Events

On June 19th we are very pleased to welcome the multitalented Alex Smoke of Soma Records to Galway for the first time. With a style that blurs the boundaries between electronica, techno, classical and hip-hop, and with early influences in Chicago House and Classical, this promises to be one of the LowerState shows of the year.

Lauded throughout the house and techno community, the body of Smoke’s work is truly staggering. 2004 saw Smoke sign to legendary dance music label Soma Records, releasing his first album “Incommunicado” to critical acclaim. His second album “Paradolia” came in 2006, with a series of EP releases and remixes on Vakant, Domino, Cocoon and Trapez joining the dots between the two.

2006 also saw Alex join the elite wall of fame of Soma’s mix compilation series, “Sci.Fi.Hi.Fi.” following in the footsteps of Ewan Pearson and Luciano.

Alex is high in demand as a remixer, and has the likes of Steve Reich, Depeche Mode, Mylo, Junior Boys, Funk D’Void, Slam, Radio 4, Jay Haze, Alex Under and Envoy under his discography belt, to mention but a few. His dynamic live set has, since the first Soma release, been consistently in demand, leaving almost no country or festival on the world map unvisited, nor unimpressed.

Alex’s proficiency in electronic-beat-making stems from a lifetime of classical training, nurtured not least by his mother, by profession a music teacher. At a young age, Alex received a scholarship for Durham Cathedral Choir School, where he excelled on the cello, piano and drums. In fact, the very same voice that adorns his techno tracks, was once heard in Durham Cathedral Choir, albeit an octave higher. After a brief glitch, studying marine biology, Alex soon got back on track, wisely using his student loan to buy his first Apple Mac computer and simple software, giving his imagination the necessary tools to begin producing.

2009 sees Alex debut a new live show, now featuring a new array of hardware synths, controllers and singing. From talking to Alex, he’s been working hard on it and hopefully it’ll provide something new and more musical, with his new album set for release in 3 months time (Sept 2009).

Doors open at 10.30pm, with LowerState resident Audiofeen playing a deep techy selection of vinyl. Admission is €12. Tickets will be available here shortly.