Inside The Bubble: Exclusive Interview With MX-MR

There is a lot to be said about the effort it takes to write, produce and instrumentally perform music solo. It says something about the core of the musician itself. It’s not easy to have that level of focus and follow-through. Michael Rapaport, who goes by the stage name MX-MR is an artist that’s very adroit at doing just that. The New York native just released his debut EP Bleached Hair, Dead Skin. The album is a collection of spiritual expressions. Each with deep personal meaning to Michael, all representing some experience he’s transferred to the song. We got to ask Rapaport some questions about his work and career. Read the interview below.

The Artist

Bubblingbox: Your stage name is MX-MR, what is the name all about?

MX-MR: Even I’m not sure how it’s pronounced, it’s truly a secret and a mystery. My first and last initials are MR, and I liked the idea of a sort of minimized “Mix Master” as a name,  but even before releasing music under the name, it’s been my username on a lot of platforms, including Reddit in particular.

Bubblingbox: Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where are you located now?

MX-MR: I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, where I lived until I was around 22 after college, which is a really underrated place to grow up. Go Bills and Eat Wings. I’ve moved around for work quite a bit since then, and I’ve lived in Charlotte NC, Hartford CT, and now I live in Brooklyn NY where I’ve been for a few years. I really like the culture here, and some neighborhoods in Brooklyn remind me of a lot of areas of Buffalo.

Bubblingbox: Tell us about your vocal style, how would you describe the vibe?

MX-MR: My vocal style is a mix of a lot of different things. I was raised on pop-punk music and a lot of that creeps in. I started singing in college with a cappella group, did choir for many years, and developed some classical and choral chops. My vibe is John Mayer x All Time Low x Bon Iver maybe.

Bubblingbox: Do you produce all the music yourself?

MX-MR: Everything! I’ve played a lot of instruments in a lot of different bands over the years. I also am very into the art of mixing and do mix and mastering work for a lot of my friends and other artists.

The Music

Bubblingbox: Tell us about the new EP, what is the purpose of the project?

MX-MR: I’ve been writing and releasing songs on SoundCloud since around 2015 on a bunch of throw-away projects in genres ranging from deep house to indie folk. MX-MR is my most serious project, and I’ve put a lot of time into the singles and songs. I debuted MX-MR on March 1, 2020, which was a bit of awkward timing. The pandemic crushed a lot of plans I had for gigging and getting started, so instead of working on my live sets, I spent a lot of time in my home studio working on songs. Bleached Hair, Dead Skin is a sort of audio journal of my time living with myself, working on my image, my music, my relationships.

Bubblingbox: We understand that you have a loved one that struggled with alcohol, what did you learn from that experience?

MX-MR: It can be hard to talk to a friend who doesn’t remember conversations. Things start to loop. It’s painful to see someone being hurt. Addiction is a disease, like cancer, and I can only help as much as I can.

Bubblingbox: What advice would you give to someone in a similar situation?

MX-MR: Don’t blame yourself, you can’t magically cure a disease. Be a friend.

Bubblingbox: What are the biggest things you’ve learned during the pandemic?

MX-MR: How to cook; Geography; How to play Counter-Strike: GO; How to be productive on Zoom; Home improvement; How to care for Orchids

Watch the official lyric video to the song “Nuclear Football” below.

The Future

Bubblingbox: Are there plans to be performing live soon?

MX-MR: Yes, started working on my sets again!

Bubblingbox: Now that the EP is finished, what’s the next project you’ll be working on?

MX-MR: I’m going to be working on singles for MX-MR, which I’ll group to tell a story after it’s at a nice place. The way music works right now with streaming encourages releasing something new every 4-6 weeks. It’s usually better for a growing artist to release a project one track at a time and keep that momentum. In a digital world, you can bundle later, tell the story one month at a time. For those following along, they get new updates on my journey, and for those who come later, they can binge it all at once!

Bubblingbox: What do you want your fans to know about you?

MX-MR: I’m colorblind and my favorite anime is One Piece 🙂

Press the button below for a link to the album Bleached Hair, Dead Skin.

Michael Rappaport is a great indie talent. His career is just starting to bloom into something very special. We’ve enjoyed the EP and are so glad we got to interview the rising star. We wish him the very best in all future endeavors.