idm · uk bass · techno

Alex Banks

New EP · Elements

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5 612

Instagram

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Deezer fans

38 744

Last.fm listeners

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About

Alex Banks wanted to clear the decks, to start afresh. His Monkeytown-released debut album ‘Illuminate’ caused a ruckus on its 2014 release, praised by the likes of MixMag and Uncut, and propelling the Brighton-based producer through a lengthy series of enormous international live shows. But that was one chapter – and he needed to start another. “I think there comes a point where you have to take a step back and somehow reflect on where you’re at, and where you’re going to be,” he explains. “I feel like, as an artist, you’ve got to have something new to say.” So he returned to Brighton and began overhauling his studio. A supremely technically gifted sound technician – his other work also includes recording music for film and television – he brought in new analogue kit, a variety of vintage synths and cutting edge hardware to open up fresh avenues, clearing the pathway to his new album ‘Beneath The Surface’. “I make music all the time, I make music everyday,” he says. “If you’re going to have that much output you have to have new things to inspire you. And even at this stage in my career I still get that excitement when I plug in a new bit of kit, and it does something unexpected. It’s important to have that introduced when you’re working on a new record; if you feel like you know all the equipment inside out, and you know all the sounds you can get from it, it’s not that exciting any more.” One thing that Alex Banks could never be accused of is lacking excitement. Whether that’s touring with Moderat, DJing in Japan, or winning Solid Steel’s Mix Of The Year, he’s been able to connect with audiences around the globe, and those achievements are channelled into his new album. “I think those experiences really informed the way the record came out,” he says.

Source: Last.fm