Otis Cox is a DJ, producer, graphic designer, visual artist and photographer, based in Hasselt, Belgium. As Swagger Life, he released »Hyperfake«, a deconstructed club single, as part of the »Songs From The Gutter« series, which Brussels-based electronic transmedial label Montage started in March 2025.
skug: Tell me a little bit about yourself …
My name is Otis Cox, I am 20 years old, and I currently live in Hasselt, Limburg. I am studying an MA in visual arts. I am a DJ, producer, audiovisual artist, graphic designer and photographer. Music has always played an extremely important role in my life. As a child, I grew up in a musical environment – I was often in the studio and constantly listening to music. When I was twelve, I started playing guitar, but it turned out that it wasn’t for me. At thirteen I started making bad blends in Logic and Ableton. It wasn’t until I was sixteen that I started producing seriously, when I started with ambient-jungle tracks. Since then, I have experimented a lot with different styles and genres.
Why did you choose the name Swagger Life as your artist name?
When I chose that name, it was a kind of manifestation to become as real as possible – the ultimate version of myself. Swagger Life, despite the word »swag«, has nothing to do with materialism. To me, real swag means purity, innovation, constant improvement. It’s a lifestyle, really.
»Hyperfake« is a good single! What does the title refer to?
When I started »Hyperfake«, I had this image in mind of a dark club filled with smoke and flashing strobes, clubbers radiating hedonism – a moment of total ecstasy. The idea was to make a real clubbing track that captures that feeling. For me, »Hyperfake« is the connection between old-school fidget and hyper-detailed bass music. The title can be interpreted in different ways. I originally came upon the term »Hyperreal« by Jean Baudrillard in the book »Simulacra and Simulation«. »Hyperreal« refers to the visual culture that becomes »more real« than physical reality – the symbiosis of the real and the virtual. I’ve been intrigued by this concept for a long time and thought: What if I turn that term around, from »Hyperreal« to »Hyperfake«?
Can you tell me how »Hyperreal« came about?
I had been experimenting with a more electro / club-oriented sound for a while. I usually work on tracks for an extremely long time; sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes months. It’s an exhausting workflow, but it allows me to perfect the tracks until I’m a hundred percent satisfied. The track was made entirely in Ableton. I also did all the sound design myself. Most of the sounds are actually quite basic, but it’s the way they’re used and put together that makes the track interesting – just like with a lot of old electro tracks. I wanted to make a real peak-time track that combines old and new elements. I did the additional mixing together with my father (Luuk Cox), who has a lot of experience with electronic music himself.
What is your discography so far?
You can find my music on SoundCloud. I don’t like to stick to one style and therefore have a lot of different types of music online – from ambient-trance to grime blends to deconstructed. You can also find my music on the mini label GOOFAHOLICSCORE, which I run together with friends. So far, I have made a lot of edits and blends, but in the future, I want to focus more on completely original productions.
What music inspires you?
Musically, I am inspired by a lot of things. I think it is important to know a broad spectrum of music as a producer. However, I usually listen to specific genres in phases. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of fidget house and old-school dubstep. This has a big impact on the sound I make. Experiences like seeing Aphex Twin, Kode9 and DjRUM live and experiencing crazy club nights also play an inspiring role. I always make the best music when I have just been inspired by a mind-bending musical experience. Outside of music, I also like to be inspired by philosophical concepts.
