By Dylan Deprey
“Skhizo” is available on all streaming platforms. (Photo courtesy The Bad Guyz)
There’s no putting Traxx Sanders in a box.
First, he’d color all over it and start dancing on it. Then he’d cut it into a thousand pieces, put it back together, just to douse it in gasoline and light it on fire.
From goofy and lovable, to emotional and dramatic, there’s no describing Traxx Sanders.
His versatility in Milwaukee’s music scene spans over a decade, and he has been a go-to producer, engineer and song writer for many local rappers and singers.
Ray Rizzy’s 2008 twerk anthem, “I’m Jacking,” was all Traxx Sanders. Production for R&B queens Aliesa Nicole and Lady Taz, also Traxx Sanders. Whether he’s penning lyrics or perfecting the mix, his meticulous work ethic and resume speak for themselves.
With four American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awards under his belt, along with countless writing placements on major labels, he continuously worked on his own music.
He shopped his projects around to several labels. His fusion of R&B, hip-hop and soul made it hard for them to place him in a specific genre.
He eventually signed with a Gospel focused label that was trying to open a more secular lane. While he held up the deal on his end to build the brand, his music sat on the bench.
“I was calling them, and after a while it almost felt like I was bugging them,” he said. “I waited two months, and they finally called about the projects. I just told them to drop me, and I went independent because I’d rather feed my songs to 200 people, than to let it sit around and wait.”
Traxx Sanders is hosting his first of many live shows to perform the album on Oct. 15, 2021.
Sanders released his debut album “Skhizo” independently on Aug. 31, 2021.
“I was really just having a good time on the album,” he said. “I’m kind of all over the place—that’s why the album is called ‘Skhizo.’”
He wrote the nine-song LP as a score for a movie he had been working on two years ago. “Skhizo” takes listeners on a journey through the many moods of Traxx Sanders.
“I’m so weird—I’m like the male Lizzo,” he said. “I’m fat, confident, goofy and I’m all over the place.”
Sonically, the album saunters along R&B and soul, with a twinge of hip-hop. Sanders touches upon everything from love and lust, to hatred and heartbreak. His production crew turned label, the Bad Guyz Muzik Group handled the production on the project. He also tapped in with several features including iZk, TRYBISHOP, Alesia Miller and Sunny James.
Though “Skhizo” is a shorter album for the streaming era, its flare and fine-tuning allows for major replay value. Whether it’s a bop like the track “Top Top” or a sexier song like “Drippin,” every track has the ability to go toe-to-toe with any commercial R&B record on the radio today.
“I’m just having fun with it, I didn’t know if anybody would even care, I was expecting zero reception, and I’ve been getting calls all day,” he said.
Traxx Sanders is hosting a “Skhizo” album release/birthday party on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.
Find him on social media on Facebook: Traxx Sanders
Instagram @traxxsanders