ALEX BAU INTERVIEW
LAST SATURDAY, I HAD THE AMAZING PRIVILEGE TO INTERVIEW ALEX BAU, IN A DELIGHTFUL LITTLE RESTAURANT LOCATED ON THE ST-LAURENT BOULEVARD IN THE MILE-END CALLED THE “MAI CAFÉ”. I REALLY ENJOYED MY EVENING SINCE I HAD THE CHANCE TO DISCOVER THE AMAZING MAN BEHIND THE ARTIST I’VE LISTENED TO FOR YEARS. WITH US, CREATOR AND X-CUBE WITH WHOM WE’VE EXCHANGED ABOUT MANY THINGS CONCERNING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND THE GENERAL NIGHTLIFE, BUT YOU WILL FIND HEREIN AFTER THE MAIN CORE OF MY CHAT WITH ALEX (WHICH WAS ALSO VERY INSTRUCTIVE) THAT OCCURRED DURING OUR MEAL.
TP: SO, ALEX, HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT PLAYING IN MONTREAL AFTER SO MUCH TIME?
AB: I WAS EXCITED TO COME BACK; IT’S ALWAYS A HAPPENING WHEN I COME HERE, FOR ME I MEAN! IT’S REALLY A BIG THING! BUT TO BE HONEST, I WAS A BIT SCARED ACTUALLY. SINCE IT’S BEEN MORE THAN TWO YEARS THAT I’VE LAST PERFORMED IN MONTREAL AND ALSO SINCE MY SOUND AS CHANGED A LOT, I WAS SLIGHTLY AFRAID: NOT THAT PEOPLE WOULD FORGET ABOUT ME, BUT THAT THEY WOULD ANTICIPATE YESTERDAY’S EVENING ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD OF ME BEFORE.
TP: YOU SAID YOUR SOUND HAS CHANGED, BUT DID YOU FEEL THE CROWD HAS ALSO?
AB: AS I WAS TELLING MARTIN (CREATOR) EARLIER, IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WHERE EVER IN THE WORLD I’VE BEEN TO, THE CROWD, GENERALLY SPEAKING, HAS CHANGED. IT’S COMPOSED WITH THE ADDITION OF NEW PEOPLE MIXED TO OLDER FANS, WHICH ALSO HAVE EVOLVED. I’VE RECOGNIZED MANY FACES FROM LAST TIME AT ARIA IN 2006, BUT I’VE ALSO NOTICE A LOT OF NEW FACES WHO WERE PROBABLY LISTENING FOR THE FIRST TIME TO MY MUSIC. IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING.
TP: MARTIN (CREATOR) AND I OFTEN REFER TO A LOVE STORY WHEN SPEAKING OF YOUR RELATION WITH MONTREAL’S CROWD. WHAT DO YOU FIND SPECIAL ABOUT IT? I MEAN, PEOPLE WHO HAVE KNOWN YOU SINCE RAVEMONTREAL 13 HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LOYAL TO YOU PERFORMANCES…
AB: I DON’T KNOW. I MEAN, I CAN’T EXPLAIN, I JUST SENSE LOTS OF ENERGY FROM THEM TO GIVE BACK TO WHAT I FEED THEM WITH IN TERMS OF MUSIC. BUT I HAVE NO RATIONAL REASON TO GIVE YOU, TOUGH. HOWEVER, EVERY TIME I COME HERE, NOT BECAUSE I’M MONTREAL THAT I SAY THAT, BUT I ALWAYS MANAGED TO PLAY REALLY GOD SETS.
CREATOR: YEAH, BECAUSE USUALLY EVERY THING ELSE IS CRAPPY!
(LAUGHS)
BUT FOR YOU READERS TO KNOW, WHILE WE WERE DRIVING TO THE RESTAURANT, ALEX TOLD US THAT HE HAS CANCELLED A PARTY THAT WAS MORE LUCRATIVE IN EUROPE ONLY TO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF PLAYING HERE ONE MORE TIME. FOR HIM, IT WAS TOO LONG SINCE HIS LAST TIME AND HE MISSED THE ENERGY OF THE MONTREAL CROWD. I WAS FASCINATED BY ALEX’S SIMPLICITY. FOR HIM, MONEY IS NOT ALL. HE CONFESSED TO ME KNOWING THAT THIS WHOLE DJ THING COULD END ANYTIME, AND THAT HE RATHER PLAYS IN CITIES HE KNOWS HE WILL HAVE A GREAT TIME MORE THAN ONLY FOR THE PAY CHECK.
TP: I’VE HEARD ONE OF MY FAVORITE TRACKS
YESTERDAY NIGHT
(LINK TO THE LIVECUT...) “SHADOW BELIEVERS PART 1” WHICH COULD BE CONSIDERED NEW STUFF IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WE HAVE HEARD IN 2006. DO YOU THINK MONTREAL’S CROWD IS A GOOD ONE TO SEIZE IF A TRACK IS A KEEPER OR NOT?
AB: HMM, I DON’T KNOW ACTUALLY, SINCE IN NORTH AMERICA, PEOPLE BUY TECHNO BY BEAPORT RIGHT? IN EUROPE, WE ARE STILL ON VINYL FOR MANY RELEASES AND A WAY FOR ME TO KNOW IF A TRACK IS A “KEEPER” IS BY THEIR SALES, MORE THAN THE ONES I’VE RELEASED ON BEAPORT. NOT THAT IT’S HARD TO TRACK DOWN, BUT I’VE STARTED FOCUSING ON IT THIS YEAR REALLY WITH MY LABEL CREDO. TIME WILL TELL, BUT IT WORKS REALLY WELL FOR NOW.
IN ADDITION, I THINK A CROWD GIVES ITS REGIONAL MARKET INDICATOR, MORE THAN GLOBALLY SPEAKING. HOWEVER, I’VE PLAYED MANY UNRELEASED TRACKS IN THE BEGINNING OF LAST NIGHT’S SET, AND I’VE MANAGED TO HAVE A GOOD OPINION WHETHER IT WOULD BE A SUCCESS OR NOT IN NORTH AMERICA.
DURING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY TO HIS MATERIAL, ALEX HAS EXPLAINED TO US THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS YOU CAN DEAL ON BEATPORT AND HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOU RETURN IN VALUE WHEN OF YOUR TRACK IS RELEASED. IT WAS INTERESTING TO HAVE A PRODUCER’S OPINION ABOUT THE WHOLE THING.
ALSO DURING OUR MEAL, CREATOR WAS TALKING TO ALEX ABOUT A TRIP IN EUROPE NEXT YEAR AND LAUGHING THROUGH THE CONVERSATION, THE TWO DJ’S WERE TALKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF JOINING FUN TO OPPORTUNITIES BY HAVING A BOOKING FOR CREATOR IN ONE OF THE FESTIVALS OVER THERE. WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT ALEX’S WORDS, WERE THAT IN EUROPE, IT’S NOT QUITE EASY TO HAVE A DJ COMING FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, AT LEAST, NOT AS EASY AS HERE.
MAINLY, WHEN SPEAKING OF TECHNO DJ’S IN GERMANY, PEOPLE ARE USED TO BIG NAMES SUCH AS SVEN VATH AND ARTISTS AS SUCH, SO THEY DON’T HAVE ANY INTERESTS IN OTHER UNKNOWN DJ’S. CREATOR WAS DOING THE PARALLEL WITH NORTH AMERICA IN GENERAL SPEAKING OF TORONTO’S CROWD WHO DOESN’T HAVE ANY CLUE OF WHO HE IS, EVEN IF IT’S BEEN CLOSE TO TEN YEARS THAT HE’S BEEN IN THE SCENE.
TP: SPEAKING OF RELEASES AND LABELS, WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR COOPERATION ON CHRIS LIEBING’S LABEL CLR. WHEN DID IT START AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
AB: IT’S FUNNY YOU ASK, BECAUSE I’VE KNOWN CHRIS (LIEBING) FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS NOW AND WHEN WE START WORKING TOGETHER HE WAS MORE AN UNDERGROUND-TYPE OF A DJ, AND WAS NOT KNOWN AS HE IS NOW. IT FIRST STARTED OF MOSTLY WHEN I’VE ORGANIZED A PARTY IN FRANKFURT IN MY FORMER RESIDENT CLUB AND WORKED WITH ANOTHER FRIEND OF OURS WHICH I’VE SENT DEMOS TO CHRIS (LIEBING). AND SO IT WENT ON THROUGH TIME. MOREOVER, THERE’S HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONNECTION BETWEEN CHRIS AND I, AND WE MANAGED TO PRODUCE QUITE GOOD STUFF TOGETHER.
CREATOR: THE ONLY REASON I BOOKED ALEX, IN THE FIRST PLACE AT RAVEMONTREAL 13 YEARS AGO, WAS FOR THE RELEASE “MEANING OF DARKNESS” ON CHRIS LIEBING’S LABEL CLR. I WAS LISTENING TO TONS OF STUFF RELEASED ON HIS LABEL AND HOOKED IMMEDIATELY ON ALEX’S SOUND.
TP: SINCE WERE INTO THE LABEL SUBJECT, AS FOR YOUR OWN LABEL CREDO, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ANY DJ IN THE WORLD TO SEND YOU DEMOS? HOW DO YOU MANAGE ALL THE FLOW OF IT?
AB: I DO RECEIVE MANY DEMOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, BUT AS I EXPLAINED MORE THAN ONCE ON MY SITE, I DON’T WANT TO PRODUCE PEOPLE ON A LARGE BASIS. FOR ME, CREDO IS WAY OF RELEASING MY OWN STUFF, AT FIRST, SINCE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE EVERYTHING BY MY OWN. IT’S NO QUESTION OF SELF FAME OR ANYTHING; IT’S JUST THAT I LIKE TO HAVE HOLD ON THE WHOLE PROCESS FROM PRODUCING THE TRACK TO ITS RELEASE ON VINYL OR MP3.
TP: THAT BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER TYPE OF QUESTION. SINCE EVERYTHING IS SO AVAILABLE, THE DJ’S TECHNOLOGY, EQUIPMENT, AND MIXING & PRODUCING SOFTWARE, HOW DO YOU THINK IT WILL AFFECT THE AVAILABILITY OF NEW STUFF?
AB: I THINK THE MORE THE COMPETITION, THE MORE IT CAN BRING PEOPLE TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES, AND GO BEYOND WHAT THEY’VE BEEN EXPECTING TO REACH. IT WILL BE THE ONLY WAY TO DEMARK THEMSELVES FROM THE LOT OF PEOPLE IMPROVISING BEING A DJ’S OR A PRODUCER. IT COULD BE GOOD OR BAD. THE MAIN ISSUE ABOUT IT IS WHEN NORMAL PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING UP FOR MUSIC, THEY’LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH MUCH MORE STUFF THAN BEFORE TO FIND WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR. AS FOR INSTANCE, YEARS AGO, I COULD GO TO THE RECORD STORE AND TAKE 50 ALBUMS OUT THE SHELVES AND MISSING MONEY TO BUY THEM ALL. TODAY, WHEN YOU TAKE 50 OUT, YOU WILL PROBABLY PUT 45 BACK IN.
TP: WE KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR SITE WWW.ALEXBAU.DE AND YOUR MYPACE PROFILE, BUT I COULDN’T FIND ANYTHING ABOUT YOU ON FACEBOOK TO SHARE TO THE MONTREAL FANS. SINCE YOU KNOW, IT REACHES A LOT OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, IS IT SOMETHING YOU’RE PLANNING IN A NEAR FUTURE, TO HAVE A PROFILE?
AB: LIKE I WAS MENTIONING MINUTES AGO ABOUT MYSELF, WANTING TO HAVE CONTROL ON MANY ASPECTS OF MY CAREER, FACEBOOK SEEMS TO ME LIKE A HUGE TIME-CONSUMING TASK, AN ON-GOING THING TO DO EACH DAY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE BEAT OF IT. BUT I KNOW IT COULD BE A GREAT WAY TO PROMOTE MYSELF. FOR NOW NOT THAT I DON’T CARE, BUT MYSPACE ALREADY TAKES TIME AND INVESTMENT AND I FIND IT SUFFICIENT. HOWEVER, IF MY AGENT FINDS THAT IT WOULD BE PERTINENT, I MAY FOLLOW THE ADVICE.
TP: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE ACCESS THAT BANDS ALLOW, SUCH AS RADIOHEAD, GUN’S N ROSES AND ALSO MANY PRODUCERS, TO THEIR FANS IN GIVING THEM THE CHOICE TO PAY WHAT EVER THEY FEEL LIKE FOR THEIR RELEASES?
AB: I THINK FOR ARTISTS AS SUCH, IT’S A GOOD THING, BECAUSE TRUE FANS WILL ALWAYS BUY THEIR STUFF AND WON’T MIND PAYING FOR IT. MOREOVER HAVING THIS SORT OF EXCLUSIVITY ACCESS BEFORE THE IN-STORE TYPE OF FAN CREATES A LOYALTY BETWEEN A BAND AND THEIR SUPPORTERS. ALSO, THOSE KINDS OF BANDS MAKE THEIR MONEY MOSTLY WHEN THEY’RE ON TOUR AND BY ALL THE SIDE-LINES TO IT, SUCH AS T-SHIRTS AND PROMOTIONAL ARTICLES. WERE IT CAN BE BAD TOUGH, IS WHEN PEOPLE INVEST TIME AND ENERGY IN PRODUCING AND IT’S DECEIVING SOMETIMES FOR THEIR SELF CONFIDENCE TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR THEIR WORK. IT USUALLY DOESN’T TAKE MUCH TO SOMEONE TO BE DISCOURAGED IN THIS INDUSTRY I MUST ADMIT.
TP: FINALLY ALEX, AFTER ALL WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH KNOWING YOU BETTER AND ALL, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IS COMING UP FOR 2009 OR NEAR FUTURE?
AB: I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO RELEASE A NEW CD IN 2009. I’VE BEEN ACTUALLY IN STUDIOS WORKING ON MANY TRACKS I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH MY FANS, BUT I REALLY WANT TO TAKE TIME IN THE PROCESS IN ORDER TO OFFER A COMPLETE PRODUCT WHICH REFLECTS TRULY WHO I AM. SINCE MY PREVIOUS CD’S WERE MAINLY DANCEFLOOR ORIENTED, I WOULD TEND TO RELEASE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE COULD INSERT THEIR CD PLAYER IN THEIR CAR AND JUST ENJOY WHAT I’M DOING. IT WOULD SURPRISE ME THAT PEOPLE DO SO RIGHT NOW.
TP: ALEX, IT WAS A REAL PLEASURE HAVING THIS FINE MEAL WITH YOU AND HAVE A BETTER PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AT ITS SIMPLEST. I REALLY ENJOYED MY TIME AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SOME OF YOURS.
AB: THE PLEASURE WAS TRULY SHARED, TYNA.
TP: I HOPE IT WILL NOT TAKE ANOTHER TWO YEARS BEFORE HAVING SOME NEWS OF YOU!
AB: WELL I HOPE SO TOO!
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THIS
IS AN ENGLISH INTERVIEW BY TYNA PHANEUF WITH ALEX ABOUT HIS
SPECIAL RELATION TO MONTREAL, PUBLISHED ON