20-Year Break Over: Tinrex Interview On His New Song “Lie To Me”

After 20 years, producer Tinrex returns with “Lie To Me,” swapping Hip-Hop for emotional Electro-Pop made entirely on ’80s hardware. His DAWless setup and his sister’s vocals create an authentic composition with zero digital shortcuts. Read the full interview below.

1. 20 years is a huge break. What lessons or perspectives did you gain during that time off that shaped your sound today?

I stepped away when I got into business school at UC Berkeley and became a full-time working student, so music had to take a back seat for a while. Juggling work and classes taught me discipline and focus, but it also gave me life experiences I didn’t have when I was younger—stress, deadlines, heartbreak, bills, wins, losses. Now, when I make music, I’m not just chasing cool sounds; I’m trying to capture those real emotions and stories.

That time away also reset my ego. Coming back, I’m less interested in impressing other DJs and more interested in making songs that actually connect with people on a deeper level, even if that means simpler arrangements and more direct melodies.

2. You went from DJing to producing. What sparked that move from playing others’ music to creating your own?

DJing was my first love, but after a while, I kept hearing transitions or drops and thinking, “If this were my track, I’d flip it this way instead.” That itch to customize slowly turned into a need to build everything from the ground up.

I reached a point where just curating wasn’t enough. I wanted people to recognize not just my selection, but my actual sound. My drums, my synth choices, my songwriting. Producing became the natural next step to leave a real fingerprint.

3. Do you still get behind the decks, or has the thrill of creation replaced the thrill of the live mix?

They’re different kinds of adrenaline. Creating in the studio is a slow burn where you obsess over details until everything locks in, but DJing gives you instant feedback from the crowd. I still like getting behind the decks because it keeps me connected to how people actually move to music, and that energy feeds straight back into my productions.

I’m more selective now, though. I’d rather do fewer, more intentional sets where I can showcase my own tracks and tell a story than play constantly just to stay busy.

4. After moving through Hip-Hop and other styles, what made you choose Electro-Pop as your current direction?

I grew up on Rap, RnB, and those synth-heavy 80s and 90s records, so Electro-Pop feels like the sweet spot between everything I love. It keeps the rhythm and attitude from Hip-Hop, but lets me lean into big hooks, synth lines, and 80s-inspired textures and drum machines.

It lets me be emotional and still make you dance. Basically, you can cry and nod your head at the same time. You’re welcome.

5. “Lie To Me” carries such emotional weight in its title alone. What personal truth or moment led to this song?

The song comes from that moment when you know something’s over and still say “But what if we just … pretend it’s not?” That tension between wanting honesty and wanting comfort is the whole song.

It’s me admitting I’ve chosen the pretty lie over the ugly truth more than once. So instead of therapy, I made a track.

6. Who’s the voice behind “Lie To Me,” and what made her the right fit for this particular tune?

The voice on “Lie To Me” is my sister, KristeNicole. I chose her because her natural range is crazy. She can move from soft, intimate, almost fragile to powerful without ever sounding forced.

Plus, working with family keeps it honest. If something sucks, we say it. When the process is that easy, the music feels easy too, keeping the whole track natural and human.

7. The ’80s influence is notable. What grabbed you? Are you chasing a feeling, or bringing back a forgotten sound?

For me, it’s about chasing a feeling. That ’80s sound—the synth leads, the pads, the big drums—creates this nostalgic, cinematic mood that hits you in the chest. I’m not trying to copy that era, but I am trying to capture that drama with modern sound design.

Those records managed to feel futuristic and vulnerable at the same time. I’m taking that emotional DNA and running it through today’s tools so it feels familiar, but still new.

8. Working DAWless. How did that hardware workflow shape the sound differently from a computer?

My core setup is all hardware: MPC Live III, Digitakt II, Synthstrom Deluge, OP-XY, Arturia Microfreak, Novation Launchkey 37, and an SP-404 MKII for flavor. Working DAWless forces me to commit. Instead of endlessly tweaking like in a DAW, I make decisions on the boxes and move on, which keeps the tracks more raw and performance-driven.

Jamming on those machines leads to happy accidents like off-grid drums, live filter moves, resampling, and spontaneous transitions that I’d probably over-edit in a DAW. A lot of DAWless artists use devices like the Deluge or Digitakt as the heart of a live, hands-on workflow, and that immediacy definitely comes through in the music’s feel.

9. Who’s one artist, dead or alive, you’d pull into the studio? What unique quality do you think they would bring out?

Johnny J, no contest. He worked heavily on 2Pac’s “All Eyez On Me” and produced a lot of Pac’s posthumous material, so he really understood how to balance raw emotion with beats that move.

My sound comes from that same love of Rap and Hip-Hop, but with a strong desire to make music that makes people move physically, too. Bringing someone like Johnny J into the room would amplify the storytelling, the weight, and the groove while keeping the final result 100% me.

10. After this strong return, what’s next: a new album, or are you prioritizing performing?

Right now, the focus is on building a world around this sound. That means more singles and probably an EP or album. But I’m not rushing an album just to say I have one. I’d rather release a consistent run of strong tracks, grow the audience, and then come with a project that feels like a statement.

I’m also shaping a live setup that brings the DAWless hardware and vocals on stage so people can experience these songs in real time.

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