Alexkid - JLo Thinks I'm Hot

Alexkid is talented, and by that I do not mean that he keeps the family entertained around the piano at Christmas time, well actually he probably does that too, but I'm referring to the type of talent that makes you horribly green with envy. Currently on our shores for his first Australian tour, TranZfusion catches up with one of its favourite artists.

As a child, French born Alexkid (Alexis Mauri) spent his time revelling on the beaches of the Balearic Islands in Spain. When the beaches weren't beckoning Alexkid's inquisitive ear for music found him passing the time by listening to the diverse collection of music at his auntie's record store.

"I learnt about music itself here, how different styles worked and came together. It was definitely a great place to grow up."

Alexkid speaks slowly; his French accent is thick but clear. We move on from the days of when he was a guitar player and member of a punk/funk band, "We weren't a rebellious punk band; we just had lots of fun experimenting with music and seeing where we could take it," to his first experience of the electronic music scene.

Drawn to the openness of the crowd and their willingness to freely move to the beats, Alexkid was more significantly taken by the endless possibilities that electronic music had to offer.

"I was attracted to the culture, people wanted to dance and express themselves. There was a slightly taboo side to it as well that I liked. The role of the DJ really fascinated me too, the way they could change the impact of the sound coming from the speakers."

Without a moment to lose Alexkid promptly purchased his first computer and before long was working under the guise of 'Dubphonic' for various 'Richard Dorfmeister' projects. A signing to France's respected independent label FCommunications ensued and in July 2001 he released his debut album 'Bienvenida'. It was very well received and Alexkid soon found himself with his options wide open.

"For a long while I wondered whether I should become an engineer or a musician. I soon realised that the two were well-matched."

Not only competent as a musician (guitars: bass and acoustic and keyboards) Alexkid took to technology with an enviable level of prowess. Many were attracted to his unique ability to combine traditional song structures with dance floor compatible elements and as a result he began remixing for Suzanne Vega, John Cale, Llorca, Sylk 130, George Michael and Fertile Ground.

For many an artist, a track can be forever tweaked and twisted with there being no definitive moment as to when it is finished, for this poly-instrumentalist sound engineer however, instinct tells him when a track is complete.

"I never feel the need to continually come back to a track and rework it over and over; I know when it is finished. I can sense it."

Characterised by a near obsessional wish to avoid repeating himself or losing his way, Alexkid is a musician who has an insatiable need to evolve.

"I like my music to mature and grow, it shouldn't stand still."

This is evident in his last album 'Mint', an intricate exploration of the circuit board with an assortment of intriguing additions and transitions of the organic kind. It saw musicians from all over the world come together to make music that wasn't afraid to delve into new territory, music that welcomed surprises.

Like all talented Frenchmen, Alexkid is at his most comfortable when his music is produced as he believes it should be. Having recently created the original advertisement score for Jennifer Lopez' perfume 'Glow', Alexkid excitedly recalls that it was an interesting project that required him to have the very last word.

"Obviously this was a job I couldn't refuse. I flew to New York and worked in the most expensive studio I have ever seen. They originally wanted something on an acoustic guitar but I wouldn't budge. It had to be done my way. It ended up taking ten days to complete instead of four and I actua Tags