Alain Macklovitch, better known by his stage name A-Trak, is a dance music producer and turntablist that won his first DJ competition at the young age of 15-years-old. Most veterans in the dance music scene tend to talk negative of the scene they helped create. Despite being in the music scene for the past 20 years, A-Trak is hopeful of the evolution of EDM and what's to come out of it.
“I think dance music is at an exciting time and it feels very transitional at this point and I'm excited to be a part of it,” A-Trak told us. “We feel like we have the ability to write the next chapter of dance music and what's to come. It doesn't feel like this overpowering machine that is out of our hands. On the contrary, it's up to us to find something catchy enough to catch the next wave.”
When asking A-Trak whether he ever would have expected where dance music is today, he said “I don't think anyone could have anticipated how massive it got in the past 5, 6, 7 years. I have dedicated my life passion to DJing and never imagined it to reach these heights. Five years ago, I don't think anyone ever would have imagined a genre called tropical house. You know there's going to be something new, you just don't exactly know what it's going to be.”
.@ATrak reveals the ingredients of a great mix. Featuring our Lemon Rosemary cocktail. https://t.co/wtXZm9Fce0 #BelveMusic @Noisey pic.twitter.com/nEJmiEL2hr
— BELVEDERE (@belvederevodka) March 22, 2017
A-Trak is a featured artist in “Belvedere x Noisey: Behind the Scene,” a new experiential program by Belvedere Vodka and Vice’s music channel Noisey, spotlighting the hottest music scenes, breakthrough artists, and what’s to come for the industry.
It's pretty incredible how EDM has evolved in the past years. A-Trak agreed that the internet has played quite a huge role in the development of dance music. “You have 11 year olds falling in love with the DJ culture which wasn't possible before the internet. These kids couldn't go to clubs before, but the internet makes music and art available to anyone.”
On Live Setups
“I like what is dope. The art needs to grow. No one ever said this culture has to be attached to vinyl turntables forever. There's a bit of a paradox sometimes as some producers will say it's live, but they are really replicating their studio songs on their Laptop. Someone DJing and improvising a set in my opinion is actually live.”
A-Trak Talks About Rap and EDM
“A couple years ago, most rappers didn't perform at festivals. In the live experience, the rap world and the rest of the music scene was pretty separated. Now you go to a festival and you'll see DJ Mustard and a range of rappers.”
A-Trak's Favorite Up & Comers
Prom Night, Geo-Theory, Mura Masa and DJ KITTENS. Because A-Trak selected DJ KITTENS and one of his favorite up & comers, she was the featured performer at last night's Belvedere boat party in Miami during ULTRA.
Random Fact: A-Trak has yet to meet Barbara Streisand, although he's heard that she does actually like the song “Barbara Streisand” by Duck Sauce. It is still his life goal to meet her.
