Move aside clubs and bars and let the man go through!
It’s the Ship brings punters into unchartered territory with five days and four nights of consistent heart-pounding music on a grand and luxurious ship.
Amongst the star-studded lineup, British producer Alex Metric gleams like a beacon in the dark with his enthralling house infused disco sounds that have been waxed into sturdy colonnades of his attractive music. Putting his success down to ‘not following trends and being true to yourself’, his unparalleled sound has developed into a full canvas of his influences, which ranges from electronic, Brit pop, dance, indie, house and disco music.
‘Hope’, his latest EP takes him to the apex of successes, collaborating with LA’s duo Oliver has since expanded the experience of casual listening of the EP to one of loud movements and heavy progressions. However, it is in his sporadic releases of remixes that uncovers the more intriguing side of him. His remix of Foals’ ‘Bad Habits’ came as a renewed breath of fresh air; cascading synth parts and fleet drum works line up alongside the original composition of Yannis Phillippakis’s hallowed vocals and jumbled guitars in one organized configuration of digestible sound.
As the afternoon sun hangs from above, we shot Alex Metric a few quick questions while he nurses a hangover from two nights ago.
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What inspires the music that you make?
I have two main inspirations. The first is doing shows and seeing people’s reaction to the music I make, which inspires me to want to make records. The other thing that inspires me is the music that I grew up loving and artists that I like. I think as artist everything you listen to have some influence on the music you end up making, consciously or subconsciously. I’ve got the Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Daft Punk and Underworld. At the same time, I grew up in the middle of Brit pop. I love guitars and bands as well, Oasis, Primal Scream, Blur. But I haven’t actually listened to the Smiths, which is strange because they were one of those classic bands that I should have listened to. I need to sort that out.
Would you call yourself a person that defies conventions?
I definitely make an effort to try and do my own thing and sound like me. I don’t follow trends too much or chase the new hot sound, I believe in being true to yourself and what you are into and that has been working well for me.
What would you say your sound is like?
It’s a tricky one. I make so many different things. I like disco. I like house. I like the indie side of it. I like the tougher, techno-y stuff. It is just electronic music! There’s a magazine in England when I was growing up called Jockey Slut magazine, they had a tagline called ‘Disco Pogo for Punks in Pumps’, and I think that’s a great description for my sound.
Q: I’m going to ask you a quick five questions. Tits or ass?
A: Sorry? Oh god, that’s the toughest question you’ve asked all day.
Q: That’s why I left it to the end
A: Um. Tits.
Q: Board shorts or Speedos.
A: Board shorts
Q: Emma Watson or Emma Roberts?
A: Sorry? Who is Emma Roberts?
Q: She is the British actress- no, American actress….
A: I like Emma Watson, so I’ll just go with her. She’s hot.
Q: Whiskey or vodka
A: Whiskey
Q: Dumbledore or Gandalf
A: Gandalf
Q: Football or soccer?
A: Neither. I don’t like football, no. You were surprised at the Gandalf answer, does everyone say Dumbledore?
Q: I would think so.
A: I’ve never seen Harry Potter. I don’t know, I’ve just never watched it.
Q: So things that I need to send to you- a Harry Potter book, and a Smiths album
A: And a picture of Emma Roberts
By Darren Ng
