOX PULSO: Hi, we’re Nox Pulso from Manchester UK. We make “New Wave of Industrial Metal” and we’re delighted to be able to talk to you. We are Duncan – Guitar/Vocal, and Matt – Electronics/Vocal. Duncan was in a high profile band in the 90s and 00s in the UK, touring Europe and appearing on big bills and magazine covers. His life fell apart and he swore off the guitar forever. Matt was an equally, or more, successful DJ, playing Glastonbury, doing synthwave on YouTube to seven figure viewers. Both were friends for decades but never made music together, and Matt decided to coax Duncan out of retirement to change that. Nox Pulso was born – a genuine marriage of dance and metal from people who lived through it when neither tribe dared speak to the other.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

NOX PULSO: We are both, and we think both are valid. One of us has a degree in music and those formal piano grades, the other is self taught. Intensity, rage, explosion, and the shared mission is the key.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘NOX PULSO?

NOX PULSO: Expect a hint of The Prodigy, Ministry, KMFDM, Front242, Rammstein, Combichrist, it goes on. Nox Pulso means something like “night beats” or “nasty rhythm” – and we are both of those things. Dark songs for dark nights, with distorted breakbeats and deep sub bass… and guitars turned up to 11.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

NOX PULSO: Our music is for people who seek adrenalin. Maybe they have some rage about the state of the world. Maybe the day facing you is simply boring. Maybe you also feel some isolation. You aren’t alone. We are screaming with you. But now we can also dance and rock out together.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as METAL?

NOX PULSO:

We call it New Wave of Industrial Metal. When we first met in a studio near Matts house, it was to jam some Ministry covers. Soon we delved older, covering Bauhaus, Gary Numan, and finding our own take on these songs and sounds. You can hear these early covers on our first three EPs.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

NOX PULSO:

Our music is entirely social (although we have no problem with anyone doing other things). We want to connect to our tribe, and we love our listeners. We have the same rage, the same fears, angers, isolations. Our music is not about a political or religious agenda – there is enough division in the world already. We came from a world where rock and dance could not co-exist! We love music for its ability to transcend that. If you have a political or religious belief? you’re welcome here! But we won’t push on you, or allow you to push on to the tribe either. Nox Pulso stands for cathartic joy of music and shared intrigue of storytelling only.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

NOX PULSO: The music is it’s own reward. But – when people get it, and reach out to us, that is tremendous. We are for you. IF you are someone who values music on how many plays, or views, or how it fits in a trend – we are not for you. If you see music as a disposable thing to hear in the elevator – we are not for you. If you are some music industry salesman looking for a commodity he doesn’t understand — we are not for you. If you seek out music that speaks to you, whether it’s “popular” or not – if you have pent-up energy, if you enjoy catharsis – we are for you.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process

NOX PULSO: It’s never the same. But the easiest way to describe it is to say what it is not. It’s not, “the guitarist writes a whole song of riffs”. In maybe 1 or 2 cases, they are riff based songs, but almost always, it’s something else. A vocal hook sung into the phone from a shower. A drum sample. A bass sound. A feeling of frustration, anger, or humor. A terrifying scene in a horror film. Moral Panic. It always starts somewhere. But it never starts in the same place.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

NOX PULSO: The thing we enjoy is when legitimate music listeners reach out. The thing that is frustrating, is how many people see a band as a commodity, or an easy sell. We often get approached by industry grifters and the like – “hey we can help you with” – but when you ask, they either haven’t listened to the band, or worse, have no experience with metal, much less industrial metal or industrial dance metal. When pressed, these people usually get indigent and try to disappear as though we asked for their help. The truth is, if you never listened to heavy music, you will never be one of us. We’d rather it be the best kept secret. These people think music is a joke to be bought and sold, which makes a mockery of people who care about it, who seek out new things. It makes a mockery of our tribe. We will never tolerate this.

Parasites? yes. But, we generally just mock them in the DMs. Maybe one day we will post the screenshots and interactions.. Or at least to the inner circle (which we will tell you about in the next question).

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far

NOX PULSO: The opposite of the above, is the real people who get what we do. Who we can scream for, and with. Whether it is meeting people at shows, or interacting with them online – that’s the joy. We have this inner circle of fans who we share new tracks, demos and the like with. It’s a great way for us to stay connected without any social media overlords or agenda. It’s a small number and better for it. If you’re reading this and enjoying our music, drop us a line on any of our socials at www.noxpulso.com and we’ll add you into the loop.