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Molek FMInterview: Alex Dreamz
Alex Dreamz plays radio show host to the #1 pop station in America, KIIS FM, which is also home to entertainment extraordinaire Ryan Seacrest’s daily morning show. This multi talented Californian DJ is using the hottest pop tracks blended with house beats, creating a sound similar to David Guetta’s. Having just performed at Hennessy Artistry Halo, JUICE was lucky enough to have a sit down with the infamous DJ, who spins continuously at a host of A-list parties, and got to talk about his obsession with music, food and Gwen Stefani, and how he got found on Myspace. Say what?!
Alex Dreamz, how are you?
Amazing.
Is this your first time to Malaysia? How are you finding it?
Yes, it’s so far so good, I’m really excited to be here. It seems like it’s going to be lots of fun.
It’s not too hot for you? It’s crazy hot today.
Is it always like this? I’m used to the heat, I live in Las Vegas half my time, I’m either in LA or Las Vegas. LA’s perfect but Vegas is really, really hot.
Your real name is Alex Becerra, where does that originate from?
It’s from Mexico, from my father’s side which is from Jalisco, which is the main city of Guadalajara. I was born in Anaheim, California.
How did you start off your music career? Did you do the music thing first or radio?
I was always into the music. I was about 12, 13 years old, way too young to be going out but I was going out to raves and all ages clubs and I just got really into the DJ and the music. Then I started DJing at parties, putting out CDs in high school, started making beats before I was even out of high school and then one day I just got a message on Myspace from the biggest station in the country that they wanted me to be part of the station. At first, I even took time and didn’t know if I wanted to do it, but my friends talked me into it. I was really, really lucky.
Who’s the best person you’ve had on KIIS FM?
A big favorite of mine is Gwen Stefani. I think she’s the best but it’s because she’s from the same area that I am, she’s from Anaheim. She went to the same high school, same junior high. I don’t really get star struck, because over there we have all the artists, you know, I’ve been seated right next to Kanye, Lady Gaga, but I get more excited over DJs or like Gwen Stefani, because you know growing up everyone was always talking about her.
What was the first event you ever played at?
It was called Frisky in 1997, like in December, I still have the flyer. I was 14 years old and on the flyer it said “Introducing 14 year old Prodigy, DJ Alex Dreamz”. And I remember I did horribly.
What music were you playing back then?
House and old school techno.
How would you describe your current sound?
I love pop music and house music, so it’s a commercial house sound. I like to stay current. The Dutch sound was really popular, I heard it’s getting popular here now, I was one of the first people to introduce the Dutch sound in the US, which was over 2 years ago. So that to me, it’s a little bit older but right now it’s more progressive, more Kaskade sounding, I think that’s what’s really hot right now.
What other DJs do you highly rate?
I love Laidback Luke, I actually saw him a week ago, I love his style, I love his music but most of all I love his personality. The way he is, he just seems like a totally nice guy, down to earth, humble but at the same time he has the dopest tracks, I’m a big fan.
How come you choose to remix mainly pop songs as opposed to just electronic music?
I am a fan of pop music, I’m a fan of music in general, I believe there’s great music in every genre no matter what genre that is, so I’m open to that. I benefit more from pop music because I can play those remixes at the mainstream clubs I play at, you know. I work at the biggest pop station, Ryan Seacrest does our morning show, it’s super pop, that’s why I started doing remixes and mash ups because house wasn’t really accepted yet, 5 years ago on regular radio back in LA. Now it is, but I would get these acapellas of Justin Timberlake and make like a house mash up of it and I’d only do it so I could play it on the radio, so I could play dance music on the radio because we weren’t allowed to do that.
Any artist that you’d like to collaborate with that you haven’t yet?
There’s a ton of artists, right now I’m totally in love with Katy Perry’s new song, I’m talking to the people at EMI and Capital Records to try and work on a new remix for her new single which is ‘Fireworks’, and it’s a great song so I’m trying to work on that. There’s a ton of artists I’d like to work with, I want to get back to working with Lady Gaga stuff, and I’d love to do some No Doubt stuff, and Gwen Stefani. I haven’t had the pleasure of really doing that. I did a remix of ‘Just A Girl’, but it was more of a hip hop remix but I would’ve like to do more like the dance stuff with that.
What are you currently listening to?
I listen to a lot of oldies, a lot of Motown stuff, that was what I was listening to mostly on the plane. Current stuff I love Kaskade’s new album, I’m listening to that a lot. I really stay up on a lot of pop music, I really like Kesha’s new song, that’s really good. Drake’s new stuff is awesome.
You played at a whole lot of A-list parties, which one has been the best gig you’ve played at so far?
This past Friday night, I did Ne-Yo’s birthday party at XS in Vegas and that was a lot of fun, I got to introduce him and stuff. There’s been so many parties, you know, where so many people have been especially working at XS in Vegas because that’s where everybody goes to party. We fit about 6000 people in it, it’s one of the most beautiful clubs in the world, it’s really luxurious – like the definition of luxury. We had Katy Perry, Rihanna, Mario Lopez, Hugh Hefner, the girls from The Girls Next Door are always there, there’s always somebody there. Every weekend.
Funniest or craziest thing that’s happened at an event lately?
I’m pretty boring, I’m really simple I don’t really stay for the after parties or any of that. I try to keep it real business because I’m so busy and if you get side tracked and get into the wrong things, that’s when problems pop up. Nothing really too exciting, just girls going crazy getting on top of each other, you know.. nothing too crazy.
What’s your current obsession?
Food! That’s my current and past obsession, I’m a big foodie. Everywhere I go that’s my first thing, I try and look on the internet, it’s a little different here but back in the US, every time I go to a different town, that’s like the first thing I do. Try to check what’s good to eat around that certain area.
Can you cook?
Yes, a little bit. Before I got really busy, I was going to culinary school. That was one of my goals, to become a baseball player or chef, but the whole time I was DJing, so DJing just took over everything. But I love food, I love cooking.
Out of the four mixers, citrus, berry, ginger and apple, which is your favorite to mix with Hennessy?
Citrus.
What is it about Hennessy that makes you want to drink it?
It just looks so cool and you look so cool drinking it, it’s like, “Yo, what’s up? I’m glamorous and I’m drinking Hennessy.”
What does the word Hennessy remind you of?
Luxury, I think it’s classy. When somebody drinks Hennessy, that’s a class act right there. I like a lady that can drink Hennessy, because most girls don’t. Do you drink Hennessy?
Pfft, yeah!
Classy lady right there.
Your summer album just came out, when can we expect the next one to drop?
I haven’t really though about it yet, this December I’m coming up on 5 years working on KIIS FM, I kind of want to get the biggest songs of the past 5 years and put them all together. I’m also trying to work on the production stuff, doing an album with a bunch of different artists similar to David Guetta, that’s another project but that may be a little more far fetched and in the future. I do weekly podcasts, that’s called Club Killers Radio so I’m doing that and next week I’ve got Afrojack doing a guest mix and hopefully we’re working on getting Kaskade so that’s been blowing up recently. Hopefully we can get some people from here in Malaysia!
If you’re dreaming of Dreamz, head to www.myspace.com/djalexdreamz or follow his Twitter on www.twitter.com/alexdreamz for more on the smashing pop DJ.