– the creative genius behind ‘Illusion X’ productions:

JUST A FEW months shy of 18 years, is Nicolas Michael Hicks, or as he is more commonly known as – ‘Illusion X’. The young man has been making a name for himself as a creative

genius with his music productions and digital art, not only on social media in Guyana but on a worldwide platform.

“I love art, truth be told,” he expressed. “Music production allows me to express my thoughts, ideas and emotions.”
The 5th form student of the ISA Islamic School who is preparing to write his CSEC examinations this year noted that his favourite subjects are Visual Arts, English and Information Technology.

When questioned how he manages to juggle his hobbies and produce his art (both music and digital art), he responded, “I do it in my spare time.”
He noted however that he does his work tediously to ensure its quality. “I’m actually a perfectionist so I never rush my work,” Hicks underscored. He explained that creating a song would take weeks, even months.

“My song ideas come from abstract thinking,” the young self-proclaimed music producer said and he further explained that just combining sounds and hearing new ideas spark his creativity, but mainly these ideas are affected by his moods and emotions.
For Nicolas, music and producing music had captivated him a few years ago- in 2012. He disclosed, “At first I was just interested in creating Dubstep.”

After being exposed to Dubstep (a form of dance music which is usually instrumental in nature and usually feature heavy bass) by his cousin, Nicolas highlighted that he began exploring other genres.
In 2014 he quickly realised that he had an immense passion for music but also realized that his knowledge of the field was limited. “I taught myself music and melody theory and even some sound design,” Hicks highlighted. “At no time there was ever a dull moment,” he added.

Speaking about how he taught himself the fundamentals of music productions, Hicks explained that it was a technical process.
He noted, “At first, I used to mess around the Software’s Piano roll with various sounds and learnt how melodies play.” Thereafter, he began looking at introduction videos on YouTube to gain a basic understanding of this software and the extent of its functions. Finally, he said he experimented with other features and began creating his own sounds.

YouTube has been an internet-based platform that has afforded many young people the opportunity to share their creativity and constructively use their time (most of the time). Capitalizing on this platform, Nicolas used it as a way of sharing his productions with the world.

“My YouTube Channel has allowed me to share my content on a global scale,” he said and attested, “I gained a fan base that is worldwide instead of local and it has allowed me to meet a lot of talented content creators and promoters.” The young man also said, “It [YouTube] has given me literally everything for me to share my content with the world.”
Notably, one of Nicolas’ songs, his ‘Spongebob Square Pants Best Day Ever Trap Remix’ amassed over 1.5 Million views on his ‘Illusion X’ YouTube channel. The channel of itself is well on its way to 14,000 subscribers.

Nicolas said he goes by the name ‘Illusion X’ because ‘Illusion’, as he sees, it’s his “artist name” and overall Illusion is his persona behind the music. The ‘X’ is used as an emphasis so that the name “stands out more.”
“My digital art comes from the same inspiration as my music,” Nicolas asserted. He said that his thoughts just stray from generic concept and he is able to create something new.
Hicks endeavours to have a profession in either the creative arts or Information and Communications Technology (ICT) fields, but says that he will never give up his music productions or his YouTube channel.

He affirmed that there was a time where he had asked himself if all of what he was doing would work out, but he maintains that he still does it for fun despite his notable achievements. He says that his mother and his friends were his major supporters.
Right now, Nicolas said, “I’m working on an E.P [extended play].” This will feature his unreleased music and his fans here in Guyana can expect Illusion X to collaborate with other artistes on this project. He promised that this E.P will feature hybrid sounds combining Trap/ Dark Trap and dubstep music but teased that it’s “just in the works.” But when he releases this EP, “It will be worth the wait.”

“Do what makes you happy and never be scared to show your talents,” young Hick advised and added, “Even though you might be criticized at first, if you perfect your craft, they will remember your name!”