You all know that when we interview someone, we really want to get to the heart of how this music has influenced them and how they chose it above everything else. Well, here is Albert Neve. He’s remixed some of the biggest names in the industry and he still has so much left in him, it is damn inspiring. Take a look at the interview and get a deeper look into Albert, enjoy!
– First, can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi everyone. This is Albert Neve, Dj and producer from Barcelona, Spain. I’ve been DJ’ing and producing since I was 15 years old, and I’ve remixed for the likes of David Guetta, Chuckie, Steve Aoki and Joachim Garraud, to name but a few.
– What first brought you into the electronic music world and producing?
This is quite difficult to explain, because I had loved electronic music since I was a child, but I just didn’t know it. My first contact was through my cousin, who gave me a copy of one of Kraftwerk’s most successful LPs – at that point I was only used to hearing the national pop bands, and I was immediately attracted by Kraftwerk’s dark and strange sounds and structures. To be honest, I didn’t like it when I heard it the first time, but I couldn’t resist listening to it again… this was a completely new universe of music for me, and then I started to search out more of that kind of stuff. Soon I decided to create my own tracks, initially without any positive results because I didn’t have any grasp on musical theory, but luckily I discovered that I had a good ear for dance music.
– How did you juggle your IT studies and producing and what really made you decide to focus on music?
I never really found it that difficult to be honest, I was a really good student, and I always found some time for music. The problem is that at some point during my third year of university, I discovered that it wouldn’t be enough just being a good student, and I had to study harder and harder. At the same time, I was starting to get booked for gigs and getting some real money, so the music started to require more effort and time on my part. I was also somewhat disillusioned with my studies as well, because they weren’t what I expected, so finally I decided to follow my heart, and focus exclusively on music.
– What is it like to have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry?
Simply amazing. I have worked with nothing but kind and professional people who really love what they do, and are always ready to help you. All of them know what they want, and they demand from you your full potential, because they know you can do it, even when you don’t believe in yourself 100%… I’m very thankful to them.
– How have they influenced your own musical career?
They have shown me that the most important thing in music is passion and hard work. If you have the chance to work for them, it means that you’re a talented artist, But like studying it’s not enough to just be talented. You need to work, and wait for your chance. I’ve followed their careers since they kicked off, and in my opinion there’s a big lesson to learn from them. Nobody becomes successful without working hard, and that’s what I try to do everyday both in the studio and on the stage.
– Given your success with Chuckie that paved the way for remixing David Guetta, what was that entire experience like for you?
Pretty unexpected, and pretty amazing – Everything happened so fast. Chuckie was already a big name, but he become even bigger after his amazing tracks that year, and he was supporting me and my mate Obek at that time. He sent everything I was producing to David who started to play some of our tracks in his sets. The key track was my remix with Chuckie for Obek’s track “Craissy”, which David included in every single set on his world tour… I think this was the main reason for him trusting me to remix “Play Hard”.
– You are from Spain, what was it like playing in one of the biggest clubs in the world in your own backyard at the request of David Guetta?
You can’t imagine my face when I read the first e-mail from David. The remix was already out and hitting the charts around the world, but I wasn’t expecting to be one of the summer guests at FMIF. Once I realized it was for real I spent weeks preparing everything. That was an especially hard summer, with gigs almost every day, but I could always find some time to create new edits and mashups, just to be played at Pacha. When the first date came, it was an unbelievable experience. The club was absolutely packed, and I was getting nervous as my set time was approaching, but it felt like home. I’ve been visiting Ibiza since I was 18 years old, and lots of friends and family joined me on that glorious night. I certainly won’t forget it soon.
– What do we have to look forward to in 2016?
I just released a new collaboration with Chuckie called ‘Damn’ and also just signed on for a collaboration with an important Spanish artist on a big label… but sorry guys, I can’t say anything else for now. It’s expected to be released in 2016. I have big plans for the next year; there are tons of productions waiting to be released, and some important events that my team and I have been working for these last couple of years.
– Do you have any advice for up and coming DJs/producers?
If you’ve read this far you should be able to guess my advice: Even if you think you’re a talented musician it’s not enough. You need to love music, you need to do it with real passion and work incredibly hard if you want to become successful in music industry. Be honest and respectful, and once you have embraced that, get out there and fight for your dreams.
– Any last thoughts for our readers?
I would like to thank them for taking the time to read this interview. If you guys want to know more about me, you can connect with me through my social networks by searching for Albert Neve, or just check my website www.albertneve.com.
Don’t stop supporting electronic music. Cheers!
Huge thanks to Albert for sitting down to answer our questions! Keep an eye out for Albert Neve in 2016, I have a feeling it will be great!