INTERVIEW: Alex Metric (2013)

With a plethora of productions and left field remixes,?Alex Metric?s creativity is as vivid as his vibrant personality.??He?s the bloke who can make cool synth-pop, disco house, electro, or progressive and determine which is the right sound for the song as well as what he is feeling.??It is that emotion which he brings to his massive single ?Safe With You,? as well as to his brilliantly executed DJ sets (whether they be primetime bangers or discofied progressive opening sets).?Chatting with him before he opened for Zedd in Nashville, I felt like I had found a doppelganger who uses music to express emotions, with such a wide variety of musical experiences that he is never at a lack for the optimal sound.

DJ Ron Slomowicz: How did you meet up with Stuart Price?
Alex Metric: I met up with Stuart through a mutual friend called Starsmith. Fin had worked with Stuart on the Kylie Minogue album and he knew that I was a fan of his. Stuart actually wanted to start DJing again, so he asked Fin if he could come out to the club with us one night.??Stuart hadn?t really been to a nightclub in a while because he was producing pop music for years and years. Stuart knew of my music, so Fin told him that he should meet me and we went out to dinner and had some drinks. The first time I meet Stuart, who is kind of my musical hero, he came to watch me DJ which was a scary experience. The funny thing about the gig was that it was the first time that I played my remix of The Whip ? ?Secret Weapon? and with that remix my aim was to do LCD Soundsystem meets Stuart Price. As soon as I played it I felt a tap on my shoulder and Stuart asked me ?what?s this record?? It was so weird because I had deliberately tried to channel Stuart on this record and he came up and asked me about it. We had a great night and we stayed friends. A couple weeks later I decided to eMail Stuart because it?s always been one of my aims to work with him, and if you don?t fucking ask you don?t get. So I eMailed him and told him that if he ever wanted to get in the studio we should totally do it. He was like ?yeah that sounds like fun let?s do it,? and a week later we were in the studio doing ?Safe With You.?

Continue reading INTERVIEW: Alex Metric (2013)

SONG OF THE DAY: Alex Metric & Jacques Lu Cont ft Malin – “Safe With You”

Easily one of the best records of the year, “Safe With You” is one that might not grab you on first listen. The perfect blend of hard and soft – the song combines aggressive electro beats, cool progressive synths, and gorgeous vocals courtesy of Malin Dahlstrom (from indie act Niki and the Dove). The song is a collaboration of synthpop/electro producers Alex Metric and Jacques LuCont (Stuart Price), and you can definitely tell that it is a true collaboration with elements from both clearly evident. The first time I heard it, my immediate reference was iiO “Rapture” for the way it took a progressive-leaning track and gave it a pop vibe without becoming cheesy in any way. It’s also one of those rare records that grow on you every time, with no burn factor whatsoever. The video is quite brilliant as well, focusing on an iceskating duo superimposed upon itself. The symbolism of being reliant on someone else in order to perform such complex routines requires that you trust and feel safe having your life in their hands. The visual result is as pretty and layered as the song itself. With massive support from DJs across the hoard (Tiesto featured it at Creamfields) and a plethora of remixes (a favorite being by Andi Durrant and Steve More), watch for “Safe With You” to be a massive hit when released commercially later this month.

Image Courtesy of Ministry of Sound.

Notable Dance Podcast #019

Sharam – My Way
Jack & Joy vs Menini & Viani ft Greg Stainer – AAHM All About House Music (Jack and Joy Mix)
The ReLOUD ft Crystal Waters – Say Yeah (Private Extended)
The Blackhats – Ralph and Vicky
Paul Oakenfold ft Azealia Banks – Venus (DJ Bl3nd)
Cash Cash ft Bebe Rexha – Take Me Home
Static Revenger ft Kay – Back Off (Mixshow)
Green Velvet & Nicky Romero vs Illegal Beatz – Flash & Wild (Psycholi Mash)
Da Rave – Big
dBerrie – Decibel
Andreas Rodlund & Matt Hewie ft Jonny Rose – All We Have (Vocal)
Dank – Wonder Child (Dank LIRR)
Project 46 vs Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day
Alex Metric & Jacques Lu Cont ft Malin – Safe With You (Extended)