Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2012
Glaswegian producer Alex Smoke and West Coast mastermind John Tejada team up for the return of long-runner Real Grooves to Tokyo. Metropolis spoke with Smoke ahead of what promises to be one of autumn’s best techno nights.
Tell us about the genesis of your new album Wraetlic.
I have always had a big love for experimental sounds as well as more overtly overground sounds and pop music, so I thought I’d combine them. The central tenets were short tracks and vocals with lyrics, as well as a strong visual element. I thought it was quite poppy, but other people who hear it don’t necessarily agree.
What does the title stand for?
Wraetlic means “wraith-like” or “ghost-like” in ancient Anglo Saxon. It implies something hard to pin down and a bit dark. It’s also an anti-marketing dream, as no one can spell or pronounce it!
Tell us how you hooked up with Japanese VJ Arch Project.
First and foremost, for me to use visuals they had to be properly incredible, as otherwise I really think they are a distraction. I asked Vokoi (Arch Project) to work with me after I played Taico Club Festival with him in 2011. He was simply assigned to do visuals for me by the festival, but after I finished playing loads of people asked me about my amazing visuals. I had no idea what they were as they were behind me!
Tell us about your first experience of dance music.
Listening to Radio 1 Essential Mix at about 16. I was totally blown away and that encouraged me to dig further. At first I thought the DJs had written all their own music, so when I found out they were just playing records I thought it was pretty simple really.
What were the first parties you DJed like?
I bought records from the age of 18 and DJed for myself and at a few bars in Glasgow, but really production has always been my first love. I didn’t DJ at a club until my first foreign gig in Antwerp, and I was shaking so much I couldn’t put the needle on the record!
What is right and what is wrong with the worldwide EDM scene today?
I assume you mean in the widest sense of the word, as in all electronic dance music, rather than the ultra-commercial US EDM scene of David Guetta, Skrillex and Paris Hilton, which is clearly all wrong. I think the standard of electronic music at the moment is outstanding, with a huge range of styles and much less focus on genre, which is a big positive. The only real negatives as I see it are the usual: people not paying for what they use and some pretty naff products from the commercial sector.
Tell us what you have planned for Vision.
I am playing the full Wraetlic live show with Arch Project doing the visuals. Expect a fair bit of singing and some fantastic eye-candy. I’ll also be DJing to cater for the more techno-inclined.
It goes without saying that Alex Smoke chills out after shows with a spliff…
Nope. I’ve never been able to smoke weed…totally makes me sick.
