INTERVIEW: DJ Decibel, Summer 2014 by Natalia Toussaint

Alex Alexeev, aka DJ Decibel, is a 28 year old, Russian-born DJ. Starting out on vinyl at 14, DJ Decibel has seen dance music grow to become a household name. Known to spin the low end of the electronic dance music spectrum, DJ Decibel finds himself at ease when mixing Dubstep, Electro, and Glitch Hop. Opening for a multitude of local and international artists, including Hydee, Houdini, Dr. Ozi, FIRGURE! and Kill Paris in various venues throughout the city, it is a know fact DJ Decibel throws down hard. I was able to catch up with DJ Decibel after he played at Low Frequency, a monthly event hosted by Toronto Bass Community.

1. What drew you to wanting to DJ?
On June 3rd 2000 I went to my first rave which was the first Purple Heaven event held. From that moment on I knew I wanted to make electronic music and at that point knew I wanted to be a DJ.

2. Any DJs/producers who stand out to you in the business?
Towards Toronto, I’d like to give a shout out to the big homie Hydee who by far is the hardest working DJ in the bass scene. Worldwide, Virtual Riot is who inspires me the most because of musical skills. Excision because of his outstanding live visual performance.

3. What led you to producing?
What led me to wanting to produce is attending my first event. As soon as I walked in I knew it was something I wanted to do and I wanted to make my own music that would inspire others and contribute positively to a quickly growing scene.

4. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never listened to any of your productions?
I like to mix melody, funk and dirt all into one.

5. Any artists you want to work with and why?
I’d love to work with Virtual Riot because he’s a musical genius, or Bear Grillz because he’s hilarious.

6. Do you remember the first show you played? Do you still experience the same feelings?
I remember exactly the first show I played. It was on November 9th 2003, it was called “Bootyliously Breakin“. This was the very first event under the name “Funkadelic” which an event that a close group of friends and myself held. It was at a small underground venue named Circut. It was right across the street from the old Turbo nightclub.

I’ve been DJing live for over 11 years and I’m still surprised every time that I get nervous before every show, just as if it was the very first time. I guess this means I’m still alive.

Photo: UH-HUH! [Brent Michael Azer]. Photo used with permission.7. Do you have any challenges you face as a DJ/producer starting out?
It’s always hard to be a new DJ/Producer, only very few make it right away. The hardest challenge for me is to stay creative with my productions. After being a producer for the last 14 years it’s hard to stay creative like it was when I first started. Coming up with new material and finding inspiration can be the most difficult part. But the more I play to a crowd, the more inspired I get.

8. Are there any venues or festivals you would like to play? 
If I had an option I would probably want to do EDC or Ultra but most of all I’d love to play at Shambhala in British Columbia.

9. Any advice you received that has stuck with you in terms of producing or DJing?
A long time ago my friend Greg (DJ Eklipse) told me “It’s not about you, it’s about the crowd.”

10.What are your goals over the next 6 months to a year?
I’d like to finish an EP and get it released on some bigger label, and playing more shows is always at the top of my list.

 

EDM TOR cannot wait to listen to DJ Decibel’s EP once it is released. Keep a close eye and ear to his SoundCloud, Mixcloud and YouTube pages for new releases. You can catch dJ Decibel at Ryze Nightclub, October 31 for the Trapped Events Halloween event.

 

LINKS:

DJ Decibel
SoundCloud 
Mixcloud 
YouTube 

Toronto Bass Community
Facebook 

Natalia Toussaint – EDM TOR