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Every DJ has one: that unique gig they always talk about at birthday parties. In this interview, Serbian DJ/producer Goran Alavuk a.k.a. Alavux shares his MOST MEMORABLE GIG. Or rather, two unforgettable gigs: one beautiful, the other utterly bizarre. “I saw a huge fight break out right in front of me, like something you only see in movies.”
“My best gig ever was at Tresor.West in Dortmund. They had just opened and asked me to play a live set together with Fear Of Color and Umwelt. Tresor.West was fantastic in every way: the sound, the organization, the dedication, the lights – everything was on point. People often say the perfect club doesn’t exist, but for me, this club ticked all the boxes. Even when the venue is empty, there’s an incredible atmosphere and positive energy. In short: extremely professional.”
Happy times
“Fear Of Color and Umwelt delivered superb sets that night, and I closed the night with a two-hour live set. A few friends from different countries had come especially to Tresor.West for my performance. The response I got was overwhelmingly positive. That day I also met René Kirchner from Mas 2008. I had been listening to their music for years, so that was amazing. Plus, Dortmund is a beautiful city. I remember nothing but happy times! But in this interview, I’m actually going to tell you about my most bizarre gig…”
Bizarre gig
“That strange gig took place at Club Kovacica in Panchevo. I believe it was in the year 2000. I was 20 years old at the time. I had a few friends with me and some fellow DJs I often played with back then.”
Peak vibes
“It was our final party of the season. The night before, we’d had a successful event in Belgrade with Chris Liberator on the line-up. Everything had gone well, the venue was packed, and the vibes were at their peak. Even busier than usual.”
Bangers incoming
“I was midway through my set and about to drop some serious bangers – like Robert Armani’s “Road Tour” and Weatherman’s “Funk Machine“, which Chris Liberator had just given me – when suddenly the house lights came on. But no one wanted to stop partying. From the booth, I saw a group of people gathered in a circle. I figured someone was just losing their mind on the dance floor, so I cranked up the BPM to make it even more intense.”
Escaped inmates
“What I didn’t realize was that a serious fight had broken out. What happened was this: a few inmates had escaped from a nearby prison and showed up at the party. One of them wanted revenge because his girlfriend had cheated on him with someone at our event. So he started a fight with the guy.”
Bloodier than a movie
“When I looked up and finally understood what was happening, I saw a massive fight erupt right in front of me – like something you only see in films, but much bloodier. Everyone backed away from the fighting circle, and suddenly it was just me, my music, and those fighting guys left. It really felt like a tribal initiation ritual. Brutal and funky at the same time – especially because my favorite track at the time, a promo from a friend, kicked in at that exact moment.” (laughs) “I can’t remember the title now, but I do remember I sadly lost that track a few months later.”
Cowboy movie chaos
“Anyway, blood and broken glass were flying everywhere. It seriously looked like one of those mass brawls in cowboy movies, where everyone’s just beating the crap out of each other. Picture a cross between a Western and a martial arts movie. I think the fight lasted at least ten minutes. Maybe even longer – it just kept going.”
Panic
“At one point, I stopped breathing for a second. The only part of me that was still moving were my hands, busy with the music. I was totally confused and full of adrenaline. I felt scared and a bit panicked. I remember thinking: ‘Please don’t wreck my gear!’ After all, I was doing a live set. Looking back, it must’ve looked like something out of a cartoon. And the longer the fight went on, the more blood there was.”
No one stepped in
“I didn’t understand why no one tried to break it up, or why the police didn’t intervene sooner. Later we heard those escaped inmates were freakishly strong, and it was best to stay far away – or you’d be next. Even the police were hesitant.”
We got to continue
“Eventually, the police arrested the escapees and took them back to their cells. Of course, they also took our statements – and we were allowed to continue. The officers even suggested we keep playing the same music because they liked it! Every time they came back around during their patrol that night, they’d stop outside the venue for a moment to listen.” (laughs)
No cameras
“Unfortunately, even with a million words, I can’t quite describe exactly what happened that night or what it looked like. I wish I had filmed it, but we didn’t have cameras on hand back then.”
Back to normal
“After the guys were arrested, we just carried on like nothing had happened. Of course, the vibe was a little off for a while, but within an hour the energy was back to normal. In the end, we still had a great night. This was without a doubt one of the craziest and most unforgettable events I’ve ever been part of. I’ll remember this gig for the rest of my life.”
“I can’t complain about the past year. Of course, I would’ve loved to play live more. I had a gig scheduled at Tresor.West, the dates were already confirmed – and then March 2020 hit. Luckily, I released tons of new tracks – 15 or 16 in 2021 alone. I also played two live sets in Croatia and Serbia. My plan for 2022 is to keep producing and releasing. I’ve already signed six new tracks that will come out soon. I’ll also be putting out more on my own Bandcamp page. Now that I finally have my gear set up the way I want it, I promise even better tracks and mixes in the future.”
This interview with Alavux is originally published in January 2022 on This Is Our House.
Who is Alavux?
Hailing from Serbia, Alavux is one of the purveyors of the electro-techno sound in his region of Eastern Europe, where together with his E75 crew, our music has been represented with passion and dedication for well over 30 years.
Having released the massive “Octagon EP” on the infamous Bass Agenda Recordings with support from the likes of Dave Clarke, Alavux continues his quest to annihilate the complacent masses with his unique flavor of fast paced, tenacious electro sounds that have gained him notoriety all over the world as one of the true Knights of The Roundtable of the music.
Born Goran Alavuk in the city of Belgrade, Serbia, and growing up in a region in many ways removed from the global underground electro bass scene, yet no stranger to electronic music in general, Alavux would eventually find himself gravitating towards the sounds of mid ’90s acid, techno and house music; soon enough beginning his own adventure in music production leading to a top 5 spot on his country’s national charts with one of his first tracks called “San”.
As the new century set in, Alavux continued to be one of the heavy supporters of the then nascent “3rd wave” of electro bass and funk music, though it would be quite some time before he would begin a consistent output of releases, starting off with his signing to legendary Detroit imprint Twilight 76 back in 2008; bringing us “Munze Konza”, as well as “E75 Vol. 1” with Kalson, on his collaborative effort with imprint E75.
Since then, Alavux has enjoyed a plethora of digital releases on labels like Binalog Productions, Toyfriend Music, Vocode, Battery Park Studio, and the list goes on. A busy man without question, and one with a very keen sense for staying ahead of the curve, and without chance of being “put in a box” in regard to any specific style. Alavux is as much a visionary, as much as he is a devout lover of our music and the foundation laid before him by his predecessors.