Tonight, he opens for Lazer Sword at the Bottleneck as part of Eleven Productions' massive 10th anniversary celebration. (Doors open at 7 p.m.)
We recently stopped by Paul's house for a quick chat.
The Pitch: What can people expect from a night with DJ Alan Paul?
DJ Alan Paul: It depends on the venue, time slot and who I'm opening up for, since I will play almost any genre. Ideally, though, you will hear me playing a lot of indie house music, since that's what I do best. I enjoy turning people on to music they've never heard before. That's the kind of DJing that got me into the underground dance scene and, if done well, is definitely an art.
What do you like that’s out right now?
All sorts of quality dance music is pouring out right now, so it's tough to single people out. The latest SBTRKT album is the freshness; I just got back from seeing them in Chicago. They make sparkling pop electronica with slick beats and moving vocals. Also, moombahton is definitely trending right now. It's a new genre that has taken the electronic dance music world by storm, kinda like dubstep did. It's like a reggaeton/electro house fusion that brings an all-out party vibe. It's kind of hard not to like it.
What don’t you like that’s trending right now?
I like dubstep and play it because it's exciting music, but at festivals you have dubstep DJs playing on multiple stages at the same time, opening up for other dubstep DJs. It just gets old and can lead to ear bleeding.
Are there any local artists that you’d like people to check out or that you’d like to collaborate with?
Soundquist, a.k.a. Carl Sundquist, is a friend of mine who pumps out super experimental music on his computer that I think is very cool. He uses a lot of found sounds and homemade instruments to create his music. He has a bunch of stuff on his SoundCloud page.
What’s next after the 11.11.11 show with Lazer Sword?
Production work. The best way to get notoriety as a DJ on the big stage is to polish up those tracks and get em’ out!
