Japanese producer Daika-Kagata (a friend of itchysilk) put us onto the dynamic dj, producer and label owner of Paradoxy, Pearla (DXMX).
Based in Berlin (that mecca of electronica), he’s made a name for classy electronica productions and on point curation.
In his latest creative push, his curation skills go up ten-fold with the mix-tape Reality (2026). In a project where Pearla-DXMX travels to ‘four corners’ of the globe, it’s the third offering under the Paradoxy series.
independence is mainly about having that freedom to curate,
Reality is deliciously ominous as industrial sounds, dirty bass, synths tantalise your inner ear.
In this 16-tape project, look out for cuts from names like; Daika-Kagata and his off-kilter track Velvet to Vivague (Sao Paulo) with his bass bin wrecker Largo do Arouche: The compilation brings real aural texture to electronica.
Check out a tête-à-tête with the man himself as we discuss; his musical history, sound porn and the power of the cassette to bring ‘musical odysseys.’
I was inspired by my younger brother. He was already producing beats for local hip-hop artists when he was only 14 or 15. Sadly he passed away some time ago. I found his passion for making music incredibly fascinating and in a way, I made that passion my own.
Briefly discuss your name.
Pearla allows me to develop more around house, breaks and slower, more melodic sounds. But over the years, I became more interested in sounds from, especially Detroit and Chicago. I started exploring and understanding the music on a much deeper level. Eventually, I felt the need to separate these different sides of my music more clearly, which is when I created my second alias, DXMX. It gave me the freedom to explore a much rougher and more experimental side of my sound.
Creating music when did the ‘bug’ take you over?
I was inspired by my younger brother. He was already producing beats for local hip-hop artists when he was only 14 or 15. Sadly he passed away some time ago. I found his passion for making music incredibly fascinating and in a way, I made that passion my own. That became a very important reason for me to go deeper into music production and continue something that he had already started.
Explain your interest in electronica. Was there a first rave lighting that fire?
So, funny story: I went on a trip to Mallorca with a soccer team and musically, I was completely on an island. Whenever they partied, it was all German folk music, which definitely wasn’t my vibe. Back then, I was strictly listening to Hip-Hop, Soul, and R&B—huge Neptunes fan.
On night one, I ditched the group and stumbled upon a club named Physical. The guy at the door warned me right away, “It’s techno tonight.” Honestly, I knew next to nothing about techno other than a few random clips on MTV.
I walked into this room packed with heavy fog and the atmosphere hit me instantly. Just deep, relentless basslines and people totally in their own zone, dancing solo on the floor. It was pure magic. I stayed for hours dancing by myself and just like that, I was hooked on life.
It felt like a journey through the streets. That’s the feeling I wanted to recreate,
You have been living in Berlin for a while now. Of course, electronica runs deep in Germany with names like Kraftwerk. How has the scene changed?
Berlin had a very strong influence on me even before I moved there. For years, I would come to the city several times a month just to experience different clubs, events and DJs. I found myself in places like Panorama Bar, Globus (Tresor) and Ohm quite often.
Today I have quite a mixed feeling about the current scene in Berlin. I really appreciate that music keeps evolving and reinventing itself, but personally, it doesn’t excite me in quite the same way it did years ago.
I still think Berlin has an incredibly important place in the electronic music scene, especially in Europe. But nowadays I also find it very refreshing to explore other places like Amsterdam, London or Southern Spain.
You have your own label now. Were you always striving for that independence and what has it allowed you to do?
I founded Paradoxy just before covid, mainly to underline my own taste and have complete freedom over the curation of music. With my previous label, Story About You, there were three of us. Naturally we sometimes had different opinions and different ideas about where the label should go.
Paradoxy gave me the opportunity to really express that creatively, without having to compromise on the direction. But it was never only about my own music. I also wanted to use the label as a platform to showcase other producers whose music I really love and whose taste I connect with.
For me, independence is mainly about having that freedom to curate, experiment and develop the label naturally, without being restricted to one genre or a fixed formula.
Let’s talk sound porn. What are you using right now?
Over the last few years, I’ve really tried to define my sound more precisely and I’ve concluded that I work better with less gear. For me, having a smaller setup allows me to focus much more on the music itself.
The heart of my setup is the Roland MC-909 Groovebox. That’s where I build the basic elements of a track; drums, kicks, percussion, effects and a lot of the initial ideas. MC-909 is the foundation of my sound. It has a very powerful punch and pressure that I’ve never quite been able to recreate with other instruments.
I also have a Yamaha synthesizer and occasionally use the Behringer Monologue. There’s also a Behringer RD-8, basically an 808-style drum machine, but I don’t use it that much, because I can already get a lot of those 808 and 909-type sounds from the MC-909 itself.
Once I have the main idea and structure, I record everything into Ableton, where I do the editing, processing and final fine-tuning.
You curate a plethora of artists from the globe for ‘Reality’. Discuss that process as the follow up to Illusion.
Realityis a continuation of the idea behind Illusion, but the concept started with the first release, When Evil Lurks (2020).
Ashtrejinkins and I both incorporated different skits into the tracks, which already gave the release, this feeling of a continuous story. I was also influenced by different labels that I really appreciate, as well as by the wide variety of music I personally enjoy. That’s why you can hear quite different styles on the tape rather than just one specific genre.
The international selection of artists also brings their own individual sounds and personalities into the mix, which I think makes the whole tape more interesting.
There’s a nostalgic energy to Reality.
You are right. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike around with a Walkman, listening to DJ mixtapes from beginning to end — no interruptions, no pauses. It felt like a journey through the streets. That’s the feeling I wanted to recreate and that’s also why I really appreciate the cassette format. It fits this idea of a continuous listening experience perfectly.
And the artist on there?
It was basically based on artists I liked. I’ve asked friends, received demos and spent a lot of time discovering music through my Instagram pool. Artists like WU-KI immediately stood out to me, while others, like Serious A, brought their own unique character and really enriched the tape.
You hit Japan with Daiki Kagata – he brought a cerebral, almost off kilter sound. Have you worked with him?
I didn´t work with him before, but I discovered Daiki through Instagram. He came across my radar through the network of artists and people I was following and I immediately found his production style interesting.
What I liked most was how characteristic his sound is. He has his own style and doesn’t sound like he’s simply following a certain trend, which is something I really appreciate in a producer.
Just deep, relentless basslines and people totally in their own zone, dancing solo on the floor. It was pure magic.
Checked your track “It´s an illusion” on the compilation. That sample, was it that classic RnB banger by Dru Hill Tell Me (1996)?
It’s funny that you mention that, because a friend asked me the same thing right after the release — whether it was the Dru Hill sample. But no, it wasn’t. I found the vocal in a sample pack on my computer while I was looking for something to work with.
I think the original vocal consisted of two verses and I basically chopped them up completely and rebuilt them into the track. So, the vocal became almost like another instrument rather than just a straight sample.
Why did you choose ‘tape’ as the format for the Paradoxy releases?
The question is quite easy to answer. For me, the cassette format makes it possible to bring many more artists together and create something that feels like a complete journey.
If you look at vinyl, you usually have four to six tracks per record, maybe eight at most. That makes it harder to create this kind of continuous story and bring together such a variety of artists and styles.
With a tape, I feel you can approach the release more like a complete listening experience — something you put on and listen to from beginning to end.
And what about new tracks? What can we expect?
One thing I’m really looking forward to is being part of an upcoming compilation on Damar Davis’ label, Salon Recordings. I’m very happy about that and excited to see how it develops.
Apart from that, from the end of the year onwards, I’d like to get back into playing more clubs and spend more time behind the decks again. I’ve been focusing a lot on my new job recently, so I’m really looking forward to putting more energy again into DJing and being more active in clubs. With Paradoxy, I still have two compilations planned for this year. There will be VA4, continuing the idea of Illusion and Reality and I also want to put more focus on techno and electro with another compilation. That’s something I’ve already started exploring
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