While at present the name Alexkid may remind you of the pixilated early 90s Sega Master System videogame, in a few short weeks it’s more likely to bring back recollections of the French producer and DJ (of the same name) rocking it out at the inaugural F-Com & Soma Sessions party. Fulfilling the F-Com end of the bargain, Alexkid will be bundling around the country with Soma’s Hipp-e. Managing to cut through the thick French accent (just!), Tim Hardaker had a quick chat with Alexkid while he was hard at work in the studio to find out what audiences could expect on his maiden tour down under.
Born in France and raised in the Balearic Islands by his mother, Alexkid’s early musical endeavours saw him playing the guitar in a rock band. Upon being taken to a rave by the bass player in his band, Alexkid became interested in not only dance and electronic music, but the difference in culture between the scenes, “I went along with him once and really enjoyed myself. There was no specific clothing, and I really liked the attitude and vibe. I started getting into electronic music and computers and slowly started producing my own stuff aside from the band.” Apart from the obvious, Alexkid also points out that he finds influence and inspiration from all aspects of his life, citing film soundtracks as an underlying motive, “There are influences everywhere, I just try to take bits from it all. Even from things like traveling, I just take bits that I like from all over the place.”
In retrospect, a few years back it seemed almost a cliché that the music to listen to would be produced in France, with a wide range of dance and electronic artists all achieving great success around the globe. From Cassius, to Bob Sinclar, to Daft Punk, to Air, although rather diverse in sound France well and truly stamped their influence on the world. With it all seeming to have slowed down a touch of late I was interested to hear from Alexkid where he saw the French scene heading in the future, “Right now the scene is really interesting in France, it might not be that big as it was but there is some really amazing stuff. A lot of the artists that were big, like Daft Punk or Cassius, they made dance music a genre in France, and now people are much more open minded and diverse in what they like.” Going on to compare France and the US, “I think it’s much more interesting here right now than anything that is happening in the US. I remember that a few years back Chicago and New York were really interesting, but now I mainly buy stuff from Berlin or London or Paris.”
A vital member of the F-Com label roster, Alexkid recently released his album Mint to praise from both critics and fans alike. Always working on new music, I was keen to hear how Alexkid personally described his unique style, “I don’t know, people like to label things… especially in dance music. I like electronic music, but electronics as a tool to make music, not to just rely on it.” Having started out as a producer, Alexkid’s tour of Australia will see him DJ, although not without the obligatory changes to the setup you’d expect from an innovator of his standard, “Lately I’m into old-school sounding house, with heaps of acid sounds. I just bought myself Final Scratch so I can play a lot more stuff when I tour now. But I’m really just into anything that is electronic and has funk to it. Even if it’s not like funk in the purest sense of the word, just something with a groove.”
For his first tour of Australia Alexkid will team up with respect US West Coast house exponent Hipp-e of Scottish label Soma, “I used to be really fond of Soma, but for a while I didn’t get into anything from them. There have been a few lately though, Funk D’Void mixes, but I remember I was a really big fan of Positive Education. To me Glasgow is like the Detroit of Europe. It has the same sound, it’s quite industrial, and at the same time it’s funky and has soul. I really like it.” An ideal combination of styles, the F-Com & Soma Sessions are sure to go down as some of the most memorable parties in 2004. Pop in to get your France fix.
Be sure to check out Alexkid, touring the country in February for F-Com:
Fri 13 Feb – Quest Nightclub, Surfer’s Paradise – w/ Hipp-e
Sat 14 Feb – The Bourbon, Sydney – w/ Hipp-e (BUY TICKETS)
Sun 15 Feb – The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Fri 20 Feb – The Office Nightclub, Perth – w/ Hipp-e
Sat 21 Feb – Passion Nightclub, Melbourne – w/ Hipp-e
