Mr. Frick is the alias of Denver-based DJ and producer Alex Frick, who is no stranger to the Colorado house and techno scene. This year alone, he's played venues such as Club Vinyl, the Larimer Lounge, the Black Box, and Boulder’s DV8 Distillery. He’s also played numerous after-hours events at makeshift venues that pop up temporarily throughout the state.
In April, he released his debut EP, and on Saturday, January 1, he'll release his second EP, Spin It Back, on the Foreign Roots label. Spin It Back is designed for the dance floor, taking heavy influence from ’90s rave sound and culture — specifically, fast booty breaks reminiscent of the Baltimore club stylings of producers like Rod Lee.
The title track relies heavily on the squelch of an “acid bass line,” which is characterized by the caustic sounds of the era-defining Roland TB-303 Bassline synthesizer. These corrosive timbres are accented by reverb-laden claves, a sultry “Oh baby” vocal sample and an extraterrestrial sound reminiscent of tungsten dissolved by laser.
"Bounce” uses a similar formula, but substitutes the acid bass line for a chunkier, more obtuse one. This is juxtaposed to the soaring yet diminished chords of lush synthesis and vocal samples that undulate between Speak and Spell vocalizations, as a scandalous woman confidently commands the listener to “bounce.”
“Wile E Coyote” is the most club-oriented track on the album, clocking in at a frantic 155 beats per minute. It features Frick’s signature breakbeats, which sprint over an apocalyptic techno kick drum. A spectral synthesizer floats over the majority of the track, while the listener is occasionally tumbled in and out of reality by waves of spiraling oscillations.
Westword got in touch with Frick to discuss his whirlwind of a year, the direction of the scene in Denver, his new responsibilities booking talent for one of the more in-demand promoters in the state, and the reasons he doesn’t think the scene is being recognized for its potential, despite booking some of the most in-demand talents in the world week in and week out.
Westword: What inspired you to make an EP that draws on classic rave sounds rather than a more modern-sounding approach?
Alex Frick: I’ve been a fan of older, faster, weirder music for a while now, and just within the last couple of years, I’ve been really homng in on what my sound is. I have a certain versatile sound to my sets due to constant digging and slight ADHD with music in general. More "in your face" music and head-turning sounds grab me the most. I also think that juke, electro, breakbeat, jungle, etc., aren't as prominent in Denver, so being able to show people new sounds and genres really means a lot to me.
Despite that style being decades old, is tech house- and minimal-saturated Denver ready for it?
I think Denver is ready for more underground and experimental sounds. There will always be those who are well versed musically, and I think the interest is definitely expanding. A DJ’s job is to provide new sounds/genres to their audience and really be at the forefront of where electronic music is growing and evolving — to show the crowd what they didn’t know they needed to hear. Obviously, this sound isn't for the masses, but music is ever-evolving, and I think soon enough people will start to move on to different genres. It’s inevitable!
You recently started working with TheHundred Presents. What are your responsibilities?
I’m extremely grateful to have been included in Denver’s scene and to be able to work with Brennen Bryarly, who has made a huge impact on Denver’s nightlife. I’m essentially working as his intern, learning about what he does behind the scenes — booking talent and the business side of things. I also am a liaison at Club Vinyl on the weekends, which I love because it allows me to create relationships and connect to the artists that come through Denver. This has been going on for some months now, and continues to grow. I hope to be booking nationally and internationally with Brennen eventually.
What does being a liaison entail?
As a liaison, I escort the artist from the hotel to the club, make sure that they get to the booth, and get everything that they need off their rider. I generally hang out with them or in the crowd and check to see if they need anything during their set. Then I take them back to their hotel. Ninety-nine percent of the DJs are really dope people, from my experiences as liaison thus far.
Despite you guys pulling in some of the hottest talents in the world, Denver's techno scene hasn’t exactly exported talent like our bass scene does. Why do you think this is?
I think Denver has put talent out, just not as much as you would think. As far as the house and techno scene, no, not much has been exported, and I think it has to do with their reach and opportunities to build a fan base here in Denver. There are certainly a lot of factors in why they haven’t reached outside of the state, but being as involved as I am, I hope to help others grow and to inspire them to really take their projects to the next level.
How would you personally like to help inspire and get their projects to the next level? And what projects are you currently most excited about?
I hope as an assistant talent buyer I can book shows that have a lineup that makes sense, allowing DJs to really flex the sound they want to express. Having a solid flow to the night is very important to the party. Also, simply connecting to the scene and giving advice anywhere I can is important. Even though I may have a small influence on the scene as of now, I want to use what I have to help other aspiring DJs. As far as what projects I’m currently most excited about, I can’t talk about those yet.
What evolution are you hoping to see within the Denver scene and sound?
I’m hoping to see talent from Denver get exported out, as well as the underground scene flourish with better after-hours ideas. [I’d also like to see more] international artists coming through, and really, to be recognized nationally for how great the scene actually is. I’ve been here for about eight years now and have seen a lot of growth and change. Although every scene has its problems, I really see the potential that Denver has and have high hopes for its continued growth.
What do you think it would take to see it reach its potential? Perhaps you have seen people trying to solve these problems.
I think it will take a lot more collaboration and support from different promoters, collectives and artists. I do think many are trying, though, and I know for a fact Brennen has some solutions to this exact problem, with plans in the works — but I can’t talk about those yet, either.
Mr. Frick's Spin It Back comes out Saturday, January 1, through Foreign Roots.
In April, he released his debut EP, and on Saturday, January 1, he'll release his second EP, Spin It Back, on the Foreign Roots label. Spin It Back is designed for the dance floor, taking heavy influence from ’90s rave sound and culture — specifically, fast booty breaks reminiscent of the Baltimore club stylings of producers like Rod Lee.
The title track relies heavily on the squelch of an “acid bass line,” which is characterized by the caustic sounds of the era-defining Roland TB-303 Bassline synthesizer. These corrosive timbres are accented by reverb-laden claves, a sultry “Oh baby” vocal sample and an extraterrestrial sound reminiscent of tungsten dissolved by laser.
"Bounce” uses a similar formula, but substitutes the acid bass line for a chunkier, more obtuse one. This is juxtaposed to the soaring yet diminished chords of lush synthesis and vocal samples that undulate between Speak and Spell vocalizations, as a scandalous woman confidently commands the listener to “bounce.”
“Wile E Coyote” is the most club-oriented track on the album, clocking in at a frantic 155 beats per minute. It features Frick’s signature breakbeats, which sprint over an apocalyptic techno kick drum. A spectral synthesizer floats over the majority of the track, while the listener is occasionally tumbled in and out of reality by waves of spiraling oscillations.
Westword got in touch with Frick to discuss his whirlwind of a year, the direction of the scene in Denver, his new responsibilities booking talent for one of the more in-demand promoters in the state, and the reasons he doesn’t think the scene is being recognized for its potential, despite booking some of the most in-demand talents in the world week in and week out.
Westword: What inspired you to make an EP that draws on classic rave sounds rather than a more modern-sounding approach?
Alex Frick: I’ve been a fan of older, faster, weirder music for a while now, and just within the last couple of years, I’ve been really homng in on what my sound is. I have a certain versatile sound to my sets due to constant digging and slight ADHD with music in general. More "in your face" music and head-turning sounds grab me the most. I also think that juke, electro, breakbeat, jungle, etc., aren't as prominent in Denver, so being able to show people new sounds and genres really means a lot to me.
Despite that style being decades old, is tech house- and minimal-saturated Denver ready for it?
I think Denver is ready for more underground and experimental sounds. There will always be those who are well versed musically, and I think the interest is definitely expanding. A DJ’s job is to provide new sounds/genres to their audience and really be at the forefront of where electronic music is growing and evolving — to show the crowd what they didn’t know they needed to hear. Obviously, this sound isn't for the masses, but music is ever-evolving, and I think soon enough people will start to move on to different genres. It’s inevitable!
You recently started working with TheHundred Presents. What are your responsibilities?
I’m extremely grateful to have been included in Denver’s scene and to be able to work with Brennen Bryarly, who has made a huge impact on Denver’s nightlife. I’m essentially working as his intern, learning about what he does behind the scenes — booking talent and the business side of things. I also am a liaison at Club Vinyl on the weekends, which I love because it allows me to create relationships and connect to the artists that come through Denver. This has been going on for some months now, and continues to grow. I hope to be booking nationally and internationally with Brennen eventually.
What does being a liaison entail?
As a liaison, I escort the artist from the hotel to the club, make sure that they get to the booth, and get everything that they need off their rider. I generally hang out with them or in the crowd and check to see if they need anything during their set. Then I take them back to their hotel. Ninety-nine percent of the DJs are really dope people, from my experiences as liaison thus far.
Despite you guys pulling in some of the hottest talents in the world, Denver's techno scene hasn’t exactly exported talent like our bass scene does. Why do you think this is?
I think Denver has put talent out, just not as much as you would think. As far as the house and techno scene, no, not much has been exported, and I think it has to do with their reach and opportunities to build a fan base here in Denver. There are certainly a lot of factors in why they haven’t reached outside of the state, but being as involved as I am, I hope to help others grow and to inspire them to really take their projects to the next level.
How would you personally like to help inspire and get their projects to the next level? And what projects are you currently most excited about?
I hope as an assistant talent buyer I can book shows that have a lineup that makes sense, allowing DJs to really flex the sound they want to express. Having a solid flow to the night is very important to the party. Also, simply connecting to the scene and giving advice anywhere I can is important. Even though I may have a small influence on the scene as of now, I want to use what I have to help other aspiring DJs. As far as what projects I’m currently most excited about, I can’t talk about those yet.
What evolution are you hoping to see within the Denver scene and sound?
I’m hoping to see talent from Denver get exported out, as well as the underground scene flourish with better after-hours ideas. [I’d also like to see more] international artists coming through, and really, to be recognized nationally for how great the scene actually is. I’ve been here for about eight years now and have seen a lot of growth and change. Although every scene has its problems, I really see the potential that Denver has and have high hopes for its continued growth.
What do you think it would take to see it reach its potential? Perhaps you have seen people trying to solve these problems.
I think it will take a lot more collaboration and support from different promoters, collectives and artists. I do think many are trying, though, and I know for a fact Brennen has some solutions to this exact problem, with plans in the works — but I can’t talk about those yet, either.
Mr. Frick's Spin It Back comes out Saturday, January 1, through Foreign Roots.
