Max HeyraudAt just 18 years old, Liverpool-based DJ and producer Alex Farell has carved out one of the most compelling early-career trajectories in contemporary club culture, driven by an almost singular obsession with sound from childhood.
Alex Farell’s rise to becoming a globally recognised DJ and producer is one of the most genuinely compelling stories to emerge from club culture in recent years. From the age of 12, Farell was singularly focused: skipping school to make beats, hiding his phone under the desk to hunt for samples, and doing whatever it took to sharpen his craft, from mixdowns and ghost production to playing club shows by 14, often with his dad in tow. By 16, he had begun touring and signed with TELETECH’s agency, abandoning any plans of further education to commit fully to music. It was a path that felt inevitable, but when the moment arrived, Farrell seized it without hesitation, hurling himself headfirst into the hard techno and hardcore stratosphere.
Releases soon followed on some of the scene’s most influential new-generation labels, including Reckless, The Meaning of Rave, Taapion, HEKATE, Masked Rules, TELETECH and Exhale. High-profile appearances have continued to stack up, with Farrell debuting at Creamfields in 2024 and closing the massive Parklife Festival in Manchester for TELETECH. A key artist at the brand’s international events since signing in 2020, with other appearances at Blackstone Warehouse in Liverpool, OST in Berlin, Creamfields, and Emerge Festival in Belfast.
It’s a story that so far feels written in the stars, yet for this grounded, razor-focused young artist, the ceiling remains firmly out of sight.
How are things with you? Where are you answering these questions from, and how’s life at the moment?
Very good, currently at home in Liverpool, working on new music and finally building my dream home studio
What was your first encounter with electronic music?
I think it was probably around the age of 4. My dad used to always play it in the car and around the house, so my love for it was almost instant. Something about the repetition, I think, I just loved it as a child, and it made me happy.
You started making music at just 12. What was that like? I can only assume you were the only one in school making music for clubs at that age.
Sounds crazy, really, when you say it out loud. As 12 is so young, especially to be making music. I think I was the only person making music at 12 that I knew at the time, it was really fun, and I think that’s because there wasn’t really any pressure to make something good and I was doing it purely for the love of it, and I think that makes the process a whole lot more natural than starting at a older age with a goal in mind.
I know in a previous interview you mentioned you’ve been making a living off music since you were 14, which is pretty incredible. What’s that like? I imagine your schedule is totally different from most of your friends back home, which must be difficult, but do you find that there are more positives than negatives?
Yes, it’s a funny thing to talk about, as I never had any other job. In this case, it really has always been music. I was about 14 when I started to make money from it, through various means of ghost production jobs and mixdowns. I absolutely loved that I could make money from a passion; it meant that I was so flexible and could do what I wanted with my days, whereas most of my friends all have jobs in offices, or have contracted hours. That wasn’t for me, and I am happy that music gave me another path.
How do you feel when you produce music? You’ve clearly been obsessed with the process for a long time, but aside from finishing a project, what makes the process itself so captivating for you?
I’m always at my happiest when I’m producing music. Even if I don’t end up making anything that good, I think it’s very therapeutic. I can sit for 10-15 hours working on music sometimes, and it completely blocks me out from the rest of the world. In my opinion, there’s no better feeling in life than creating a good piece of music.
This might be a little odd, but I see more parallels between you and a professional athlete than maybe a lot of DJs: you sacrificed time as a youth with friends and in education, and made that decision quite early. Do you get what I mean?
Yeah, definitely, there are parallels. I’ve mentioned in previous interviews that I kind of gave up on school early on to fully focus on being a music producer. I would spend my time in lessons with my phone under the desk looking for stuff on YouTube that I could sample when I got home….so it was always the priority for me, and I’m happy it worked out.
When did your relationship with Teletech start, and what does the party mean to you?
Tom from Teletech reached out to me when I was 16 and just left high school, and asked to have a call with me about potentially signing with the agency. This was honestly the maddest feeling ever, as playing for Teletech. They were my biggest goal I had in mind since I was 14. I remember running down to my parents, going absolutely mental hahaha. Once I had the call and they signed me to the agency, it was probably the best moment of my entire life. I immediately told my mum and dad that I didn’t need to go to college, and I should spend my time producing music instead. Teletech means so much to me, and I feel very patriotic to be a part of it. It feels like the best family ever, and everyone on the agency is such good mates I couldn’t ask for anything better. Tom and Anton have guided me so well. Considering I started touring at 16, which was all a bit crazy, they also made everything so enjoyable for me.
Does it bother you when people focus so much on your age? I’m sure it comes up a lot when you might just want to be recognised for your music and art in general.
Not really, I think it’s very cool for me to be able to say I’ve toured the world from the age of 16 doing what I love. Of course, I want to be recognised for my music, but I think it fascinates people how young I am and how far I’ve come.
Would it be fair to say your sound has evolved quite a bit over the last six months? Are you moving slightly away from very distorted, hard techno?
Yes, definitely, I’ve always tried to keep a lot of rhythm and a bit more emotion in my music and as of recent, I think that the typical hard techno sound has moved away from that. I’m focusing on a deeper techno sound whilst also managing to keep the big build-up and drop moments in them. I’ve got a lot of new tracks ready to come out and another big label release upcoming, too, which I’m so excited about
What’s inspiring you lately?
Inspiration feels pretty hard to come by these days, but I’m listening to lots of different genres and as always, and draw a lot of inspiration from the early Drumcode sound.
Do you have any favourite Irish artists currently?
Modeä has always been my favourite Irish artist. His sound is so incredible and unique, I feel that he’s very underrated, and everyone should check him out. When I was younger, I used to draw so much inspiration from him, and he actually used to help me a little bit with some production tips, so massive respect to him for that.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue DJing and producing as a career?
Do it because you love it, not for the money or the fame or the Instagram followers. Authenticity always beats copying others and chasing clout.
