How BRUX turns New York noise into nightclub weapons

BRUX is not trying to clean up the noise of New York City but instead she’s channeling it. Her new EP, CA$HED UP, is loaded with glitchy chaos, razor-sharp drums, and a twitchy kind of groove that mirrors the city’s overcaffeinated pace. This isn’t a release that waits to be explained. It hits first—aggressively, unapologetically—and leaves space for questions later.

The EP is a genre-melting collaboration with names like Baauer, DJ ADHD, and Surya Sen, but even with that stacked cast, it still feels personal. There’s playfulness in the vocal phrasing, polish in the club design, and pressure behind every sonic decision. Tracks like “U$ELE$$” and “CREATURE$” don’t sit in one space for too long—they spin between styles and tempos, mirroring the disjointed, unpredictable rhythm of everyday life in NYC.

In this interview, BRUX opens up about how she stays grounded through creative droughts, what she reaches for when inspiration runs low, and how the real breakthroughs come not from escaping the chaos, but by listening more closely to it.

What keeps you showing up to make music when it feels like nothing’s moving forward?

It’s not an easy thing to do.

But I try to view it like scratching lottery tickets. Even though I never know the outcome, it seems that the more I persist the luckier I get. Just the thrill alone of possibly tapping into something special is enough to get me in the studio, because that feeling is like no other.

How do you handle phases where you’re not putting anything out or getting outside feedback?

I focus on other activities that give me joy—filling the cup in other ways so to speak. Seeing new films at the cinema, shooting on my film camera, reading a new book, going to see live music, going to comedy shows, just walking around the Lower East Side in Manhattan totally shifts my headspace.

I’ve learned that I’m very sensitive to my surroundings, so I focus on changing that up when I feel stagnant.

What’s your studio process like when there’s no deadline, no release plan—just the work?

I like to mess around making drum grooves on the Moog DFAM and chopping up sample loops. Basically just fishing for ideas until I stumble onto something cool. These are my favorite moments in the process where there’s no pressure—just fun.

Have you ever gotten something useful from staying quiet and not rushing to share your music?

I feel the opposite has been true—I love to share my unreleased music in a live context during my shows and the crowd has no idea I’m testing out a track I made earlier that week. It’s unbelievably useful having this secret early peek into what’s working versus what’s not. It’s very much part of the process for me. Almost every song I’ve put out I’ve tested out different versions of them months (or years!) before release.

What helps you stay connected to your creative direction when you’re deep in a quiet stretch?

I look for new music that excites me and also reference my favorite artists who push boundaries not just sonically—lately it’s been Tyler The Creator, Ashnikko, Arca. I love to make Pinterest boards too, to collect art and images of things that inspire me. You’ll see me collecting a hell of a lot of art by Japanese graphic designer Hagihara Takuya. Visual direction is just as important to me as audio.

Do you set internal goals for your music to stay focused—or do you let the work lead you?

Unless it’s a remix for another artist, I always let the work lead me. Otherwise, I feel I’m getting too distracted with limitations and confinements, and I want to be very conscious of not squashing ideas at any stage.