Alex Moli and Alex Nikolov have a lot in common. Besides their name, they also share a passion for music, fashion, and communication, which they’ve used to their advantage to create Lexa, an agency for the representation of multidisciplinary – mostly underground – artists.
As Moli comments, “the intersection of different arts is the key,” thus, the artists they represent work across really different fields, ranging from fashion and music to visual art, performance, and cyborg art. For now, their ‘family,’ as they like to call it, is still growing, but among their members, we can already find talents such as rapper Leïti Sene and his collective Cutemobb, musician and cyborg artist Kai Landre, choreographer and performer Candela Capitán, and visual artist Andrei Warren and his 3D design and creativity studio Misato Studio.
You met and became friends in 2013 when you were still starting out in fashion and music. At first, what was it that caught your attention about each other? Did you imagine that several years later, you would end up working together?
Nikolov: What I remember about Moli is that when he went out, which didn’t happen a lot, he was amongst the last ones standing – just like me (laughs) –, and he was always in charge of the music at the parties (that still hasn’t changed). I remember seeing him work for fashion brands that were just starting with great involvement and ambition, but the thought of working together didn’t come until later on.
Moli: Nikolov was always the king of the night, he worked for all these clubs and always took good care of everyone. I’ve always admired his work ethic and communication skills, and I think he adds so much value to the product.
Moli: Nikolov was always the king of the night, he worked for all these clubs and always took good care of everyone. I’ve always admired his work ethic and communication skills, and I think he adds so much value to the product.
Before continuing, surely there is some funny anecdote behind the fact that you have the same name… Tell us, what is it like to work closely with someone named like yourselves?
Moli: It’s funny because I don’t know many Alexs, but I ended up working with one and getting called ‘The Alexs.’ I’m not a fan of that, so we had to brand the agency and find a name ASAP. Also, we started getting called by our last name to avoid confusion.
You have created Lexa together, your own agency for the representation of multidisciplinary artists. What is the story behind the name you have chosen?
Moli: I was going over names and meanings, constellations, etc. I read the whole dictionary, literally. But I was never 100% in on anything. As we said, we get called the Alexs, so one day, I started playing with our names and Lexa came up, which means ‘protector of men.’ I liked it. Also, the fact that it’s a female name felt good.
Nikolov: I have to admit that the final result was all on Moli’s side. At the beginning of the quarantine, we tried to put together a brainstorming aiming for something too conceptual, so it always ended up sounding too pretentious. Then we tried to go for comic Spanish slang, but it didn’t work at all, lol. We needed something that was more about us.
Nikolov: I have to admit that the final result was all on Moli’s side. At the beginning of the quarantine, we tried to put together a brainstorming aiming for something too conceptual, so it always ended up sounding too pretentious. Then we tried to go for comic Spanish slang, but it didn’t work at all, lol. We needed something that was more about us.
You have previously worked together on other projects, as well as independently representing various artists. Why did you decide to undertake this project together? How did the idea of creating your own agency come about, of formalizing it as such?
Nikolov: I feel like it was something I always had in the back of my head. I really admired the professional growth and work style of Moli and tried to include him as an ambassador in every club or festival I was working at. I knew he was someone I could trust 100%.
I was managing Andrei Warren for about a year and Leïti Sene for about a month or two, and I got approached by Wekaforé Jibril and his newly formed band, Egosex. It was obviously too much to handle alone, having already Loom Festival and Primavera Sound on my schedule, but I was feeling so ambitious and inspired by these people that I wanted to do it. I can’t remember the exact moment, but I think I was complaining to Moli about having a lot of work to do, and the idea of working together came across.
Moli: We have similar work ethics and ambitions, so it happened naturally.
I was managing Andrei Warren for about a year and Leïti Sene for about a month or two, and I got approached by Wekaforé Jibril and his newly formed band, Egosex. It was obviously too much to handle alone, having already Loom Festival and Primavera Sound on my schedule, but I was feeling so ambitious and inspired by these people that I wanted to do it. I can’t remember the exact moment, but I think I was complaining to Moli about having a lot of work to do, and the idea of working together came across.
Moli: We have similar work ethics and ambitions, so it happened naturally.
You have combined your knowledge in fashion, music and communication to create your agency, which, as you say, is going to bring a very fresh vision to the scene. In what way do you intend on refreshing the scene? Also, you say that Lexa “adapts to the needs of each project and breaks with the traditional formula of management and booking.” What is your work philosophy based on? How does it differ from the more conventional agencies?
Nikolov: Music is maybe the most developed industry out of all the arts – there is a decades-long built structure around profit-making, which sometimes makes it unappealing for underground artists that want to stay authentic and true to themselves. A musician or band usually has a booking agency that manages their gigs, and a record label that manages their music publishing, streaming, etc. Important areas such as relationships with brands and cultural institutions or press strategies are not always achieved in this scenario, and the friendly, authentic approach can be lost. Our talents are artists that work across really different fields – visual art, performance, cyborg art, music, fashion… We are used to a multidisciplinary approach where possibilities are broader.
Moli: I think the intersection of different arts is the key. Our artists admire each other and get inspiration from each other. They try to collaborate and contribute to each other’s success as much as possible. Really feels like a family
Moli: I think the intersection of different arts is the key. Our artists admire each other and get inspiration from each other. They try to collaborate and contribute to each other’s success as much as possible. Really feels like a family
Moli, you worked as a booker at View Management modelling agency, so you already have experience selecting special people. Tell us, how do you detect talent? What factors have you and Nikolov taken into account when selecting the artists you represent?
Moli: It’s just a feeling. Even when looking for models when I was working for View, which you are supposed to hire depending only on their looks, it was always important for me to meet them, check their personality and make sure they can click with clients and overall the creative teams they have to work with every day.
As per our talents, the same, it’s just a feeling. All of them have a very unique approach and are quite disruptive in their own field. As soon as I got to know each of their projects and how passionate they are about them, I felt very inspired.
As per our talents, the same, it’s just a feeling. All of them have a very unique approach and are quite disruptive in their own field. As soon as I got to know each of their projects and how passionate they are about them, I felt very inspired.
Among the artists you represent are choreographer and performer Candela Capitán, musician and cyborg artist Kai Landre, rapper Leïti Sene and his collective Cutemobb, and visual artist Andrei Warren and his 3D design and creativity studio Misato Studio. Tell us, what criteria do you follow when choosing who to represent?
Nikolov: Barcelona has been a strong inspiration for Lexa. We have always been surrounded by very creative people with very daring and groundbreaking visions, but we saw many getting lost because of not being able to find a team that can assume the responsibility and work consistency that their projects needed to grow. In the end, what we really do is work with our friends, we believe in them a lot and there is always a very close and familiar factor.
They are multidisciplinary artists, but from what I see, they all have something in common: music. Nikolov, music is your forte. You founded Loom Festival in addition to working as a city connector at Primavera Sound. In what ways has your experience in the music sector benefited you when creating Lexa?
Nikolov: All my experience really begins around clubbing. I started working with different venues, festivals and collectives in Barcelona, which made me understand the importance of community building and discover the important role music plays in it. I guess the ambition of changing the way things were done before and giving prominence to young artists with alternative visions have always been at the core of everything, drawing a lot of inspiration from the underground scene, where I’ve always felt at home.
You emphasize the importance of being ‘local,’ since that is where you find your purpose and inspiration. However, you also offer your management, PR and consulting services to international artists. Have you set your eye on any artists you don't represent yet? Who in particular would you like to represent in the future?
Nikolov: Our vision has always been international, and so are all the projects of the artists we work with. There are big limitations in working locally, even if the local scene is where we get our inspiration from. Management is a non-stop job, even if you’re off or travelling, you have to always be available for your talents, so at the end of the day, there is only a small number of people you can be committed to. But there are so many more that we want to work with and inspire us, so we are in the process of building a bigger team and being able to offer our services for one-shot music launches, PR campaigns, etc.
Lexa moves between an agency and a collective, and between the mainstream and the underground. This makes you an agency with a lot of adaptability. Why do you decide to move between this dichotomy? How do you think this hybridity benefits you?
Nikolov: I feel there’s always been this complex relationship between the underground and the mainstream. There’s this conception that the underground blames the mainstream and the mainstream doesn’t give back to the underground. I feel that this is slowly fading away with new generations of artists that are able to find authenticity and success at the same time, and that’s where we are standing.
Lexa's graphic identity has been created by Laura Rigau, from Misato Studio, whom you also represent. The X refers to the multidisciplinary approach that is so important in your agency. Did you know from the beginning what type of visual image you wanted the project to have, or did you give Laura absolute freedom?
Nikolov: I believe the best outcomes come from full creative freedom. Laura was involved in the process from the beginning – we didn’t even have a name, so she started working with just some basic values we established for Lexa. She’s really talented, so we just had small observations to rework on the identity.
Lately in Spain, new talent representation agencies are coming out, such as Productive or The Rats Company. Without a doubt, it is a sector in full expansion, and the new generations bring new ways of working, understanding the world, and their own artists. How do you intend to differentiate yourself from other emerging talent representation agencies?
Nikolov: I believe there’s a lot of great talent in Spain, but a big lack of structures that allow them to amplify their projects, so I think it’s great that more projects are emerging to fill this gap. I’ve checked out The Rats Company and their work and talent selection looks really cool. There’s also Sangre from Madrid on my radar. I don’t really believe in competition. The fact that these new ways of working are emerging will make the scene more thriving overall.
You’ve just launched Lexa, so I imagine you will be cooking several projects. What can you tell us about the future for now? Anything you can reveal?
Moli: We have very interesting projects coming in 2020 and 2021. Leïti has a lot of new music and major releases on his solo career, as well as his newly founded collective, Cutemobb, which is going to release their first mixtape in no time, with a lot of content like music videos, brand endorsements, radio shows, and hopefully, their party The Nalgas can start soon again as well. It’s a really fun project to be involved with and they’re definitely one collective to keep an eye on.
Andrei Warren has been working tirelessly on his newborn Misato Studio on campaigns with renowned international brands and establishing itself as a creative studio to have on the radar. As for Candela Capitán, besides her solo career in performance and her ongoing collaboration with fashion, she’s working on her project Lesionada Bendición, which will promote dance and performance in her community and intends to include these disciplines in other artistic fields.
Nikolov: Kai Landre is releasing his first-ever statement since starting his cyborg transition and a whole new music project in collaboration with Lyzza, so super excited about that. Our roster is also growing, so let’s just say we will soon be more diverse than ever.
Andrei Warren has been working tirelessly on his newborn Misato Studio on campaigns with renowned international brands and establishing itself as a creative studio to have on the radar. As for Candela Capitán, besides her solo career in performance and her ongoing collaboration with fashion, she’s working on her project Lesionada Bendición, which will promote dance and performance in her community and intends to include these disciplines in other artistic fields.
Nikolov: Kai Landre is releasing his first-ever statement since starting his cyborg transition and a whole new music project in collaboration with Lyzza, so super excited about that. Our roster is also growing, so let’s just say we will soon be more diverse than ever.