Alex has been listening to electronic music since childhood, passing through many styles like trance, techno, progressive, disco and soulful house. Each one drew his attention at the time and he remained with the love of electronic music.
Alex gained massive interest in music and began his career in 2005 in his hometown of Sighisoara where he played private parties in various locations. In 2007 he moved to Sibiu where he became a resident at the ChillOut Club ranked the first underground music club in Romania at the time.
In 2009 together with Mihai Popoviciu and Jay Bliss he launched his first ep “Thirst Day” at the bangbang! label.
His musical influences range from Classic to Soul and Jazz, Deep House and his beloved Detroit Techno and House.
As a producer, his music is deeply influenced by Chicago and Detroit.
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Tzinah Records: To start with, please, recommend us something to listen to while we go through this interview. It can be anything.
Alex Modoi: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKKNPLowteY
To me this is the essence of what downtempo house is. The track is built around two samples from the 1973 live version of “Woman of the Ghetto”, a 1969 soul song by Marlena Shaw, originally recorded for her album The Spice of Life. This version was released in 1997, that is when I heard it for the first time, I’ve been in love with it ever since.
Tzinah Records: Could you remember when and where have you felt it for the first time that you were to become a music artist?
Alex Modoi: I first started playing at home when I was 14 years old and then two years later in the clubs. I began producing in 2008 with Ableton Live my homebase for all my productions..
Tzinah Records: Why did you choose to create and play this particular type of music? Are there any artists that touched you deeply while developing your own style?
Alex Modoi: Honestly I think this kind of music chose me, not vice versa … it’s too strong of a link here.
Well there are so many artists who influenced my style development. Let’s take them in an ascending order I will give a few names out of hundreds of them: I Grew up with a soundtrack of the cheesiest radio pop of the 80s – 90s heavily diggin-deep-soul & funk at the time, after that I was in love with the whopping style of Westbam, mystery and complexity of John Digweed and Danny Howells. Another journey began with Eddie Fowlkes, Rick Davis, Kevin Saunderson, Scott Grooves, Derrick May, Claude Young, Octave One etc. the heavyweights of Detroit.
Of course meanwhile I listened to many artists that left me pleasantly surprised with their manner and tasteful style.
Tzinah Records: Please, briefly, describe for us, the current state of the underground music scene in the place you come from. Is it any good?
Alex Modoi: I was born in Sighisoara, a small town of 30,000 inhabitannts placed in the middle of Romania … I started playing music in my hometown and this happend in 2005. At that time there were many listeners and electronic music lovers. Nowadays anything that once was, no longer is the same.
Tzinah Records: Without giving out too much about your secret weapons, please tell us how does the magic work in your production routine. Software? Analog? What does your DJ set-up imply?
Alex Modoi: My favorite device is Korg Electribe-SX. Most of the analogue sounding tracks were produced with it.
Tzinah Records: What are the aspects of your daily life that are influencing the shape and sound of the music that you currently make?
Alex Modoi: Love, peace, friendship, understanding and unity.
Tzinah Records: Have you already played in your most-dreamed about venue? Which one is that?
Alex Modoi: Not yet, but I still dream, let’s say Panorama Bar Berlin.
Tzinah Records: What motivates you to be an active part of the underground movement?
Alex Modoi: What demoralized me in the past has started to motivate me now .. I just make music that I like and hope that it’s pleasant to others.
Tzinah Records: What do you do when the music is not playing?
Alex Modoi: I have a job and I spend eight hours a day there, so it’s pretty hard for me to do something else, but when I have time, I prefer to see my friends, visit new places or simply to do something constructive..
Tzinah Records: What’s the story behind your Tzinah Family Podcast? How did you record it and are there released or unreleased tracks?
Alex Modoi: Well for the Tzinah Family Podcast I played fresh as well as old stuff, I like the mix of different stuff. I hope you like it and thank you for the invitation to make this podcast for Tzinah Family!