In today’s world of independent music, few create a more addicting tapestry of sound than Alexander Padei. A self-produced artist, music producer and DJ, Padei’s electrifying mix of R&B, Hip Hop, Reggaeton & Island sounds has made him one of the East Coast Indy community’s dopest young creatives. Alexander Padei’s musical journey dates back to his early years, spending his childhood weekends in church choirs and taking cello classes. After spending his high school years in cover bands and a year singing college a capella, Padei kicked off his professional journey in 2012 behind the 1s & 2s as a DJ, and starting his training as a producer. Before long, Padei’s nightlife brand “The List” came to life, as he brought his one-of-a-kind style of a LITuation to college campuses and Boston-area nightclubs, scoring his first residency at the age of 19. For the rest of the decade, Padei split his time between DJing and honing his production skills. From here, we know what Mr. Padei did last summer: he garnered much anticipation and attention by bringing 18 Boston-based recording artists together the collaborative effort Fuck It We’ll Do It Ourselves (released August 12, 2019), a magnum opus celebrating Boston’s independent music scene. The project achieved universal acclaim among consumers and critics alike, with Vanyaland’s Victoria Wasylak calling it a “practice and appreciation for the art of collaboration — and, perhaps more dauntingly, an exercise in improvising and growing past imperfections.” Following the release of Fuck It Will Do It Ourselves, Padei then unleashed its sister project The Cold Call, an unmissable show bringing artists into his studio to create an original song, start to finish, within a five-hour time limit.
Today, Padei is again raising the creative bar, showcasing his vast musical style with an ongoing series of weekly singles - all original material. One song per week. The multi-genre series gives the listener a deeper look than ever before at the musical chops of Alexander Padei, spanning R&B, reggaeton, pop, and hip-hop to date. Padei subscribes to the school of thought that says if a new endeavor scares you, it’s likely a good thing to try. In a time when many feel an air of apprehension on what to do next, Padei’s unending desire to continue recording, giving music aficionados a new venue of escape every week, can be seen as inspirational to artists who may feel unsure about testing the waters during - go ahead, roll your eyes and say it with me - “these uncertain times.” Shortly after releasing the fourth of these singles, “Refill,” I talked with Padei via email for this inaugural edition of our interview series, exclusively for The Magazine Lifestyle. This is our second conversation, following on the heels of our 2019 radio conversation on The Chop Session. You can find our original discussion wherever you listen to podcasts.
