Xtrax London (Digital)

In 1987 DJ / Producer Alan X was keyboard player and studio engineer for Sheffield based post-industrial band, Chakk as featured in forthcoming film: The Beat Is The Law. After seven years recording with the band and setting up FON Records, Alan returned to London, during the Summer of Love, Shoom at Crown House, Happy Mondays at Heaven and the Aciiied music explosion.

Inspired by this new energy Alan launched his Pure Records label with Click’s sample house track called Frequency Jam. Danny Rampling got behind Alan’s Acid Remix, the track became a Shoom favourite and before long was signed to Phonogram Records. Frequency Jam was followed by a string of dance hits including a co-production with Jon Foster of Bronski Beat.

Alan made several trips to New York in the late 80’s and again in the mid 90’s. He was blown away by tracks and sounds he heard at the Sound Factory presided over by Junior Vasquez at the peak of his notoriety. Labels like 8 Ball, Emotive and Strictly Rhythm left their mark and along with writing partner Mick Walsh, Alan penned Set Me Free, a Billboard number 1 for Clubland featuring Zemya Hamilton. There is currently talk of a re-release.

The NYC trips lead Alan to a deeper more mature sound and the debut release on Xtrax Records of his (People) Gett On in four deep House mixes. From here he went on to deliver many more cuts including his massive bass driven monster Lost in 1994, which sold several thousand copies on the vinyl underground, scored six consecutive weeks play on Danny Rampling’s Radio 1 show leading to a string of remixes. Lost was Steve Thomas’ No1 and used by Doc Martin on his mix CDs.

DJ Alan X became Saturday night resident at Vauxhall’s first underground House club, Crash leading to weekly Sunday morning slots for Beyond at super club Coliseum and a massive DJ following. Alan was part of the select line up of main residents for the first two years in the club’s heady heyday.

After two years at Beyond, six years at Crash, guest slots at DTPM, a nine-month main floor residency at Heaven, Alan was hired by Blue Cube to build up the Digital division for the DTPM Recordings label.

Alan is now applying all this experience to the online relaunch of the Xtrax London Digital imprint. The label will be adding back catalogue as well as some great new material so watch this space.

XTRAX MASTERING services HERE

Click HERE to see Alan’s VIDEO WORK.

xtrax london digital - soundbytes for urban nites