Perfecting the formula: Vexillary’s journey from perfumes to beats
Vexillary, the musical project of New York-based producer Reza Seirafi, merges science and sound. Drawing from his background as a chemist and perfumer, Seirafi brings laboratory-like precision to electronic music production, creating distinctive dark, atmospheric soundscapes.
Photo credit: John Rohrer
Since founding his label con:trace in 2021, Vexillary has released three compelling LPs: ‘Full Frontal Lunacy,’ exploring themes of madness; ‘Crash and Yearn,’ which evolved toward more emotive, beat-driven compositions; and ‘Horror in Dub,’ fusing dub-influenced bass music with techno elements. This latest work’s success spawned ‘Horror ReDubs,’ a comprehensive remix project featuring carefully selected producers.
Vexillary exemplifies the power of cross-disciplinary creativity. EG spoke with him about his recent releases, creative process, and future projects.
EG: Hi, Reza! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Vexillary: It’s a pleasure to chat with you guys. I’m currently in NYC, where I’m based, and just a few hours away from shooting a music video for one of the remixes from my new album, ‘Horror ReDubs.’
There’s always a mix of excitement and nerves before a shoot, especially since I’ll be directing and shooting this one myself. It’s an intense process, but I love the creative energy that comes with it. It’s a very different vibe compared to being in the studio and working on records.
EG: So, first of all, congratulations on the release of ‘Horror ReDubs’! You must be psyched to have this one out to share with everyone. What are some of your feelings now that ‘Horror ReDubs’ is out? What has the initial reception been like?
Vexillary: Thank you! I’m absolutely beaming now that the record is out. This ‘Horror’ era has been a 2–3 year creative journey for me, and dare I say, I’m finally ready to move fully into new musical territories with the next album and ideas.
In many ways, I wanted this version of the record to serve as a connecting point between the original and the next chapter of the project, and I think it’s done just that. The reception so far has been so flattering—it’s exciting to see different people picking their favorite tracks. There’s definitely a lot to dive into with this one.
EG: Now, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Horror ReDubs’ as a whole? How did the idea of experimenting further with ‘Horror In Dub’ come about?
Vexillary: Music today is consumed faster than ever, and albums that take years to create can easily be forgotten just days after their release. I had a very personal connection to ‘Horror in Dub,’ so I wanted to do my best to make sure it got the attention it deserved. The video and promo cycles for the record kept the flame alive for a while, but I knew I wasn’t ready to fully move on from this era.
It was such an inspiring record that I couldn’t let it get overlooked. The ideas behind it felt like they had legs to live beyond the original album, so the concept of a sequel came to mind—like any great horror franchise.
Listeners can expect new sonic dimensions and directions added to the mix, expanding on the ideas the original record only touched on. Overall, it’s a more intense yet danceable version of the original. There’s less reliance on story and lyrics this time around, so the music itself is brought to the forefront.
EG: You hand-picked each one of the remixers for this project. What was that process like? What did you take into account when thinking about the right names for this project?
Vexillary: I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy undertaking. I’d done a remix EP years ago that ended up being just three remixes of the same track, so honestly, I was worried about whether I could get the full album reworked this time.
I got lucky with the first remixer, Matías Bagato, who sent me a blind DM expressing his interest in reworking ‘In Danger’. That gave me the spark to start recruiting others who might be interested in tackling the rest of the record. Some of the remixers I had corresponded with in the past—Andy Martin, for instance, had done a remix for me before—but for the most part, I simply looked at the producers I’d been listening to over the past year, made a shortlist of names I admired, and started reaching out.
Much to my surprise, many of them said yes, and the project was underway. From my end, I made sure to give them as much creative freedom as possible, flexible timelines, and very detailed track stems to keep them inspired.
“Music today is consumed faster than ever, and albums that take years to create can easily be forgotten just days after their release”
EG: In which ways would you say ‘Horror In Dub’ and ‘Horror ReDubs’ are different?
Vexillary: They’re sister records to me, sharing a similar DNA, with the track stems of the original forming a new helical core.
‘Horror ReDubs’ retains the essence of the original in its themes and the world it aimed to create, but it reconstructs that world through the hands of different architects. It’s essentially the same record but reimagined in an alternate universe—one where the music becomes even more diverse as it reflects the unique sounds and styles of each remixer.
EG: And ‘Horror ReDubs’ is out now via your own con:trace imprint. Having been founded in 2021, at what stage is con:trace at? Where would you like for con:trace to be in 5 or 10 year’s time?
Vexillary: I’m curious to see how the role of labels evolves in the coming years. For me, con:trace serves as a home—a space where I can release music to a high standard without external constraints.
When I started it in 2021, I was more ambitious about what I hoped to achieve with the imprint. But truthfully, my focus has been so centered on Vexillary that growing the label has taken a backseat. That said, this remix album feels like a step in the right direction for con:trace.
With remixes from some of my favorite acts in music right now being released through the imprint, it’s setting the stage for what I hope will be more bespoke releases from other great artists in the future.
EG: By the way, not many might know this, but you are a former chemist and perfumer, right? How would you say that has informed your music? (If it has)
Vexillary: Yes, it feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s a period of my life that I look back on with fondness. I tend to thrive in spaces that merge art with science and technology—electronic music being a prime example.
After earning my chemistry degree, I found myself yearning for something that also tapped into my creative side. Perfumery seemed like the perfect balance, leading me on a four-year journey in the world of fine fragrances as a perfumer’s assistant and lab technician.
The creative process in perfumery is fascinating—it’s all about blending seemingly unrelated ingredients into a cohesive and balanced mix. In many ways, music production mirrors this. You start by experimenting with sounds and riffs before arranging them into a finished track.
The parallels go even deeper. In perfumery, fragrance ingredients are called “notes,” and a group of notes forms an “accord,” much like musical notes create chords. When mixing a track, the similarities become even more striking: top notes in fragrance align with high frequencies in music, mid-notes function like mid-range frequencies, and bottom notes reflect the bass and low-end sounds. Get the balance right, and you’ve crafted either a fine fragrance or the perfect mix in the studio.
Ultimately, it’s all about storytelling. Back then, I helped tell stories through scents, and now I do it with notes, beats, noise, and lyrics. It’s been a natural progression from my perspective.
EG: Since we’re in the studio, onto a hot topic…Having seen so many changes to our scene, how do you feel about the rise of AI implementation in music? What’s your relationship with that like? Have you used AI in recent releases?
Vexillary: I think the adoption of any new technology presents an exciting challenge, and I’m fully in favor of it. That said, when it comes to my music, I haven’t found a compelling reason to incorporate AI yet.
AI is excellent at mimicking, but one of the core principles of the Vexillary project is to ensure every output and every song feels unique. For now, it’ll probably be some time before I even consider using it in my music-making process.
On the visual side, however, I’ve already started to embrace it. The cover art for the singles from ‘Horror in Dub,’ the album cover, and the artwork for ‘Horror ReDubs’ all stemmed from AI-generated art I created with a cosmic horror theme in mind. To make them feel like proper record covers, I collaborated with my graphic designer, Greta Haga, who refined the AI-generated pieces into a polished, release-ready state.
Some of the videos for this release will also feature AI-generated sequences woven in. So visually, AI has opened more doors for me, and that’s been a fantastic addition to my creative toolkit.
“Ultimately, it’s all about storytelling. Back then, I helped tell stories through scents, and now I do it with notes, beats, noise, and lyrics”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from Vexillary in the next few months? Where can your fans catch you next?
Vexillary: There are some exciting music videos for the ‘Horror ReDubs’ album currently in the works, and they’ll be rolling out very soon. But the big news is that I’m only a few tracks away from completing my official 4th album.
This project has been in development for nearly two years and promises a fresh evolution for the Vexillary sound. The singles are planned for release around the summer of 2026. I honestly can’t wait to share this next chapter and sound with the world. Stay very tuned—there’s so much more to come.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Reza! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
Vexillary: Thanks for the conversation. It’s been a pleasure discussing the new record and what lies ahead. Cheers.
Vexillary’s ‘Horror ReDubs’ is now available on con:trace. Stream and download here.
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