Step into the serene coastal landscapes of Normandy with French Chill House maestro Alex Keeper as he unveils a captivating live rendition of his latest EP, ‘Depart.’
Shot against the backdrop of the region’s historic charm, this five-track showcase takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey through springtime tides and tranquil sandbanks. With each track — ‘Setting Sail,’‘Safe and Sound,’‘Circles,’‘Free Falling,’ and ‘Back To You’ — Alex skillfully crafts an immersive experience, blending resonant harmonies, subtle grooves, and heartfelt vocals.
With a background split between France and Singapore, Alex Keeper immersed himself in electronic music during his early teens, finally sharing his music to the wider world in 2020. Still just 24 years old, and with monthly releases since 2021 he has embraced his creativity, presenting EPs including ‘Remember These Days’ (2021), ‘Waves’ (2023), and now ‘Depart’.
Join us as we delve into the artistry behind ‘Depart’ released via the renowned French indie electronic imprint, Get The Sound, and explore how Alex brings his evocative soundscape to life in a tangible format.
Hey Alex, thanks for joining us here at UFO Network. Let’s start by telling our readers about yourself.
Hey, my name is Alex Keeper. I make chill/melodic house music with nostalgic feelings, and I just released an EP called “Depart”!
You recently released your ‘Depart’ EP. What can you tell us about that?
The main topic of this EP is exploring the idea of belonging. I have been travelling during my entire life and never felt like I was in the right place. I have lived in Dubai, France, grew up in Singapore and studied in Canada and Ireland. This challenge has a lot of pros, like being more open-minded and understanding how the world is, but it can be difficult knowing that there’s no home to go back to when you need to feel safe and understood.
Tell us about your relationship with the label that released the EP.
One of my first releases was with Get The Sound, and we’ve been working together for about three years now. We always try to explore new things when we collaborate on bigger projects, like an EP.
We hear you also recently recorded a unique live set. What can you tell us about that?
I prepared a live looping session on my EP, triggering different instruments of each song live to recreate the EP’s sound structure. We went to Deauville, in the North of France, with a few members of the Get The Sound team and only had one day to film it. We went for a chill and windy mood to match the songs, and I’m very happy about the result!
Paris has a reputation for producing great electronic music acts. What is it about the city and its culture that contributes to this?
What I like most about Paris is that you’ll always find someone weirder than you if you walk in the streets. It gives some kind of creative freedom, knowing that you’ll never be as weird as the guy dancing and walking on his hands next to the metro station.
Statistically, you’re a big deal in the streaming world. What advice do you have for artists trying to break into this space?
I actually have A LOT of advice for music producers who started their craft in their bedroom during their teenage years. Having more than ten years of experience, producing a lot of different genres, and accumulating 100M streams over a few years, there are so many tips to guide other music producers. The most important one would be to connect with other people who love music. Not just comment on a post but discuss goals, inspiration, and production techniques: growing with other people is one of the things I’m most proud of about my project.
What was the last piece of music you listened to that made you appreciate the intricacies and possibilities of electronic music?
I’ve been interested in film and ad compositions recently. It goes deeper into sound design, creating textures, and engineering segments to communicate an idea behind a story or product. I find that fascinating, and I’ll definitely dig deeper into it in the future.
You also feature with vocals on your ‘Depart’ EP. Is this something you’ve done in the past, and do you plan on doing it again in the future?
I have been writing lyrics for a long time but never got the courage to release a track with my own vocals. But when I recorded a vocal demo for “Setting Sail”, I realized that I liked the airy and nostalgic sounds it had. So, I decided to keep it and make more songs with the same vibe and with my vocals. It makes my workflow better and communicates feelings closer to what I have in mind.
How do you cope with the vulnerability of putting your work out in the open? Is it something you struggle with, or is it an empowering thing for you?
I manage to detach myself from the music-releasing process when I make music. It’s the only thing that makes me forget everything other than music and sounds, so there is no pressure, just passion.
What can fans expect from you for the rest of 2024 and beyond?
I have been releasing every month for the past two years, and I’ll release at a slower pace after this EP. Each one of the songs I’ll put out will be more thought and meaningful that way.
Alex Keeper’s ‘Depart’ EP is out now via Get The Sound
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