Alexander Gentil, a DJ and producer from Barranquilla, Colombia, has made a noteworthy contribution to the music industry through his innovative production techniques.
Photo credit: Alexander Gentil – Facebook
Influenced by his Colombian roots and experiences in New York City, Gentil has dedicated his career to the vibrant dance club scene.
His dedication led him to study sound engineering, a key skill that has greatly contributed to his success. Gentil’s broad musical journey has seen him revitalize old classics, such as Craig Richard’s ‘Making Ends Meet,’ and produce original tracks, like the recently released ‘Renazanz.’
He also manages Errant Recordings, a project known for its diversity, experimentation, and use of modern technology.
In a recent discussion with EG, Gentil offered insight into his projects, his perspective on the changing electronic dance music scene, and AI’s influence on music production.
EG: Hi, Alexander! Welcome back to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us again. How have you been? What have you been up to?
Alexander Gentil: Thank you for having me, I’ve been feeling inspired. It’s getting much warmer here in NYC and finally getting to enjoy some sun. I was working a lot in the studio during the winter, working on music for my new alias project, Raw Planet.
EG: First of all, thank you for your recent contribution to our EG After Series! We have really enjoyed it. What can fans of the series expect to find in this delivery? Can you walk us through how you craft a podcast?
Alexander Gentil: Thank you, and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it. That mix was actually a live recording I recently did at Superior Ingredients. I opened the party, setting the mood for my friend Yulia Niko. It was a great experience, very high energy. My process of creating a podcast usually starts by picking a selection of music from high and low-energy songs to give my set a bit of dynamics. They’re not chosen in any regular order but put in a folder which I then play depending on how I read the room.
EG: We’ve heard that you’re about to kickstart a new project at Dumbo Brooklyn. Is that right? What can you anticipate on that front?
Alexander Gentil: Yes, this is a party series that’s been a long time coming, and what better time to showcase it than summer in NYC. I recently just did a soft opening party a couple weeks back where we integrated visual artwork with the musical experience. Overall the venue has given us liberty to recreate the space how we want it. This venue will give me a platform and home to showcase the talent on my label and do some label release parties.
EG: By the way, you’re also behind your own Errant Recordings. How is the label at the moment? What can we expect from Errant in the near future? Can we expect any releases of your own?
Alexander Gentil: I have been dedicating a lot of time into finding the right music to represent the label. This comes with finding the right characters which both have great music taste and are also great DJs. We will surely be having our first parties this summer and also some cool releases in the next couple of months. Of course, I will be releasing a ton of music this year through my label.
“I will be releasing a ton of music this year through my label”
EG: Now, stepping outside of the studio for a bit…What do you think the future of electronic dance music looks like? Are all these innovations and big-screen festival performances bringing us closer or farther away from the music? What does the scene look like where you’re at?
Alexander Gentil: The future of electronic dance music for me, looks like it’s changing at a rapid pace. Faster than ever before I’ll say. I feel with the recent technology and AI, you are going to see much more music being pumped out at a fast pace. You will also see a lot of Dj/producers producing different styles of music. Things like this, you would not see much of in the past. For example, DJs used to be known for playing and producing a certain style. I think in the future you will see DJs represent a variety of styles and therefore have true expression and less constraints.
I personally see these recent innovations and big screen festivals more as concerts but not as actual dance raves. They’re attracting new listeners by providing a beautiful visual experience but the rave experience is lacking. I don’t think they are bringing us apart from the music, I just feel that they are providing a concert experience.
EG: What does the scene look like where you’re at? What do you think could be better?
Alexander Gentil: I think the scene in NYC has diversity, one thing that is missing is a bigger educational community and supplying more guidance to the newer generation. This I believe would help so many artists that are just starting out on their journey.
EG: It being such a hot topic, how do you feel about the recent implementation of AI in the creative side of music? Have you explored any form of AI in recent projects?
Alexander Gentil: HOT Topic, I think that AI has completely changed the game of music production, producers will now have to learn to implement AI into their music or they’ll get left behind. Just like any new technology that comes to producers, they have to educate themselves to stay ahead of the curve.
I have used AI for stem separation which has been a fun experiment in the studio. But this is just the beginning of a rabbit hole. I have read about AI creating beats and vocals that sound very human-like, it’s shocking and absolutely mind-blowing.
“They’re attracting new listeners by providing a beautiful visual experience but the rave experience is lacking”
EG: Finally, can you provide some insights into what’s next for Alexander Gentil? What can we expect from you in the coming months? Where can your fans catch you next?
Alexander Gentil: For me at the moment it’s all about getting as much music out to the world, a mixture of Techno, House, and minimal which defines my taste and style.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Alexander Gentil! See you on the dancefloor!
Alexander Gentil’s EG AFTER.140 is now available on Soundcloud. Listen here.
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