Interview: Alex M.O.R.P.H.

Long standing Sheffield club night OTR has played host to an array of Trance stars; Lange, Thrillseekers, Jordan Suckley, to name but a few. On November 30th they roll out their final party of 2012, and it's a big one!

Headline act for the final event of year sees a very special OTR debut for prolific German trance producer and DJ, ALEX M.O.R.P.H as part of the world tour for his brand new artist album, Prime Mover. Alex has a list of productions and remixes of over 150 tracks now, including 2 solo albums and a recent remix package released on Armada, supplying a fresh new feel to a host of the most well-known trance classics. It is his tireless work rate which has earned him regular worldwide sets for the most renowned brands and made his name one to look out for.

Here Alex talks about the recording process, some career highlights, and gives us an insight to what clubbers can expect from the Plug Sheffield show.

Hi Alex. Where do we find you and what does a normal day in the life of Alex M.O.R.P.H. consist of?

Right now I'm doing this interview after a day of meetings. A normal day, does that even exist? Haha! Well, I work a lot, even when I'm touring. Most people think it's no work to be a DJ, but thereare lots of phone calls and emails every day, doing business, checking out productions, listening to promos, constant contact with my management, the label and other artists. Preparations for travel,setting up new controller for the gig...all those little things really sum up and BAM the day is over already!

For all those yet to sample the delights of the 17 track album, describe the journey for the OTR faithful…

Yes the album contains 17 tracks and is filled with a very colourful range of electronic music. There are uplifting and powerful Trancers (both vocal and non-vocal) as well as atmospheric club tracksand others that show some more edge and transport quite an Ibiza feeling. There are even two tracks with a pop character and one really emotional ballad closing down the album. So it's a freshing journey from start to end, and I'm sure there's something for everyone! Reactions are incredibly positive which I'm really happy about. So go have a listen and decide for yourself!

Tell us, what is the meaning behind the album name ‘Prime Mover’?

One thing is that I move lots of people every weekend all over the globe as a DJ, another thing is that these massive Australian monster trucks are called Prime Movers. Very strong cars, lots of power, just like most of my music. Plus, it's a snappy and strong word, so I named my album "Prime Mover" and combined it with a catchy photograph artwork.

There have been 3 years in between your debut artist album, Purple Audio, and your latest offering. How long were you working on Prime Mover and how does this album differ from Purple Audio?

The major production time was about 7-8 months in total, but some ideas, first drafts and experiments have been started almost 1.5 years ago. So it's hard to tell the exact time it took. The production for the album also paused a bit when there was a remix in the pipeline or I was on tour somewhere on the globe. Throws you back a bit, but what can you do, haha. On Prime Mover I combined new parts and sounds without throwing over board those elements thatare responsible for the trademark M.O.R.P.H. character. It's a constant process and it's a link between the familiar sound character and new elements that are floating around it. "Prime Mover"has a higher quality than "Purple Audio" and it has more club character. And of course it's of higher quality.

There are a number of collaborations on the album, both with vocalists and other producers such as your good friend Woody van Eyden and Claudia Cazacu. How did you choose which artists you wanted to work with and can you tell us a bit about the processes involved?

Woody is my friend and manager, and we did quite some productions together. It's a special relationship between us and we also enjoy our B2B sets a lot, it's fun. We are working together since many many many years, so it was a sure thing to have a track with him on the album too. And I know Claudia for a while now, she's a cool person and a good DJ. You get along with some people very well, and with others you don't, simple as that. That's life. When you have a good personal relationship with someone and the musical interests fit as well, it's always a pleasure to work together.

You already have a number of massive hits to your name with tracks such as ‘Turn It On’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard’ to name but a few. Where do you get your inspiration from when working in the studio?

It's the energy itself that inspires me. I love energetic music, the power that keeps you going. When it combines with emotional elements such as beautiful melodies and vocals, it's just awesome. Inspirations come from many sources, travel, other music, other cultures etc.

During your career of over 15 years you have collaborated with and remixed for some of the biggest names in the industry from Armin van Buuren and Paul van Dyk to Faithless. What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment to date?

Of course there are some personal highlights, but in total I think that the biggest "accomplishment" is the fact that I'm successful in doing what I love and having so many people supporting my stuffand call themselves a fan of me. That's really a great feeling and privilege, and I appreciate that a LOT.

So which aspect of your profession do you prefer; Producing or DJing?

Both. It's a great thing to create the music in the studio. You know, being creative, trying new things, developing new sounds and all that. And of course it's great to play these tracks and witness the audience's reaction when they hear that on a loud system. Of course it's also nice to be out and stayin direct contact with the fans. You can do that on virtual platforms too, but actually talking to them, getting feedback etc., it's really nice. So, I enjoy both sitting in the studio for hours and hours, and to be out there as a DJ.

For those who have yet to see Alex M.O.R.P.H in action behind the decks, what can they expect from you in Sheffield on November 30th?

Let's turn the question around: what can I expect? I have no idea, my sets always depend on thenight, on the crowd, on the vibe in the club. When they show all their passion when I play, it can only be one hell of a night!

OTR presents the 'Prime Mover' album World Tour with Alex M.O.R.P.H. at Plug, Sheffield on Friday 30th November. Tickets available below.

Tickets are no longer available for this event