Interview: In Conversation with Levia: Slay Remix and the Sound of Creative Freedom

Swedish producer Levia has quickly established herself as one of the most daring voices in drum and bass, blending raw punk energy with technical precision and genre-defying flair. Her remix of Jordana’s Slay arrives as part of Imagine Audio’s Pride Month series, transforming the original into a rebellious, moshpit-ready anthem. We caught up with Levia to talk about how the track came together, her evolving musical identity, and why sometimes the best creative decisions come from not overthinking it.

Let’s start with your remix of Slay. How did this one come about, and what was your initial reaction to the original track from Jordana?

Thanks for having me! It all came about in a very random way. The Imagine Audio squad was having our normal meetings, which we always have, and Jordana joined in for the first time. We were talking about some tune of mine, so I slipped it in her DMs, and she returned the favour by sending a bunch of dubs back to me. I listened to some, and Slay just kinda hit the right spot for me, and if I enjoy something, I need to ask to remix it, and she was more than happy to throw the parts my way.

This remix really leans into your punk and metal influences. It’s gritty, raw, and totally fearless. What inspired you to take the track in that direction?

Making stuff noisy and kinda angry is just in my DNA, so for me it's always the natural approach when creating something. Often, when I remix, I tend to zone out and just let my instincts decide where it should go and not overthink too much; that way, it tends to sound quite organic to me.

From guitarist and band member to House DJ to D&B powerhouse, you’ve covered a lot of ground musically. How do those earlier experiences feed into what you’re creating now?

I very much view the Levia project as the accumulation of my musical experiences. I try to bring my instrument knowledge to my DnB productions, especially with drums, as fundamentally I still view myself primarily as a drummer. I also, to some extent, kinda see Drum and Bass as house music for neurospicy people, so I feel like I approach my DnB productions very similarly to how I used to make house music. In this remix in particular, I think that is quite obvious.

Imagine Audio has supported your work for a while now. What does your relationship with the label mean to you, and how has it helped shape your recent sound?

Oh I love the IA squad. To me, I feel like we are all together in a band, which I really love. We all work together and influence each other, and I feel like we are all refining our crafts together. I always feel like I can toss a tune someone's way and get valuable feedback that changes my thoughts around music in all aspects.

As one of the most distinctive LGBTQ+ voices in drum and bass, how do you see your identity intersecting with your artistry?

Obviously, everything in my life will alter my music to some extent, but overall, it's not something that I would say is one of the driving factors in my creative process.

The scene has come a long way in terms of representation, but there’s still work to do. What kind of change would you like to see within drum and bass culture moving forward?

The completely honest answer is I have only been in the Drum and Bass community for a bit over a year, and I don’t feel like I have a very good answer for this without just making things up. I, however, urge everyone reading this to also read Jordana’s interview with you guys, as she has been around for ages and is very engaged in this topic.

How has the reception been so far for your remix of Slay? Any standout reactions that have stuck with you?

The reception has been great! Played it out in Bratislava in May, and people went nuts over it. It is kinda funny to me seeing people dance to the first part of the drops due to that bass being basically a secondary kick drum, and I'm just tricking rave people into dancing to 8th note metal kicks.

What’s next for you this year? Are there more releases, remixes, or shows on the horizon?

Plenty of songs are on their way out, I have created a massive backlog right now filled with solo tunes, collabs, covers and remixes that I am dying to get out to the masses!

And finally… if you could take just one drum and bass track, by any artist, from any era, to a desert island, what would it be and why?

I would take Slam by Pendulum because I’d be marooned on a small island in an endless sea, confined to a tiny spit of sand, unable to escape.

Big thanks to Levia for sharing her thoughts with us. Her remix of Slay is out now on Imagine Audio, forming the second instalment in the label’s Pride Month release series. Expect plenty more from Levia soon, with a stacked release schedule and a sound that refuses to follow the rules, she’s only just getting started.