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The Trance Floor: The One & Only Alex M.O.R.P.H.

May 25, 2012

At the beginning of June both Edmonton and Calgary are going to be graced with the undisputed king of the trance remix. These shows come as a product of a massive world tour that Alex is doing to promote his upcoming artist album Prime Mover.

He has a knack for putting out massive, high energy tracks perfectly crafted for the pinnacle moment of a live set.

Last year he found massive success in his remixes for We Control the Sunlight by Aly & Fila and Into the Light by Gareth Emery. Many times I’ll find that a remix lacks what I first enjoyed about the original; this is never the case when it’s an Alex M.O.R.P.H. remix. He is incredibly talented in pinpointing these elements of songs and bringing them out to their full potential.

Most memorable for me was in 2011 when his solo project accompanied by the vocals of Sylvia Tosun to bring An Angel’s Love. It came in at #2 on the A State of Trance top 20 of 2011. It’s my favourite example to date of the ways in which his productions combine pure and intense emotion with unparalleled energy.

You’ll also frequently see Alex M.O.R.P.H.’s name alongisde Woody van Eyden – together they become HeavensGate. Under this alias they run events and a radio broadcast and have been doing so for many years. They recently celebrated episode 300 of their show.

We managed to get Alex to sit down in between a busy schedule preparing for the tour and working on the album to answer a few of our questions  

You’re about to embark on the ‘Prime Mover’ world tour which is incredibly extensive and named for your upcoming artist album. Are you doing shows in places that you’ve never been before? How did you decide on the title of the album?

Yes, the world tour already brought me to new places (like Bali) and there will be some nice countries and cities that I’m looking forward to see. The title Prime Mover sounds very strong, very straight forward and I think it perfectly defines the unity of myself, my music and the power that affects the people who hear it.

What type of sound and feeling can we expect from the album? Are there any collaborations/co-productions that we should be excited about?

Expect a matured feeling of electronic dance music, high quality with a deep, warm and powerful character, lot of various emotions and euphoric moments. And yes, there will be some exciting collabs on it. I worked with some highly talented vocalists and there’s a great co-op track with Woody van Eyden.

How is working on a full album different than a single on its own? How do you determine if a production feels right and earns a place on the tracklist?

It’s different in some ways for sure. You have to finish an extended product that shows your quality, variety and creativity from the first track to the last. You have to surprise and convince new people and at the same time you don’t want to disappoint your fans who expect a certain kind of music when they read your name. But I think the album will have a great balance of all that. Right now I’m in the process of compiling the final tracklist for the album. I have so much material that doesn’t fit on one CD, haha. Not easy to make the right choices to make Prime Mover perfect. I’m happy with all of them, but I’m struggling with some … do they fit in there or not? Hmmmmmmmmmm we’ll see

Is there anything in particular you are trying to achieve with the album? In what ways do you think it has furthered you as an artist?

Well, after my debut album Purple Audio a lot has changed! The production quality today is even better, I’ve tried many many things during the last few years which formed into the style that I do now, combined with the typical energetic/uplifting stuff that M.O.R.P.H. is defined by most. In the end, it’s a big journey for the fans and for me as an artist as well.

Your live sets are markedly different from those of your peers – where do you take your influences and sources of creativity from?

My sets mostly happen as they happen. It depends on the venue, the people, the music played before me, the lightshow etc. Many factors come together. I’m not one of those DJs who just plays their stuff, whatever comes. I read the crowd, I see how they react on certain tracks and I build on these reactions to slowly pull them on my side and to keep them there. When I think “damn, my new great remix will not work in this place”, I won’t play it. If I see the people leave when I play too progressive, I’ll try less progressive. I’m very flexible in that. And I regularly see DJs who still don’t understand to read the crowd.

What is the most memorable moment of your career to date?

There are many, but it’s always a memorable moment and fantastic feeling to have your own finished physical product in your hands. It’s what you work for, and it’s just a great feeling to have this work in your hands.

How would you compare trance and electronic music in general in North America to other regions such as Europe?

North America is just warming up at the moment. Of course in Europe we have quite a history in electronic music, and North America (not only there) is starting to feel and get more interested in this. I think it will take some more time, but a ‘big bang’ might happen in the next couple of years. It’s bubbling up, and it’s a good thing!

What are your thoughts on the popularization of the genre in recent years?

Some people say it’s not increasing popularity, but of course that’s the case! More and more people (young and ‘old’) are growing into this scene and the internet makes it easier and easier to find your likes in music. If you like vocals, you’ll find the right ones for you. If you like instrumental stuff, you’ll find it. And of course some artists found a good spot between clubby and commercial sound, which is also very popular and could work as a portal into the trance scene.

Which of your peers do you most enjoy seeing perform?

When Joachim Garraud comes on stage, he totally rocks the place! Saw him in Miami, he was absolutely mindblowing.

 

Official artist website:

www.alexmorph.com

 

Included below are a few more Alex M.O.R.P.H. tracks which are high on the play count meter on my iTunes. It’s your homework to listen to them.

Have a great weekend trance family.