Alan Fitzpatrick on Life Festival: “I almost had to stop playing early as some nutter managed to climb dangerously high.”
Alan Fitzpatrick is a DJ and producer who has been making a increasingly big name for himself amongst the ever thriving techno and electronic music scene. His latest EP release The Colours Of A Dream was released last month via his own label We Are The Brave.
In the past year, in particular, Alan Fitzpatrick has been received a warm reception in Ireland, he played his first Life Festival last year and a few months later was invited back on St Patricks Day to play his very own Alan Fitzpatrick’s day with Boxed Off. We caught up with him to find out about his musical influences, launching his own radio show, how Ireland has become his home away from home and why he is excited to play Life Festival again this year.
This will be your second year in a row playing Life Festival. Did you know much about the festival before playing last year?
I had heard of the festival and was aware it had a great reputation as being a really fun event to play at but if I am being totally honest none of that prepared my in the slightest for the incredible experience I had. I rate Life Festival really highly and love working with the team who put the event together so I hope I get to play every year from now on.
What was your experience of Life Festival last year?
From the moment I walked on stage until they had to drag me off the decks at the end the place was going crazy. Ireland has become my home away from home in the last few years but I will never forget the reception I got from the crowd last year. Just pure energy. Such a vibe.
It clearly got a bit too much for some folk though as I almost had to stop playing early as some nutter managed to climb dangerously high up part of the structure that supports the huge roof on the arena. I can’t talk though. I was so excited after my set that I hijacked one of the golf buggies used to drive the artists and crew around the site and took it for a celebratory spin. Like I say, it all got a bit out of hand ha!
What was your favourite festival that you played last year?
Life Festival aside… it’s actually very difficult for me to pick out just one festival from last summer as I was fortunate enough to play some of the best ones around, some for the first time, which was a real buzz.
Tomorrowland in Belgium was just insane due to the sheer scale of the event. EDC in Las Vegas is a real favourite of mine. Hideout in Croatia is always a blast. BPM Portugal was really good fun too. But if I have to pick one I’ll go for Creamfields. It was a beautiful sunny day, the Friday night crowd were bang up for it and the Steelyard arena is such an incredible space to perform in and the energy and vibe we created was just off the charts. Hard to beat!
Where do you draw most of your influences from?
I’ve always been a huge fan of David Bowie and Prince. I have such admiration for how they both created such an incredible body of work that always felt like it was breaking new boundaries and pushing things forward. I really respect how both maintained such long and successful careers while retaining the highest standards of credibility and artistry.
As for the music I make, I find that inspiration most often comes from experiences I have and the feelings and emotions they evoke. That could be something ordinary like a book I’ve read or a film I’ve watched. It is a constant surprise as to where inspiration comes from but thats a big part of what makes the creative process so much fun.
What non-electronic music genres or artists do you draw inspiration from?
Aside from Bowie and Prince, I am big Oasis fan and I am into a lot of Indie bands but I am also tragically obsessed with 80’s music. Id say that is the genre of music that I listen to most.
You released the Colours of a Dream EP earlier this year. Can you tell us about the process of making this EP?
Without knowing it, and certainly without planning it, I think this EP has become quite an important landmark for me. Personally, I feel that creatively it has put me back on track. I feel very comfortable and confident right now with what I want to do studio-wise and that is something that I had been missing for a little while.
One interesting fact that won’t be immediately obvious from listening to the EP is that all three tracks were written at very different times, like 2 or 3 years apart, which is definitely a first for me, but that’s just how it came together.
Over Christmas, I found myself looking back through old hard drives and I guess I found a lot of fresh inspiration from rediscovering music. It feels good to know an idea that has been laying dormant can all of a sudden become relevant, given the right time and space which goes to show that like everything really, but certainly anything creative, it doesn’t make sense to rush things.
What projects are you currently working on?
My biggest priority right now is the weekly radio show that launched at the start of May. I’m really enjoying having an outlet to showcase the music I love, whether it be the latest techno bomb I’m playing, or new music from an artist I have signed to my label that I am really excited about, or simply an amazing downtempo track that I have discovered.
Radio gives me the freedom to explore and express myself without the limitations that come with always playing to a club dancefloor and that really exciting for me. Studio-wise, I have new music coming out on Bedrock, Unknown To The Unknown, Drumcode and of course We Are The Brave and I am working on a collaboration with Redlight, which may surprise some people but that’s what I love – expect the unexpected!
Can we expect a new album any time soon?
Ha! I have been writing tracks with an album in mind since 2013 but that is still very much a work in progress that may or may not ever happen. I don’t think it makes creative sense to box yourself in with those sort of expectations but who knows, next week things might all click and come together and I’ll find myself in the frame of mind to write an album.
What is your favourite track of your own right now?
For a few reasons, ‘Colour Of A Dream’ meant a lot to me. I had an idea and believed in it and it became a reality which felt great. I’m also really excited about a track called System Addict which is part of the EP coming on Unknown To The Unknown. It’s a summer bomb!
You can catch Alan Fitzpatrick at Life Festival on Friday May 25th at the District 8 stage.
