This past Wednesday, Burlington was hit with the first stop of the Turnt Up Tour where the sounds of Sorry for Partying and Paper Diamond devastated the attending crowd. MMIBTY writer Joe Prasit and I were lucky enough to sit down with the man behind Paper Diamond, Alex B, and ask him a few questions. Alex had tons to tell us about upcoming events and his new EP, Paragon, that will be dropping on Pretty Lights Music soon. For now though big thanks to Alex and everyone behind the Turnt Up Tour for a great night be sure to check out the interview and photo gallery after the jump!
My Music is Better Than Yours: So we know you go by Alex B, but how did the name Paper Diamond come about?
Alex B (Paper Diamond): Basically Paper Diamond means the concept of taking a piece of paper and turning it into a piece of artwork. Whether it is complex or simple it is something beautiful and it is your art. That’s what Paper Diamond means, it is about taking nothing and turning it in to something that is your own, whether it be complex or simple.
MMIBTY: Well it is clear you have put some thought into all that and there seems to be a lot of meaning behind the name. So now that we know about the name lets talk about you a little bit, have you ever been to Burlington before?
Alex B: I used to play in a band called Pnuma Trio so I used to come up here a lot and play with Pnuma, but as Paper Diamond this is my first tour really. I have just been doing festivals and shit like that all summer. For the next few months after this run we will be doing a run of shows in Texas, and the south and northwestern states.
MMIBTY: How has signing with PLM the label changed things for you in terms of where you were before that and where you are now?
Alex B: Well what is interesting is that when I started the Paper Diamond stuff I pretty much went and talked to Derek about what I had planned so he was there from the beginning of it. For me to say what has changed since, basically I started a new project and it has been really fun and I have been making a ton of music and its been awesome. As far as what has changed though, everything has changed. Before I was makin’ beats, and I am still doing that. I still have droves of folders of beats that I’m not ready to release yet, but that’s my natural go to. My meditation. With Paper Diamond I am having a really good time making dance music, and it isn’t intentional necessarily, but it is just where my heads at and I can’t control that.
More talk with Alex B and Exclusive MMIBTY Photo Gallery after the jump.
MMIBTY: So in reference to that and your new single “Can We Go Up” , it seems like you have kind of branched in a different direction of sorts since your last LP, any specific inspiration for this track?
Alex B: Well what’s interesting about that song is I did a run of shows with Skrillex, and that song I actually started in the van during those 20 shows. The thing with me is I will listen to some stuff and I will get an idea in my head, and from there I decide I am going to make a song sound one way and then I just run with it. I like to make all types of music, if I can drop some electro during my set that doesn’t feel out of line, then why not? I am almost like testing my abilities as a producer to be able to have range in the music world.
MMIBTY: Well that song definitely had that impact on us.
Alex B: And I love that song! I met this singer and I wrote the lyrics and I actually sang them to her, and I’m not a singer so it was awkward to say the least. So I’m like looking at her and she is looking at me, real cute girl, and I just sang this shit to her. Then she sang it back to me and it came out great and I am stoked with that track.
So here it is once again Paper Diamonds new single Can We Go Up, for free download at your leisure!
MMIBTY: Any other directions or things at the front of the scene we should know about.
Alex B: It’s all different for me I try to stay up to date on all types of music, everytime I start a track it seems to really just mostly be about what head space I’m in.
MMIBTY: Well with that said what do you think about moombahton?
Alex B: I like Moombahton, I actually just played with Dillon Francis last week, he is super chill. He has a piñata on his rider, so I got back stage and there was like a Darth Vader piñata sitting there and I was just like what is going on?
MMIBTY: There has been a lot of skepticism around Burlington with all the new genres of EDM coming to the table. Any thoughts on whether these new styles such as moombahton may in fact just be a phase and won’t actually be around too long?
Alex B: Who cares! I’m just saying if people enjoy it and it is something that people like then who really cares, you can hate on it all day and those people will just continue to hate and that’s fine. You can either embrace that people are enjoying a new style of music that you may not be into, but these people like it so there has got to be something cool about it. I personally like moombahton and I can see why some people maybe do or don’t, but people are going to like and not like shit for the whole rest of our lives.
MMIBTY: It has been great talking with you Alex, do you have anything else our readers should now about, future plans and what not?
Alex B: Yeah, well first off my new EP is coming out soon entitled Paragon, it will be for free download on prettylightsmusic.com. I have three new videos coming out soon from Elusive media who just did some stuff for Lupe’s new video and have worked with Kanye and Pharrell and everybody else, they are really dope video people and I’m really excited to work with them. Also be sure to check out my record label elmandoak.com for all news Paper Diamond and tons of free music.