A-Trak
A-Trak: The Pioneering DJ and Producer
Full Name and Common Aliases
Alexis Pleau, also known as A-Trak, is a Canadian DJ, producer, and turntablist.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on March 30, 1982 (still active).
Nationality and Profession(s)
Canadian; DJ, producer, turntablist, record label owner, and music video director.
Early Life and Background
A-Trak grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His interest in music began at a young age, influenced by his parents' eclectic taste in music. He started beatboxing and DJing as a teenager and eventually became a member of the hip-hop crew Rocksteady Crew.
Major Accomplishments
A-Trak is widely recognized for his innovative production style and technical skills behind the decks. Some notable achievements include:
Multiple Grammy nominations: A-Trak has been nominated for several Grammys, including Best Remix Recording for his work on Kanye West's "Heartless" remix.
Founding member of Dirty Radio: A-Trak co-founded Dirty Radio with Dave Sitek (of TV on the Radio) to create a platform for experimental and avant-garde music.
Launch of Fool's Gold Records: In 2007, A-Trak launched his own record label, Fool's Gold Records, which has become a respected outlet for underground and innovative electronic music.Notable Works or Actions
Some notable works by A-Trak include:
Remixes: His remixes of songs like Kanye West's "Heartless" and Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness" have garnered widespread critical acclaim.
Original productions: A-Trak has released original tracks on labels such as Fool's Gold Records, Dog Show, and Dirty Radio.
Music videos: He has directed music videos for artists like Chromeo and MSTRKRFT.
Impact and Legacy
A-Trak's impact on the electronic music scene is undeniable. His innovative production style and technical skills have influenced a generation of DJs and producers.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
A-Trak's quotes are often cited for their insight into the world of electronic music and his own experiences as an artist. He has been quoted on topics such as:
The importance of creativity: A-Trak emphasizes the need for artists to take risks and experiment with new sounds.
The role of technology in music production: He discusses how technology has enabled new forms of creative expression and collaboration.
Overall, A-Trak's contributions to electronic music are a testament to his innovative spirit and dedication to pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Quotes by A-Trak
A-Trak's insights on:
We have to wake up early and make songs everyday. I run my record label. You work at hours where your body isn't designed to work. But it's fun.
I have a radio show on Sirius XM. I put it up as a free download on my Soundcloud and on iTunes. That's a portal for me once a month, to play songs I know aren't getting played on that station the rest of the week.
At the end of the day, Fool's Gold is a label that, when I hear something I like, I try to grab it for the label. There's a ton of great music coming out.
My ears are open to all sorts of stuff. I appreciate some of the big electro house guys.I love their music but I also like a lot of the stuff coming out of the U.K. Future garage stuff. A lot of stuff like that.
I've talked to people who say that their music and their creative work is a much needed and appreciated escape, where they don't have to think about the state of the world; they're not even thinking about themselves so much. They're not trying to express their own experiences of that day or relationship strife or anything.
Now I'm able to play on the main stage and play my own tracks and the crowd likes them. I feel like a lot the other DJs play a lot of the same songs, and not to knock them, but it's important to me to go up there and sort of sneak in a bunch of stuff the other guys aren't playing.
The essential component of being a DJ is setting the mood; it's playing to the context. So that if you're not able to adapt from one context to another, then you're not a DJ.
When you know what you like and what you want and you're able to nudge things in the right direction, that's more profitable than ever, because there's so much information out there. Everything's saturated. Tastemaker is probably the most overused word, but I still think it's important.
I think that's becoming the key to where the whole idea of art and culture are going nowadays anyway, is the idea of curation. Knowing what you like. That's sort of the future right now. Molding something, whether it be a roster on a label, or your blog, or a song, or your DJ set.