Introducing your A State Of Trance 550 Anthem finalists! Already gaining the support from fans across the globe…..this is certainly the start of something big.
2008 was the birth of a partnership between two dedicated best friends in the pursuit of musical bliss. Andy & Shane have been avid followers of the Trance & Dance music scene for many years, they decided it was time to collaborate into a production and DJ partnership that would hopefully send shockwaves around the world.
Alpha Duo’s sudden breakthrough is all down to one thing, there uplifting Euphoric style of music.
2011 was a good year for the pair.. working with many established vocalists and performers, such as Fisher, Julie Harrington, Emma Lock & Yana Kay to name a few. A track you definitely will remember is Atlantis-Fiji Andy & Shane completed the Official 2011 remix which has gained Worldwide acclaim from the Djing elite such as Armin Van Buuren on A State Of Trance 535. The remix was lodged in 1st place in the Trance Top 100 Track It down chart for 4 weeks and 10th Overall, throughout all genres…
One thing is certain….if you like Trance….you’ll love Alpha Duo
Carol: Do you guys come from a musical background? What kind of music did guys used to listen to as kids?
Alpha Duo: As youngsters our parents brought us up on various styles of music, from rock to Power Ballads, 80’s to Elvis (laughs) so I guess you could say we will listen to anything that makes us feel good. Shane and I have been into the EDM scene for years & years, which is where we met each other. We have individual ideas and inspiration from the various scenes we have been involved in. Hardcore, Hard Dance Hard Trance & Trance in all forms. Trance is our one true love….the genre that keeps us alive as people as well as artists. Ask yourself something….could you wake up tomorrow and be without it? Music is our life!!!
Carol: What did push you guys to start producing Trance?
Alpha Duo:The most inspirational artists of our generation Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold & definitely not least the man of the moment Armin Van Buuren. The giants of this scene have given people memories they will remember for the rest of their lives…..the music they create speaks for itself! Unreal
Carol: You worked with one of the most respected voices in the Trance scene, the legendary Emma lock. How did your track ‘Beautiful Dream’ come alive?
Alpha Duo: Well, it was funny really, we just kinda stumbled across each other to be honest, at the time Emma was just breaking through into the scene as the voice of 2010/2011 and we loved her work with Shogun …so we jumped at the chance. A good friend of ours had written a nice Piano melody and asked if we fancied collaborating….and of course we said yes.
Carol: What does winning A State of Trance 550 Anthem wildcard contest change for you?
Alpha Duo: We cannot begin to tell you how much it has changed everything that Alpha Duo have been doing over the last few months. Artist management companies are now queuing up to get our signature which is fantastic. Not to mention.. we’ve had the chance to work and connect with some legends.
Carol: What tech do you use? Are you Apple junkies or is Bill Gates your pimp?
Alpha Duo: Equipment we currently use includes i7 pc’s with 16gb ram, Cubase, for both me and Shane. Andy’s currently studying at Futureworks in Manchester for an Audio Engineering Degree on Logic & Pro Tools….he will continue down the Mac route after a while but has invested heavily into the equipment and course. £15,000 to be precise.
Carol: Tell us a tip you always keep in mind when you’re locked in the studio.
Alpha Duo:The studio can be both a frustrating and rewarding environment. The best advice would be to keep things fresh and unique…go into it with a clear understanding of what style you want to achieve. Go with your emotions and just write what you feel.
Carol: How would you describe the Alpha Duo sound?
Alpha Duo: The way we play is the way we write music, uplifting, Euphoric, Epic & Bangin.
Our music has come on leaps and bounds over the last 2 years, however the fundamental principals stay the same….keep Trance the way Trance should be.
Carol: How does a track/remix come to be? Do you have a method to get your work done?
Alpha Duo:We plan ahead…prepare the files a good week or so in advance. Get the midi files, vst’s, plugin’s and other elements…such as vocals and lay them up individually in our own studio’s….this gives us 2 sets of ideas to go at. Shane would then come to Manchester and we lay down the ideas and generally be done within 2 days.
Carol: As a duo, I bet you don’t always agree with each other on every single part of the process. How do you overcome the difficulties?
Alpha Duo: As we have been best friends for many years, we just know what each other wants. Our taste in music is exactly the same to be fair….although there has been moments when a minor objection has been elevated (laughs) Remix requests are generally the ones that cause friction as sometimes one of us won’t like it. I guess then you just have to bite the bullet!
Carol: Speaking of that, what are the most inspiring features about each other?
Alpha Duo:Shane has always been heavily involved with the genres and download charts, always scouring the internet for new materials. I guess his enthusiasm is his best asset. Andy is the talker of the group, generally if you get and E mail or request…he will be the person responsible for that. Arrangement of vocalists and collabs etc. It works better that way, it can get confusing otherwise.
Carol: What does a track need to have in order to capture you attention and get featured on your radio show Energize?
Alpha Duo: The easiest way to answer that is….have you ever been in a chill out room or on the dance floor of a club and a new track comes on that you have never heard before…..and it just makes you smile dance and say ….what the F**k was that?
This is the music we want to play!
Carol: And how does that kind of track selection differ from your live sets’ picks?
Alpha Duo: It doesn’t really….if you have witnessed one of our sets you will know our track selection is the finest pickings in the industry. Carefully selected to achieve one goal…to make people sweaty, fill the dance floor & have a wicked night. After all they pay good money to support artists like us…it’s the least we can do!
Carol: You hold a bi-monthly residency at Club Essence, Birmingham. What’s the most challenging thing about that?
Alpha Duo: I suppose the most challenging thing is keeping things at the same tempo as your first set at the event….keep people guessing ….try to change the way you begin or end your set….and always use a classic…..either in a mash up or remix form.
Carol: What has been the most awkward request you’ve got while DJing?
Alpha Duo: Andy’s partner always asks for progressive trance knowing full well we don’t play out with it ha ha….she tries it every time.
Carol: Can you share a funny/embarrassing moment you had to face at some gig?
Alpha Duo: Argghhhh yes of course, we played out in Wales about 8 years ago…Having a stormer of a set, the 2nd to last track was Andy’s mix and he nailed it bringing in Delerium: Silence! Which is quite ironic really as after he mixed it in he turned off the wrong deck….Nooo! Everyone just laughed…..we blamed it on a power cut
Carol: Do you guys have any memorable piece of advice worth sharing with someone who’s just starting off in this industry?
Alpha Duo: In the few years we have been involved in production we have felt like quitting so many times….it gets the better of you sometimes, facing rejection for something you have put your heart and soul into is not easy. Push through that and just tell yourself to keep going and eventually you will get your breakthrough.
Carol: I know you’ve been working closely with the monsters Binary Finary for the last few months. What can you reveal about your upcoming projects?
Alpha Duo: These guys are the shizzle! So experienced and true pro’s. Sasha has been there offering advice and support on call 24/7 a true gent. We remixed High Stress for them recently after a contact we received on the back of the 550 result. The track has been getting some wicked feedback….awesome to have the opportunity. At the time we were working with Kathy (Fisher) on Fight For Love and they offered to do a remix for us. So excited about these releases….Trance back to its roots.
Alpha Duo feat. Fisher – Fight For Love (Original Mix) [Preview] by Future Focus Recordings
Carol: What are you guys most looking forward to accomplish this year career-wise?
Alpha Duo:We hope that the schedule will fill quite quickly….however, we don’t want to get to carried away just yet. I guess there’s a lot more work to be done to get to the same level as the majority of superstars in this industry.
Ibiza would be nice this summer….. if they want our energy, we’ll go anywhere.
Kenya has been spoken about several times but we’ll see.
We want people to feel the love and passion we share for the music we create and play.
Trance is not just for the weekend…..it’s a way of life.
Connect
www.alphaduo.co.uk
www.facebook.com/pages/Alpha-Duo
www.twitter.com/alphaduo
Posted in: Interviews | No Comments | February 3, 2012
| Company: | Beatsmedia |
|---|---|
| Contact: | Carol Galli |
| Email: | carolina at beatsmedia.com |
| Twitter: | @beatsmedia |
