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Music

Masters at Work's Louie Vega Made an Afro-Tech EP With His Wife, Madame X

Vega showed 'Livin' Free' to Todd Terry, who played it for Junior Sanchez, who passed it to Steve Angello—and just like that, an EP was born.

As one half of Masters at Work, Louie Vega is already a member of one of house music's greatest power couples. But for his latest release—an EP called Livin' Free, out now on Steve Angello's Size Records—Vega turned to his wife Anané, who also goes by Madame X. Anané runs her own label, Nulu and Nulu Electronic, and preaches a message of female empowerment under her darker Madame X alias. The AnanéTek dub version of "Livin' Free" streaming above is true to her afro-tech sound, with anxious techno basslines thrusting against the patter of tribal drums.

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"Working on 'Livin' Free' with Madame X was a very experimental adventure," says Vega. Using a vintage keyboard called the Realistic Concertmate MG-1, Vega created the track in the Daddy's Workshop (yes, that's what he calls his studio) without using any preset stock sounds. "With the vocals and lyrics of Madame X, this track gained its own personality," he adds. Next, Vega showed it to Todd Terry, who played it for Junior Sanchez, who passed it off to Steve Angello—and just like that, an EP was born.

'Livin' Free is out now on Size

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