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By julia_music
Meet AleXZavesa, a music producer and sound designer from Kazakhstan who has been on Pixabay since 2021.
How and when did you start making music?
My musical journey started at 12 with a brief stint in music school, which I left for sports. I returned to it seriously as a university student, focusing exclusively on Trance. This led to modest success: hundreds of thousands of streams, some radio play. After a few career breaks to prioritize studies and work, I committed fully to music about twelve years ago, which proved to be the right decision.
What’s your main instrument?
Functionally, my main instrument is the MIDI keyboard as my composition tool. However, my expertise and passion are centered on sound synthesis. I work in a hybrid setup: I enjoy hands-on experimentation with hardware analog synths like my Behringer Neutron, but my primary sound design workstation is inside the DAW using VST synthesizers, with Serum being my favorite for its versatility and intuitive workflow.
What inspires your compositions?
I draw inspiration from two main sources: the hidden rhythms in everyday sounds, like a hammer or crunching snow, and the powerful synergy of music and film. My creative process starts with capturing that initial idea, then I build the track in layers in my DAW, usually beginning with atmosphere and mood before adding the driving rhythmic and melodic elements.
Could you recommend three albums or songs you can’t stop listening to?
Despite listening to everything, I keep coming back to a few key inspirations:
- Kavinsky - "Nightcall" for its iconic atmosphere.
- The Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack as the benchmark for cinematic sound.
- The timeless emotional punch of 80s synth-pop from artists like ABBA, Alphaville, Sandra and etc.
Who are some of your inspirations in music and sound design?
One artist who has had the greatest influence on me is Lorn. His experimentalism and unpredictability are truly astonishing; they inspire and draw you into a unique atmosphere of complete unity with the music. He’s a master at creating immersive sonic worlds.
What do you like about Pixabay?
What I love about Pixabay, first and foremost, is its community. Hearing feedback from users—like "This saved my project"—and receiving endless words of gratitude is incredibly rewarding. Beyond that, it's a fantastic platform for distributing my music. Every download of my track represents a potential final product that will be seen and heard by a large audience, which is the ultimate goal for any creator.
I can't say for certain if it's a direct correlation, but about a year after I started uploading my work to Pixabay, my streaming numbers began to grow significantly. This growth has led to a major milestone: I now have over 60 million streams across major platforms and hundreds of billions of views on videos featuring my music on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and others.
What’s your favorite track on Pixabay?
How do you overcome creative block?
I believe there's no precise blueprint for overcoming creative block. Instead, I rely on a few personal strategies during my own slumps. First, I force myself to experiment without fear —dabbling in a new genre, like Ambient, can be surprisingly liberating even for someone rooted in heavy music. Second, I've learned the hard way that genuine rest is not laziness; a proper two-week break can make you yearn to create again. Finally, simple conversations with family or friends can provide an unexpected perspective that directly helps solve a creative problem.
What’s the most exciting way you’ve seen your music utilized, or how would you like it to be used?
Ultimately, I dream of scoring a major film. My music has been licensed for movies before, and that recognition is great. But the dream is to be an integral part of the creative process from the start—to craft a score that breathes with the film. That level of immersion and collaboration is the experience I'm truly after.
What's the biggest lesson you have learnt in your music career?
The biggest lesson I've learned is to manage expectations and trust the process. When you create something you genuinely believe is amazing, it's natural to think it will change everything overnight. However, the key is not to wait for immediate results but to keep working and consistently release new material. Often, an artist's personal favorite work isn't the one that resonates most with the public.
This is closely tied to the "delayed effect." A prime example is my most-streamed track, which only started gaining significant traction three years after its release. This taught me that persistence and a long-term vision are far more critical than chasing instant validation.
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring journey, tips and music with the Pixabay community!
Explore Alex's extensive and professional profile on Pixabay: AleXZavesa and give him a follow!
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