Electro
Alex Preston Interview 2014
Australia’s best Big Room/Electro House DJ and label boss Alex Preston answers some interesting questions about his music career and life.
1) Tell us about your musical background, how did you get into electronic music?
I started music when I was 8 years old playing in the school band, then as I got older when I got to high school I decided to play guitar because I thought it was cooler. I was fortunate enough to play guitar right through school with some really talented people so I learnt a bunch of different instruments like drums & keyboards. Then when I was about 19, a mate of mine asked me to play percussion with him while he DJ’d at a local club near where I live in Manly, Sydney. The DJ playing straight after us that night was Tommy Trash and he was like “Do you want to keep playing percussion with my set too?” and so I had this awesome first experience with electro music. This sort of triggered my love for electronic music and I got into it as sort of being a percussionist that played with DJs.
2) When your first record came out, what were you using to make music?
I was using Ableton at the time. I still do but sometimes I use logic for certain things as well. I think they both have their pro’s and con’s, you just need to make the most out them.
3) Have you ever tested your tracks in clubs before finishing them?
I do this all the time. I try and make music for my sets, it’s a great way of seeing what works and what doesn’t. It’s an awesome rush creating something in the studio and then being able to road test it the same day.
4) Your popular SoundCloud page have a lot of music up for streaming. Do you look at that as a way to drive download and ticket sales?
Yeah I think that it’s a great way for people to hear my music. I think that music has to be accessible for everyone to enjoy otherwise what’s the point in making it?!
5) How big is the Electro scene in Australia?
It’s pretty awesome here!! We don’t quite have the population here in Australia that US or Europe does (I think most of the big US cities nearly have more people in them than the whole of Australia combined), but there is a massive house scene here.
6) What’s the name of your latest release? Please describe its sound.
My latest record is called “Cookie”. It’s a big festival anthem, lots of big reverb and big saw synths!!
7) Why did you decide to start your own record label “Preston Recordings”?
I just love making dance music so I thought it was good idea to run my own label!
8) Can artists send demos to you record label? Please tell us how.
Definitely! Send me your demos to prestonrecordings@gmail.com !
Alex Preston’s new record “Cookie” is out now on Beatport.
Belgian producer Robert Falcon makes his triumphant return to Alok’s CONTROVERSIA with his hard-hitting new single “Like This.” Armed with a sinister driving bassline, powerful undulating melodies, and catchy vocal riff, the release is perfect timing for the quickly approaching summer festival season. “Like This” is the type of track that naturally fills dancefloors and ups the ante, bringing strong electro-house energy to anything from your weekend party night to your morning workout. CONTROVERSIA has had several high-profile releases this year already, including label boss Alok’s “Ready Set Go,” Ralk, Different Stage & sone.’s “Deeper Love” and Dynamick’s “Bite My Tongue.”
Robert Falcon
Originally hailing from Belgium, Robert Falcon was only 21 when he signed his first record – “Raptor” in the “Quintino Edit” to the biggest label in the dance industry, Spinnin’ Records. From then on, Falcon’s original productions were frequently listed in all the biggest Spotify playlists and Beatport’s charts alike. A promising prelude to what was coming. Dropping some serious playlist killers last year, like “Another Side” with Matisse & Sadko on STMPD RCRDS, “My Love” with Breathe Carolina on Spinnin’ Records, and “Gravity” with Sagan on Musical Freedom. His quality productions get steady support from all the industry heavyweights like Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Afrojack, Tiesto, Robin Schulz, and many more! His crafted and unpredictable sound shows not only his huge musical potential but also his drive for his music to be heard in every corner of the world. With a positive mindset, great music, and a creative view of his brand, the youngster has already played stages on huge festivals like Tomorrowland, Parookaville (Germ), Sunburn, Ultra Korea, World Club Dome, Miami Music Week, Dreamland Festival, not to mention the famous clubs he already played from Asia to all parts of Europe. Looking ahead to what is coming.
CONTROVERSIA
Alok’s CONTROVERSIA continues to go from strength to strength, and this latest release is another fine example of a label making all the right moves to maintain its impressive forward momentum. Since its inception in June 2019, CONTROVERSIA has accumulated over 1 billion Spotify streams thanks to its remarkable family of artists, including Yves V, Alan Walker, Bhaskar, Alle Farben, Vintage Culture, and more. All of whom have helped CONTROVERSIA quickly establish itself as one of the most successful independent labels in dance music today.
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Italian superstar artists Marnik make their return to Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak with their new dancefloor-filler “Artificial Intelligence,” for which they teamed up with French/Belgian duo Sirona and Azerbaijani artist Heyder. The track delivers heat from the get-go, beginning with digitized buildup that melds into a driving, deep tech house breakdown with stabbing mechanical synths. Together with its distorted voiceover, the name “Artificial Intelligence” is more than appropriate and will have listeners envision themselves in their favorite epic video game. Marnik recently appeared on Dim Mak with their single “Stop The World” with Steve Aoki and Leony, while Sirona has released on Warner and Sony and Heyder on Universal, Warner, Atlantic, and more.
“These days, everyone is talking about the new AI technology and the positive and negative effects this could have on human beings, so with this track, we just imagined a dystopian world where eventually A.I. is gonna take over our future.” — Marnik
Marnik
Marnik has quickly risen as one of the hottest up-and-coming talents in today’s dance scene. After amassing more than 300 million streams on digital platforms and earning numerous gold and platinum records, Emanuele and Alessandro have definitely imposed their trademark with songs like “Up & Down,” “Alone” or “Children of a Miracle,” which have been massively played on radios. Beyond their success as producers, Marnik has toured the world, hitting coveted destinations, including Tomorrowland, Sunburn Music Festival, World Club Dome, Story Miami, Ushuaia Ibiza, and more.
Sirona
Sirona is a duo of electronic music collaborators sharing a strong bond of French heritage and a global mix of inspiration stemming from their French and Belgian residences, respectively. As individual artists, they managed to amass in advance 10 million streams with consistent radio support for their respective releases. Naturally, combining their passion and skill since 2018 has proven fruitful as they launch the project with their debut release, collaborating with chart toppers and global star Chuckie with “Bugatti Ridin” on The Cross Records/Island Records. Now with “Artificial Intelligence,” their outlook just gets brighter and brighter.
Heyder
Born and raised in Azerbaijan, DJ/producer Heyder, started his musical journey as a child and immediately knew that it was his future. He counts legends such as Armin van Buuren and Dash Berlin among his inspirations. After starting producing in 2014, he was invited to perform live on the stage of one of the biggest EDM music festivals – EDC Mexico 2016. His remixes have been supported by many worldwide DJs and have been played at almost all major music festivals, such as Tomorrowland, Ultra Music, etc. Billboard added Heyder’s official remix for Charlie Puth’s “We Don’t Talk Anymore” to the list of best 12 remixes for Charlie’s songs. In 2017, Heyder signed an artist management agreement with famous SDM management and started to work under the management of Stefan Dabruck. His latest remixes were signed by Universal Music, Warner Music, Atlantic Records, Big Beat Records, BMG, and more.
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Hardwell and Maddix have teamed up to bring a fresh twist to the timeless classic “Satisfaction.” They gave new life to the latest version produced by Benny Benassi and David Guetta. Check out the full video!
Originally released in 2002, “Satisfaction” quickly became a club hit with its upbeat Electro House sound and catchy synths. Now, over two decades later, the new remix is sure to get the crowds jumping once again.
In my opinion, this cut stays true to the original rhythm, however, Hardwell and Maddix add updated hard-hitting drops and futuristic elements. Whether you’re a fan of the original or just love a good banger, this melody is definitely made for you.
Unquestionably, the result is a high-energy, high-impact version of “Satisfaction.” With its iconic status in the electronic music world, it’s no surprise that this track has been remixed countless times over the years, but I believe nothing else can surpass such a great edit.
Get ready to feel the “Satisfaction” as you dance to this powerful reinterpretation, which stands out as an exciting take on the memorable club/festival hit.
Spinnin’ Records continue offering quality releases and 2023 will be no different.