Jimbo James
Heart Nightclub resident and Descend Records owner, ALX, brews a heavy podcast for our 170th Lovecast episode.
We met ALX at BPM when he shut down Calle Quinta Avenida with a free Descend Records party at Patio 8 featuring himself, Pan-Pot, and Carlo Lio. The massive crowd outside the open air venue completely blocked off the street. It was definitely a highlight during this past BPM Festival.
As a Miami native, ALX has climbed the industry ladder and currently sits in the upper echelon of techno artists in the area. He currently holds a residency at Heart Nightclub in Miami and has rocked Club Space, NIkki Beach, Mansion, Tree House, and Electric Pickle many times over.
Once we heard ALX down in Playa we had to add him to our Lovecast roster. Enjoy the tunes and learn more about ALX in the interview below.
Lovecast Episode 170 – ALX
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Interview with ALX
How did you first get introduced to underground dance music? What is the most challenging part of becoming a full-time DJ?
I was first introduced to underground dance music by my brother when I was a teenager. For a couple years there, I wondered what he was listening to and honestly didn’t understand or like it. I was too busy listening to old Hip Hop and classic rock, but like just about everyone, it grew on me and I developed the passion and love I have for it now. The hardest part about becoming a full time DJ is getting to a point where you have grown as an artist and can afford to pay your bills, and know you have a future in the industry. This requires a lot of dedication and hard work!
What has been the most exciting turning point of your career so far?
The most exciting turning point has definitely been the last 8 months, where I have really grown as an artist and started to travel to many different countries, as well as my label/party ‘Descend’, which has grown as well, and has had some great releases and some amazing parties in different places of the world!
Where is your home base? If someone were visiting there for the first time, what clubs and/or parties and/or restaurants would they want to check out?
Home base for me is Miami. This is where I was born and raised, I’m very happy to call Miami home. This city has really changed musically over the last couple years and has definitely become an underground music city. Basically, every day we have 2-3 underground parties with some of the best artists coming every week. When coming here, I would definitely recommend going to Coyo which happens to be my favorite Mexican spot, as well as going to Stk if you’re looking for something on the more high end, amazing steaks! As for clubs, you definitely want to check out Heart Nightclub in downtown, which is open Friday through Sunday/Monday. They bring top-level underground artists and on any given weekend could be open for 40 hours straight.
What advice would you give to an aspiring producer?
My biggest advice for any upcoming music producer would be to work hard every day, take many classes, watch as many videos as you can and just work at it everyday. With hard work and repetition, you’ll become a better producer.
What’s on the horizon for ALX in 2017?
2017 has definitely started off with a bang, from my Texas gigs, to the amazing Descend showcase at BPM, where we closed off the streets, to announcing my residency at Heart. We have so many things that me and my team are working on this year, on both my personal career, as well as our label and party brand Descend. We are expecting big things out of both and are really working hard to get them done. So keep a look out!
Do you have any hobbies outside of music?
One of my biggest hobbies outside of music is sports. It’s definitely a big passion in my life and I make a point of keeping track of it, watching as much as I can without taking away time from my career.
What are some touristy things you do in your off time while touring?
While touring, I make a point of finding out the history of each city I go to. I’m a history junkie, so I have definitely experienced some amazing things on tour and looking forward to seeing more historical places. I’m also a food junkie, so I love checking out the hot spots and eating amazing food from different places of the world.
Dream gig…
My dream gig would have to be playing Awakenings at the Gashoude in Amsterdam. I finally got to experience a party there, and have always watched a lot of videos and live shows from there… I’m definitely looking forward to rocking it there one day!
Name one of your go-to tracks…
Right now (and it’s been one of my go to tracks for a while!) is Vibrate by (), this track will rock any room at any time! Also props to Detlef for that amazing ‘Swagon’ track he put together. That track is amazing, and I’ve heard a lot of artists really bang that one out.
Tell us about your mix…
In the mix I put together an hour of hard groovy tracks that I’m really into right now, including some tracks that I’ve been rocking at my latest shows.
Drink of choice…
My drink of choice is easy.. Hierbas from Ibiza. Anyone who has hung out with me on any of my shows knows about this. I try to take this drink with me everywhere I go!
– jams
Jimbo James
Editor-in-Chief