For over a decade, Alex Lauthals, a DJ and producer residing in Freiburg – Germany, has been synonymous with energetic DJ sets and solid Tech House productions. Playing instruments from an early age ignited a passion that has driven Alex Lauthals to where he is today, recognised by Kittball & Toolroom.
Alex Lauthals DJ style switches from grooving, percussive house tracks to driving tech house effortlessly, unleashing a solid mix of chunky drums, edgy synthesisers and infectious vocals, consistently delivering crowd-pleasing, energetic sets.
In 2022 Alex Lauthals joined the Toolroom Academy taking his sound to an elevated level, cementing his place amongst the Toolroom Family and gaining support from Mark Knight himself. His releases on Kittball, Hot Fuss, Wyldcard, Shapeshift and Heimatliebe Records have seen him gather international support and see him entering 2023 with Toolroom and Data Transmission Radio features.
His latest release, ‘Delirio’ on Toorloom Records, results from five graduates meeting through Toolroom’s renowned production programme, forming new creative connections, and then producing the kind of club-ready underground music that Toolroom stands for. You can buy/stream it here: https://trx.lnk.to/DelirioAS.
Following the release of his latest record, we caught up with Alex for a get-to-know session as he joins our Inside Five series:
Can you tell us how you started in the music industry and what inspired you to become a DJ and producer?
When I was a child, I was very interested in music yet. I think I was about six years old when I started to learn how to play the guitar, which was my actual start to getting creative with music. Later I got interested in DJing. The technical part fascinated me, as well as the possibility of playing music to a crowd and controlling the vibe in a room. I started DJing in my bedroom on a pair of belt-driven turntables. The Mixer didn’t even have an EQ, but I eventually learned how to beat match and mix tunes into each other in that environment. In the beginning, I played Hip Hop and Breakbeat but later switched to Electro and Progressive House. Very soon, I felt quite limited, just mixing finished tracks.
I always felt that I was more creative and could write music myself. I was about 12 when I started messing around in DAWs and tried to create my tracks. That’s how it all started. Later, in my early 20s, I started playing regularly in a local nightclub in Darmstadt, Germany, called Level 6. We had amazing nights there but unfortunately had to close doors in 2015. At that time, I fell into a hole, also because my music was always rejected. It took me a while to understand how the music industry works and improve my skills in the studio. When the pandemic started, I saw my opportunity to really find focus and put all effort into my music, so ‚Alex Lauthals ‘was born. This time with a lot more structure, experience and knowledge. In quite a short time, I was able to build up my artist profile, get music signed to cool labels and land on lineups at clubs.
Your latest release ‘Delirio’ is now available on Mark Knight’s Toolroom Trax imprint and has an intriguing story. What can you tell us about the track and what the whole experience means to you?
In 2021 I joined the Toolroom Academy, which I can recommend to everyone who wants to polish their skills. In 2022 the Toolroom Academy hosted a little conference in London, so I decided to meet like-minded people there. That’s also where I met Loz, Tony, Keffi and Altere for the first time. We immediately had such a vibe, just enjoying being around like-minded people, and we kept in contact. When Toolroom announced they were having a party at 338 in November ’22, we decided to get an Airbnb together and write a track before going to the party, so I returned to London. That was huge fun! Imagine 5 producers, each of us with a different style, chucking ideas into one project. The result couldn’t have turned out better! The five of us have grown together, and we are still in contact every day since then. I feel blessed I could make great friends and release this track together with them. There are no egos in our group, and everybody is super supportive.
How do you balance experimenting with different genres while maintaining your unique sound?
This is a tough one! I’ve become better at defining my style, so I know what I want to create before I start a project. Although, sometimes, I get sidetracked and end up with something completely different. I like to experiment with different genres, which sometimes end in tracks, that will probably never leave my studio, but it also keeps my creativity flowing. I believe it’s not bad to sometimes go a little bit off track. I don’t need to release every track I write.
What has been the biggest challenge in your music career, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was and still is to live with the rejections you’re getting. In the music industry, you’re getting rejected all the time. I’ve become much stronger mentally just by getting older, practising sports, and being outside occasionally. This helps me escape the music for a moment and clear my mind. It doesn’t only build physical strength but also mental strength. It helps me to keep up a good mood and just keep going. Nowadays, I can see rejections as a motivation to improve even more. You’ve got to show them that you’re worth it!
Can you share any upcoming projects or collaborations in the works?
Yeah totally! On 30/06/23, I will be returning to Heimatliebe Records, a label from my hometown, where ‚Alex Lauthals’ started his journey. I’ve teamed up with the amazing producer Harald Matthias from Cologne to write an edgy and techy summer track. It’s coming as ‚By The Rhythm EP ‘. Furthermore, I’m very excited about some upcoming gigs. I will, for example, be playing at Kittballs Day & Night Festival in Dortmund, which I’m buzzin’ about, and there’s much more to come.
Loz Seka, KEFFI, HARRT, Altere & Alex Lauthals’ ‘Delirio’ is available now on Toolroom Trax.
Alex Lauthals
https://www.facebook.com/AlexLauthalsMusic
https://instagram.com/djalexlauthals
http://soundcloud.com/lauthals
