HOTDJGEAR catches up with Alexander Fog to talk about the past, present and future. Alexander Fog is making huge waves on the underground techno and tech house scene. Upsetting the status quo by proving what is possible with a combination of immense talent and determination. His record label Techno Mafia Records (TMR) has been taking the scene by storm, with fans all over the world.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
An astronaut – playing my music on the Mars space station!
First two records you ever tried to mix?
Emmanuel TOP Acid Phase.
First ever gig?
My first professional gig was in Amsterdam at a boat party. I was so stressed… It all went well in the end, and from that day on i’m collecting smiles from happy crowds.
Fondest club experience?
I love them all (except one…). To mention one that comes to mind, I recently played @ Jackson’s Tample FL and it was amazing! Loved every second of it.
Worst club experience?
First time in Colombia was a mess. The promoter drove me to a place where they were playing Hard Techno… I was playing minimal that night, so you can imagine how it went down. I really remember that as the worst DJ set in my life!
If you could live anywhere?
I’m on the road most of the time, and i prefer hotels to home.
We need to be where the party is, so I will decide on a place when it’s time to retire (laughs)
How did your label come about?
Like a Phoenix from the ashes! I was going through the worst period of my life, divorce and bad things happening, and I wasn’t performing either. I moved back to italy from South America where I was living at the time and I decided to start a label and produce cool music.
We will have our 1st birthday this year at the WMC TMR party. Seems like yesterday that we remodeled my garage (where it all began) and built an amazing studio in it.
What’s the label’s philosophy?
I don’t know if I’d go as far as calling a ‘philosophy’ – we are too young for that! We simply started with many people and filtered a real cool group. I feel we are more than a simple label: we are a family, we work together, spend time together, and we want to make the best quality music possible and make the crowd happy.
You have a good ability to pick out the tunes, how do you do that?
I think I’m a fairly strong filter in tunes… As a clubber I know what makes you dance, and over the years I have developed a feel for what works and what doesn’t. Simply put, if a track is boring, I will not publish it on my label and won’t play it in my gigs. This is something I hope I’ll be able to further refine in the future.
Do you consider Italy to be a dance centric country?
OK, I don’t want to offend anyone anywhere on the planet. But Italy is where it all started. Now it has changed, and the market has changed, but I have had club experiences in Italy that I have not had anywhere else.
Overall, I think we have played a very good role in the electronic dance scene over the years.
What have you got coming on production wise?
In the beginning i was more of a DJ than a producer – I was producing some remixes but that was not tech at all. This has changed over the years, and since starting the label I spend more time in the studio than ever. 25 releases in the first quarter of 2011 is a sign that this will be a very good production year. And it’s good seeing all our hard work paying off: just this week I was on the top20 tech house with Mame on Attary. The support that people and DJs are giving me so far is simply incredible, and I’m really thankful for it.
Which producers or djs are inspiring you at the moment?
Too many to mention – i’m listening to music all the time, so it’s very hard for me to track down the sources. Very often It can be a simple bass line or an 80’s song rather than something coming from a contemporary DJ.
What are your thoughts about the scene?
I wonder if the day will come when IKEA Dj’s (promoters that sell tables) will actually start being promoters and stop being on the booth. Letting better people play, real DJ’s. That is one of the reasons that sometimes I avoid some of the ‘cool’ clubs; a number of them put selling tickets before the music and the clubbers’ having a good time.
What’s next for Alexander Fog?
Cut my hair and start a family! (laughs)
What comes next is hard. hard work covering all aspects of music and communication.
Nothing is free or easy, and also I’m not the type to stalk big DJs to play my tracks (like many newcomers are doing) so all will come with time and only if I deserve it.
Are you working on new material for the label? How is it sounding?
5 hours per day 6 days a week!
It sounds great. My studio team rocks – we have an incredible brain connection and it all works out extremely smoothly. We love what we are doing, and at times it all feels almost effortless compared to what I see in other places.
You’ve been releasing material with OnePush Recordings and playing gigs with them in London. What do you have planned with them in the future and how are you enjoying working with them?
Dimitris (OnePush CEO) was one of the people that trusted in me from very early on. He is part of the family now, and we have a number of awesome projects coming up. Right now, I’m really looking forward to playing the Lightbox in London with OnePush in a few days (Friday 4th of March). After that, the sky is the limit – and I want to see someone try and stop us!
Thoughts on HOTDJGEAR?
I’ve always loved their stuff. Their designs are cutting edge, they ship fast and the service is friendly and efficient. I can think of no other brand catering to DJs and the clubbing scene that better understands what it is all about. Definitely recommended.
What equipment do you use in the studio and on the road?
Mac + Live/Logic + Many VST from Native + Moog and other synths in the studio.
Mac + Native on the booth – I think there are now a really cool set of tools we can use to deliver great performances.
Whats your fav production software?
Live is super fast and does many tasks well – I’m currently using version 8.
For the tasks Live struggles with, I use Logic 9.
Digital on booth, analog only when I need warm synth sound.
Alexander is playing at London’s Lightbox on March 4. For more info and advance tickets: