AUSTRALIA'S #1 IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC
Music Label | Radio Station | Mag | Jerome Ferra
Est. 2013 - Official Partners
At just 19 years old, Liverpool-born DJ and producer Alex Farell has already lived a career that most artists spend decades chasing. From producing tracks in his bedroom at 12 to needing legal chaperones just to step inside the clubs he was booked to play at 14, Farell’s rise through the hard techno ranks has been nothing short of meteoric.
Now with a viral Boiler Room debut, regular slots for UK titan Teletech, a string of massive releases on Sara Landry’s HEKATE, and a highly anticipated debut album on the horizon, he has firmly established himself as one of the most exciting young forces in electronic music.
Having recently returned from his Australian tour with DGXXL—destroying dancefloors across Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne—the young prodigy is showing no signs of slowing down. We caught up with Alex to talk about testing unreleased material Down Under, navigating the industry at a young age, his special bond with Sara Landry, and what to expect from his upcoming debut album.
You were just in Australia at the end of June for the DGXXL Tour, hitting Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Was this your first time visiting the country? What’s the one non-musical thing you were absolutely dying to do or see while you were there?
Actually no, I was really happy to be going back to Australia. This tour marked my second, and I had a bit more time to see the sights on this trip, as we had a few cities booked in. Of course, playing the shows is always amazing the reason I am there, but I was so excited to do things outside of the gigs. I got to go to the Zoo also and saw so many mad animals, things like this really make touring special.
Australian crowds have a massive reputation in the dance scene right now for being incredibly wild and high-energy, especially for hard techno. How were you preparing your crates for these shows? Were you planning to drop any exclusive bits specifically for the DGXXL crowds?
Hahaha yes, I think no matter where I play, the Australians always bring the party. I get fans from Australia come to many of my shows in Europe too, which is nice. The crowds on this tour didn't disappoint! Mental as always, and I loved it. There is nothing better than a crowd that really gets stuck in and just enjoys themselves to the max. I played a lot of exclusive unreleased tracks that went down really well, so was a good place to test these too.
The flight from the UK to Australia is notoriously brutal. How do you kill time on a 24-hour journey? Are you a "grind out production on the laptop" type of flyer, or a "sleep and binge-watch movies" type?
Maybe the one thing that I kinda dread about touring in Australia! Is the flight, you really benefit from having a few days there after being stuck in a seat for 20+ hours. I usually try and find ways to be productive on the flight on the way there, make music and do admin. It’s kind of the perfect time for stuff like this. I always start ideas on the road, when I get inspired and then finish them back at the studio when I'm home.
Turning 18 last year was a massive legal milestone that finally allowed you to play all the major venues without a chaperone. Now that you're 19 and have a full year of total freedom under your belt, how has your perspective on touring changed?
It was a lot for me when I was younger, and all very new. Now I am old enough to go to clubs legally and understand that DJ’ing comes with travel, and that is now my full-time career, things seem easier to handle, as it is a job, and that's how I look at it anyway.
You’ve literally only ever known music as a career—no random retail jobs, no side gigs. Do you ever stop and think about how unique that is compared to most 19-year-olds, or does it just feel completely natural to you now?
Now it feels natural, I think maybe because it’s all I have known, I don't really have anything to compare it to. So natural is the way to describe it best. Now I am already in my 5th year of playing clubs, so it’s quite rare for someone my age to be able to say that.
Your Boiler Room debut at just 16 went completely viral and changed everything. When you look back at videos of that set now, what goes through your mind? Do you feel like a completely different DJ compared to that 16-year-old kid?
Yeah, I definitely feel and look a lot different, I’ve definitely matured and a lot faster than maybe most 19 year old’s have, as I have always been surrounded by an adult scene, and everyone I play with or work with is older than me, but I think that gives me a better outlook on life. I have really now developed my own style in terms of music, and the way I dress. For the better! 😊
You’ve released on Sara Landry’s HEKATE five times now, including your massive collab Prisoner. What is the best piece of advice Sara has given you about navigating the music industry so early in your career?
She’s always guided me a lot with how to balance touring and keeping healthy and to try to stop burn out, and has always supported me and my ideas of following what I want to do and not just following what everybody else is doing. She always looks out for me, and I’m very thankful to her for being such a good role model over the past few years. These are the skills and things I think a lot of people forget to teach the next generation, and in reality, sometimes they are the most important to succeed, stay healthy and have any kind of longevity in this industry.
You’ve been tight with the Teletech crew since 2020. Closing out the Teletech stage at a massive festival like Parklife in Manchester must have been surreal. What makes the UK hard techno scene so special and distinct from the rest of Europe right now?
The UK will always be a core place of dance music, I feel like we’re always a little bit ahead of everywhere else with all the trends that start to happen which is very good. Teletech have literally re-invented the scene, bringing the rave back to every city, and really building a community – one I am so proud to be a part of.
Word is we can look forward to your debut studio album on HEKATE before the year ends. If you had to describe the vibe of this upcoming album in just three words, which ones would you choose?
Freedom, inspirational and refreshing.
The album on HEKATE seems like a bit of a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of the music going round at the moment. I tried to follow my heart and make it as unique as possible, which I think I’ve really achieved. I’m so excited for it to come out so everyone can see a side of me that I’ve been working towards for so long. We just released 'Club Acid', the first single and have another 2 to come before the album drops in October. I am really proud of this project, I feel like I can really show who I am musically more than ever before.
