This weeks interview & mix comes from Alex Smoke
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Selector Afterdark – Alex Smoke by The Selector on Mixcloud
Introduce yourself and tell us about the part of the UK you’re from?
Alex Smoke. Glasgow, Scotland
Can you tell us a bit about what you’ve been working on recently?
These days I tend to keep lots of projects running concurrently, so there is dancefloor material with R&S, audio/visual installations with Florence To and upcoming work for video and TV projects.
Sounds great! Can you talk us through the mix?
I just moved house yet again so the mix was done in Ableton while my decks are out of action. It gives a certain freedom but I still miss the slight rough edge of using vinyl. The mix is fully British, and pretty current, in line with what the show is about. Normally I’d play older music but this represents a good cross section of the kind of music I like to listen to and play.
And can you give us a taste of some of the British artists you’ve featured in your mix?
It starts with the really beautiful music from Mica Levi’s score for Under The Skin, one of the best scores I’ve heard in a while. After that is Pye Corner Audio, whose music really fits with what I like most in the more downtempo styles…wonky melodies and the sound of old machines. Alma Construct is a new 19 year old whose first single is a beauty, and shares the label R&S with me. Then there is the ubiquitous Burial who represents a whole decade of British music all on his own. There is also a strong London influence in the mix, reflecting its status as one of the hotbeds of musical innovation. Four Tet and his label Text feature, as well as Jamie XX, Pearson Sound and Powell. Scotland is also represented with Samoyed and the excellent Golden Teacher on Optimo’s label, which is releasing some great music at the moment.
Nice, can you tell us about some of your British DJ Heroes and influences in general?
My first DJ heroes were really from Detroit to be honest, but LTJ Bukem, Andy Weatherall, and Harri & Domenic from the Sub Club were early inspirations.
And what’s on the cards in the immediate future?
The next things are albums as Alex Smoke and Wraetlic, both of which are well on the way, and further experiments in installations and A/V shows with Florence To and others. I’m also working on the music for an animation called CCTVYLLE.
Very exciting indeed! And finally, where is the best place in the world you have DJ’d and why?
I have loved playing in all sorts of places, and ultimately it always comes down to the people you are spending time with, but Japan always has the edge for me, whether it’s Labyrinth Festival in 2007, or Taico Club in 2011 or the many nights playing for my friend’s nights at Unit and Eleven, I totally love it there. Wonderful people and an amazing culture make it the ultimate place to play.