Purified’s Alex Breitling Reflects on Lilie EP; Shares Magical Guest Mix [Mix+Q&A]

At the age of 18, most kids are finishing school and setting out to find a career path. German producer Alex Breitling knew immediately he wanted to pursue being a DJ.

Starting out in his hometown of Koblenz, Germany, he quickly became a regular on the local club circuit. In 2012, he purchased a DAW and began learning how to make his own productions. Picking up the piano, Breitling began to incorporate and develop a tangibly melodic style of his own. His first release, “Lift Up,” found its way on Armin Van Buuren’s label Armada Records in 2015.

This helped spread his music and name throughout Europe, and he would pick up gigs in clubs, bars and festivals like Nature One and Ruhr in Love in Germany. In 2020, he made his debut with Nora En Pure’s Purified Records via the Monaberry EP. Known for its melodic, soothing and ethereal tones, Purified has become the perfect fit for Breitling’s catalogue. On August 24th, he released a brand new Purified EP, Lilie, and MP3 MAG caught up with the producer to discuss the release, his backstory and working with Purified.

Check out Alex Breitling‘s MP3 in the Mix and read our full Q&A below:

What’s the origin of your project? When did you decide to make this your career?

I started out 12 years ago in Koblenz, when I stood outside an Electronic Club and asked the owner if I could play at the club sometime. He was cool and asked me to send a mix to him to check out and decide. After some gigs there, I ended up becoming a resident DJ, and then decided to produce my own music. My first release was ‘Lift Up’ on Armada Records, they found me on SoundCloud and were interested in having me release on their label. That was a really good feeling! I had a break in producing as I didn’t feel my tracks were good enough to release, but that was totally wrong and I wasted my time. In 2019 I came back into full on production mode and now here we are and I am releasing on Purified. That says to me that I don’t do anything wrong!   

Was there a particular artist or song that inspired you?

I am always listening to music and I get inspired by so many artists and that I could not narrow it down to one artist or song.  

How would you describe your style of production? Do you play any live instrumentation in your tracks?

I have two different styles. The first one is that melodic deep emotional stuff and the other style is the club music which is darker and more dance-ready. I use some synthesizer like the Minilogue or the Toraiz and most of the time I play my own chords and melodies on a midi keyboard. 

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A post shared by Alex Breitling (@alexbreitlingmusic)

How did the past year—pandemic, quarantine, etc—affect your creative process? Were you able to get a lot done this past year?

We had more time to produce music and I think that most of us were able to use this time to finish many new projects. I needed this free-time to refresh my creativity and that was difficult last year.

What about your German background do you identify with as a person and/or artist? / Did your upbringing have any direct affect on your DJ/Producer career?

I dont know exactly where the love for music came from, but my father is an enthusiastic CD Collector and Music Listener. Maybe he gave me some of his genetics.

You’re releasing this latest EP with Nora En Pure’s Purified Records. What does Purified mean to you and how has the platform helped your career?

Purified is one of my favourite labels together with Anjunadeep, TNH, and Colorize. There are so many good artists with melodic stuff, which you don’t get on any other labels. Especially in Germany, there is a big gap of this music style. Germans often want it harder and faster, but I love listening to music with emotions. I think Purified is a good place for me and the future. Nora is a kind-hearted person! 

Why do you think your music is such a fit at this label?

As mentioned above, I love to listen to music with emotions and that is Purified. 

What are you most excited/proud of with this new EP? How does it differ from previous releases?

I wanted to create a new feeling with this EP and more sounds to dream to. I think especially with the track ‘Lilie’ I have created a journey that evokes a lot of feelings.

What else is coming up for the Alex Breitling project that we should know about?

In September, there is a new track on somatic records with remixes by Grigore and Robin Schellenberg. I have many new projects in the pipeline. Stay tuned.

FOLLOW ALEX BREITLING:

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/alex_breitling

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AlexBreitlingDJ

BEATPORT: beatport.com/artist/alex-breitling/451840

SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/artist/4CBrawfeZ5WugRTqsXgwgI