There’s something brewing in Brazil as of recent, with a string of talented techno and house artists from the country enjoying well-deserved notoriety in the last few years. Alex Stein is a true Brazilian (São Paulo) homegrown artist with roots that reach all the back to the Old Continent — with German blood flowing in his veins and German citizenship to prove it.
The Bavarian-Brazilian artist has made his own way through vast musical studies, including Audio Engineering, studied at the SAE Institute in Frankfurt, as well as a lot of trial-and-error to get where he is now as one of the most well-known and revered artists of the new Brazilian techno/tech-house scene.
His work in the studio has been paying off with a recent release on Suara the latest of a series that has seen him put out music on labels the likes of Bunny Tiger, Great Stuff Recordings, Herzblut, Tronic and Sincopat, all the while preparing a new EP for Oliver Huntemann’s imprint Senso Sounds. You wouldn’t be mistaken in thinking that Alex seems to be following on the footsteps of his close friend, peer and fellow countryman Victor Ruiz. They have not only produced together but seem to be following the same path of ascension in their industry, as Alex enjoys an incredible legion of followers not only in his home nation Brazil, but throughout the world thanks to performances in Canada, South Africa, Australia, and of course the main European capitals.
6AM caught up with Alex to learn more about his roots and the personality behind the great music he has been churning out non-stop for the last several years.
Hi Alex, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Where are you located right now?
Hey guys, thank you for having me! I am in São Paulo, Brazil at the moment, just got back from my Europe Tour.
You’re Brazilian-German. Do you feel more of one than the other?
That’s a good question! Never really thought about it to be honest, but I have spent the most of my life in Brazil so I guess I consider myself more brazilian than german.
You were born in Brazil, a country with a growing techno scene. How did you first discover the genre?
I first discovered Techno at the Cocoon Club in Frankfurt. I also went to the Robert Johnson club at the time and those were my first encounters with the genre. Needless to say nothing was the same for me after that and I just fell in love with the genre and the whole lifestyle itself.
Were you into any other music growing up?
Yes, I was always into Rock music and still am this da, even had a SOAD cover band that lasted about three rehearsals, because we sucked at it. But it was enough to get me into the music world for good and get me dreaming about how it would be to live off of music
How would you describe the techno scene where you were born?
The Techno scene has always been present in São Paulo, it Just has changed places, venues and crowd over the years. People in Brazil seem to be a little trendy, so the whole scene is very cyclic in a way, where you have people loving Techno until something else comes along and then they love that for a while, and then repeat. But we do have the true faithful Techno crowd that has always been there, they just didn’t have too many opportunities to party.
Any Brazilian DJs that have inspired your career?
Sure! Marky and Gabe (with his project Velkro together with Marcello VOR) had a big influence on me when I was starting out 10 years ago. Producers like Wehbba, Anna and of course my good friends Victor Ruiz and KALIL have also been an influence to me, still to this day, apart from being wonderful people.
You spend quite a lot of time in Germany. Why is that?
Well for starters I have family in Germany, everyone from my mother’s side, Aunts, Uncles, Grandma and Cousin. I also have a German citizenship which makes coming and going a breeze. But of course I have been spending more and more time in Germany lately because of my music. It is just such a rich country when it comes to electronic music, specially Techno of course. I have been blessed with numerous gigs in some of the coolest places on earth, including my beloved Berlin.
Would you ever live there permanently? Why?
I have before, when I was studying Audio Engineering in Frankfurt, and sure, I would do it again. As I said, being part german and having family there as well as speaking fluent German makes it a lot easier for me than to most people. But yes, I could see myself living in Germany again, who knows what the future holds?
What was the catalyst to you deciding that being a producer/DJ was the career choice for you?
I’m not sure to be honest, but if I remember correctly it was about the time I decided to drop my Marketing Course in Brazil to go study at SAE in Amsterdam. My parents didn’t really like the idea of their twenty-something-year-old son studying music in A’dam, so I sold everything I had and went anyway. They supported me after a while when they realized I was serious about it and everything since then has just been a confirmation that this is the life I’ve dreamed to have.
If you could give any other young Brazilian aspiring DJs 3 important pieces of advice, what would they be?
1.Be original.
2.Don’t be afraid to try and fail. You only get to the sound you want by trying. A lot.
3.Don’t follow trends. Create your own. Easier said than done, it takes more time, more effort and persistence but when you finally get there, and you will, it’ll be worth it.
You’ve released on some fantastic labels so far, including Suara with one of your latest works. How is it being a part of Coyu’s imprint?
It has been a very rewarding journey. I remember I didn’t even think he knew me or my work until I commented on a post of his and he told me he had loved my latest EP on Sincopat. I got in touch, I sent him a few tracks and he signed Aurora, which was an accomplishment to me personally as I am a big fan of his and the imprint itself. I hope this is only the beginning and that I can release more of my music on Suara.
Your touring has taken you all over the world. Any cities/countries you still wish to play for?
I’ve been so lucky to have my work take me around the globe to meet so many cool and warm-hearted people. I haven’t performed in Japan, China, India or in the US so I would love to get to play there and immerse myself in the culture as well as getting to meet the different kinds of people on the dance floor.
What else is in store for you in the coming year?
Well I honestly have no clue. I will continue to work on my sound and continue to bring out the best tracks I possibly can. I hope to spend some more time in Europe next year also, I want to bring my music to as many people as I possibly can.
Thank you!
Connect with Alex Stein: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | Beatport
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