Alex Braknys, otherwise known as Fourthstate by those in the familiar, has been experimenting with the production work and DJing art of electronic music since his early childhood at just 13. Alex was heavily inspired by the works of Prodigy’s ‘Music For The Jilted Generation’ in 1997 when he was just 11 years of age. When Alex began to produce his own music on freeware sequencers in 1999 he had no idea what to do, however knew the assured sound in which he loved. Alex strived to have his music one day played to the public to express what he could do, it was when he was just 14 years old that his 5th experiment with music creation was played on his local community radio station ‘Valley Fm’. The next year Alex had already had 5 of his tracks played on radio stations around his home town of Canberra, Australia. Since those days Alex’s musical talent has progressed at an anomalous rate. The next year at just 15 years of age his first officially self released track ‘Sworn’, under his new Fourthstate moniker was praised by internationally recognised producer and Australian renowned DJ Chris Fraser. Sworn, a deep, dark lush progressive house track was stated by Mr. Fraser as ‘One of the best produced tracks I’ve heard in recent times’ on Canberra’s then only electronic music radio show ‘Spin-off’ on 2XX FM. This was a massive leap for Alex when the track was passed around the country and then signed to Kasey Taylor’s Vapour Recordings. However, the label went under unfortunate financial fallout at that precise time and the tracks release was delayed for one too many months to long. This was at the time when deep dark progressive house went through massive media destruction.
Since then Alex’s has never given up on the subtlety infused sounds that he loves and his tracks have been played out by numerous amounts of DJ’s, producers and partygoers around the country including Australia’s leading radio station, Triple J and FBi Radio 94.5FM in Sydney. Alex’s remix of Boney M’s, Funky Town was also taken interest by Inthemix.com.au’s voted Number 1 DJ in Canberra Rob Kay [Aviators] and was played regularly on Saturday Nights at Minque Nightclub when Alex was just 17.
Mikah Freeman and Jeff Drake’s: Two Square outfit have cranked Alex’s tracks continuously over the past years tearing up the dance floors around Canberra and Sydney. One amazing moment in Alex’s past 5 incredible years was when Two Square commenced their set with Alex’s ‘Beyond Places’ in front of James Zabiela as he was just about to start, this was at a sold out event in Canberra’s Lott 33.
Nevertheless this wasn’t just one astonishing moment in Alex’s career, the same effort was seen exactly the same in front of Hybrid with acclaim from the duo. The set was recorded live for Proton Radio, noting that the set’s intro was Alex’s Accapella from ‘Beyond Places’ and was used numerous times throughout the entire set.
Canberra’s Ryan Pappa, owner of Stigma Recordings recorded a set again for Proton Radio including Alex’s ‘Twisted Perception’ in his mix. The two sets which included Alex’s tracks on Proton broadened his exposure to the scene with a lot of interest gained from people around the planet by email and messenger by questions and compliments on his tracks.
Four months forward when Anthony Pappa came to town and Alex handed him a CD with a few of his tracks, within two weeks Mr. Pappa himself emailed Alex complimenting on the tracks with great applause stating that he had been playing ‘Reality Fault’ back in the UK. This was one of the proudest moments in Alex’s just 18 years of life.
Alex’s production work has mainly been focused on the Progressive sounds of breaks, & house but has recently directed his sound towards the paths of Nu-Skool Breaks & Electro, Minimal Techno & House. Fourthstate’s sound however also spans through most forms of electronica from Drum & Bass through to Trance but has to complete with an underground edge.
Alex’s DJ career has abolished his teenage peers in Canberra with supporting the likes of Koolism at the Fatback Festival courtesy of Station OZ and held residencies at The Holy Grail Nightclub, Mombasa & In Blue in his hometown.
In 2006 Alex has travelled the UK & Europe filtering in all the inspiration and influence of the European nightlife to have a break from his DJing but will be back in action 2007.
There is no doubt that Alex’s career is going to go places now that his schooling days are now over, with such a broad spectrum of musical talent and praise from many acclaimed Djs and producers around the world so far at just 20 years of age.. bambamMuzik will bring you to the fourthstate! |
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