MUSIC BOYS GETTING DEEP NOIZE ON

BEING A PRODUCER REQUIRES A LOT OF LOVE AND CREATIVE EFFORT

WE CAUGHT UP WITH ALEX AKA BOYS NOIZE AT THE ULTRA JAPAN FESTIVAL AND TALKED ABOUT MUSIC AND MORE.

AUTHOR: JERRY CORIA

FUSION: How does it feel to be back in Japan after so many years of working in the music business as a music producer? What are your thoughts and feelings at the moment when you unexpectedly found yourself in Japan?

Alex: I LOVE coming here. Japan was amongst the very firsts nations outside of Germany to book me when I first began releasing on my own label. The culture here for vinyl and turntablism is serious and it always felt that music is important to the lapanese people and they have a very distinct taste and interest. I played my first gig here a long time ago at a Techno club called Yellow and my friends who are actually here with me today booked me back then and ever since I have returned basically every year once or twice and travelled the country back every year once or twice and traveled the country. It always feels great coming, it never gets old, I love the people, I love the culture, I looove the food :).

FUSION: Since you've been one of electronic music's pioneers for quite some time, I was wondering how you stay inspired to push forward in a field where so many DJs seem to play the same songs over and over again and listeners eventually grow tired of hearing the same songs played over and over again.

Alex: In my line of work as a DJ, music is both my inspiration and my primary source of motivation. I'm always on the lookout for fresh tracks, whether they're underground gems or mainstream hits, since I want to keep my audience on the edge of their seats.

I can play to both impress the crowd and advance my set, but ultimately, it's all about the music. If I were a DJ who only played one genre of music, I'd get bored and stop enjoying my job. If I were a music producer, I wouldn't be able to focus on a single genre.

I don't want to repeat myself anyhow, and when it comes to production and records, I typically think that the records that I play from other artists I love them all, and every week it could vary you know one or two songs here and there.

But why would I make that music? Someone has already made those records, so when it comes to my own music, I just feel like I've got to make something that doesn't quite exist in a way, and if I'm excited by the sounds, then it just comes out naturally.

FUSION: I was wondering what it takes to be on top of your game as a producer and musician nowadays, and how you deal with the obstacles you always encounter.

ALEX: Honestly, I don´t feel much difficulty or obstacles really, if there´s one thing it would be the dimension of social media engagement. Coming from house and techno. things were completely reverse, you could drop records without having to sign up for a million different social networking sites, without having to post yourself continously

When I first started. it was on vinyl. I was working at a record store at the time and I would simply locate records and not see any advertising for the musicians that would produce electronic music. You would not see people's faces on underground E.P's or albums ever. You didnt know anything about the producers or how they looked, it had a kind of a mystery to it and that was one reason I started to enjoy this because I wanted to be somewhere where I didn't have to put my face out there.

I think there's a lot of producers and musicians especially in the more underground scene that would also enjoy not having to care about promoting yourself and instead focus on the music rather than how you sell yourself.

FUSION: In the past, I know you liked working hard and not naming names with the people you worked with, and I am sure you work with a lot of big names and up and coming people, and the fans who have been listening to you since day one can agree that your skill is extremely amazing, so has your mind changed about who you work with and how you promote yourself

ALEX: It all comes down to your personality I guess, at the end of the day, I'm just being myself. I'm not the guy who likes to talk about lot of things, dropping names and all that kind of stuff. I stay to myself and I stay focused on my music. I learnt that you have to follow your heart and if you don't feel something, that's ok, and if you do, that's fine too.

You don't have to be judgmental about anyone that does things different than you, you should just strive to be yourself as much as possible.

FUSION: You've just collaborated on new music with Skrillex, but this isn't the first time you've done so, and you two have a very great connection and link with each other, but let's talk about this new music you've developed and how it came about.

ALEX: Yes, so Sonny (Skrillex) and I make music all the time, we just create constantly and whenever we see each other it´s a great vibe. We have a lot of unreleased music and that one time he was in Berlin and I was on a plane to play a show in Glasgow I think. I was going through records and samples and found that acapella. I instantly flipped it into a record and I played it that same night during my set and it went totally went off. When I came back to Berlin I told Sonny (Skrillex) about it and he was like lets do it together. He made the track really insane and altered it a lot.

Sonny was working on this album at that time and first we were considering to add it to his LP but it didnt feel 100% right. So we waited until after his album release and when the summer finally arrived we decided it was time to drop it and here we are

FUSION: Do you prefer writing music in the studio, or do you enjoy being on tour and performing live?

ALEX: I enjoy both just as much. No doubt the travel part is exhausting, its a common phrase among us DJs that you are paid to travel. But I love performing, its where I get my energy from, from the people, the music, seeing new places, it is the greatest. As a performer, I am used to the adrenaline rush that comes with taking the stage in front of a large audience, but for others who have never experienced it, it may seem surreal to them. When I'm out there and I see others smiling and having a good time, that's when I feel the happiest and most at ease with myself

FUSION: Is there anything else in the horizon for you?

ALEX: Yes there´s lots of new stuff in the pipeline. I just dropped a new track with my buddy VTSS called „Steady Pace“. She´s a wonderful friend who used to live in Berlin and is now based out of London, Amazing Techno Party Crazy DJ. We did a few shows back to back lately and the single came together so quickly and so well, we had lots of fun creating it.

As a performer, I am used to the adrenaline rush that comes with taking the stage in front of a large audience, but for others who have never experienced it, it may seem surreal to them. When I'm out there and I see others smiling and having a good time, that's when I feel the happiest and most at ease with myself.

FUSION and lastly, in your opinion, what makes Japan cool?

ALEX: The people and how great and how much love and respect they have for each other, you know that feeling you have with your friends here or going out there, it's so unique, within the entire world it's just such a special place and it's got a special place in my heart as well.