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We are closing in towards the end of 2021, and to cap off the year, we have put several questions to two of our A&R members, asking them how they got started in the music industry, favourite FFA releases of 2021 and more.
Vetala and Alan Li, take it away!
INTRO
Alan Li -
"Hey! I’m Alan Li! I’m from Belgium and I’m addicted to pizza. I got into dubstep around 2012 thanks to the YouTube channel called “NCS” (NoCopyrightSounds). I got into the music production side of things around August 2020, and I recently rebranded to “DOOM THESIS”."
Vetala -
"A listener turned producer. First introduced to the scene when I was randomly
scrolling Soundcloud in 2019. Hooked ever since."
1. What has been your favourite single from 2021 on FFA?
Alan Li: "Fever Dream by K3MARE & Zac Noble. I’ve had this single on repeat for almost 2 months before it actually came out haha."
Vetala: "NRVE - Bongus or STEALTH - Side Effects. I do feel as though every single
release has exceeded every expectation."
2. What has been your favourite EP release from 2021 on FFA?
Alan Li: "1:35am by Into Ash."
Vetala: "Skreeture - Chemistry. An elite EP that is nothing short of perfection
throughout."
3. Favourite Compilation release from 2021 on FFA?
Alan Li: "That's a hard one to answer, because as much as I love Lurid Tales 3, I’ll have to go with UUS5 as it’s the first compilation I worked on as an A&R. It’s a memorable moment."
Vetala: "All be it slightly biased I love the theme of Abandonware and the upcoming
sequences are just as good."
4. Most memorable early demo/WIP phase track sent into yourself?
Alan Li: "Frozen Sea by Aronsho."
Vetala: "I have not been with the team long but I have received some exceptional music
from ‘Inor’"
5. How do you feel 2021 went for FFA?
Alan Li: "It went great, a lot of new artists and variety were introduced to the label this year. I believe that 2021 was the best year for FFA (discography wise) since the start of the label."
Vetala: "Strong, once again showing what a label should focus on and that is absolute
quality."
#FFA2021Wrapped, dropping soon! ^^
6. Being an A&R on FFA, what are you looking forward to most into 2022?
Alan Li: " Looking forward to more amazing demos and more amazing artists to work with! I also want to release more content such as “Branding With Alan Li”… We have so much in store for 2022."
Vetala: "Growing the label and bringing some new ideas to the team."
7. How do you approach demos when they are sent to you?
Alan Li: "I always try to stay professional and to the point when it comes to feedback. Of course I try to answer as fast as possible but sometimes it’s hard especially when you have a lot of things like school and work going on. I have sort of template that I use to respond to demo’s. If I have any doubts then I wait few hours or a day at max to listen to the song again and I eventually ask the other A&R’s what they think about it. If I think that the song is great then I forward it to Martin and/or the A&R team so I can get different opinions on the song and push it forward. " Vetala: "All my responses come with an immediate feeling so that an artist does not
have to guess my thoughts. I will provide feedback and send them to other
labels I feel they could be better suited to if needed."
8. Tell the viewers when you first became an A&R on FFA and what brought you onto the team in the first place?
Alan Li: "It’s a funny story. It happened in the (FFA) discord server. I remember a message from Martin in the label talk section of the server, that he’s looking for a new A&R member. Without any expectations or experience, I just sent him a message and after the screening I was fortunate enough to get the position! It all happened on the same day, 6th of July haha, very unexpected. Being A&R means a lot to me, what I love the most about it is that it stays fun and challenging from day 1 to this day. You’re basically never bored." Vetala: "I joined the team in December 2021. I had been a part of this group for almost
two years, getting to know Martin and the team. Martin reached out and
invited me to be a part of the team following Jitterclick's departure."
Miscellaneous Questions!
9. What’s your favourite food?
Alan Li: "Pizza and chocolate (not combined together though). I also love wraps."
Vetala: "Impossible question, I eat everything."
10. What’s your favourite non-EDM genre?
Alan Li: "I listen to a lot of rock, metal and dark-pop." Vetala: "Classic/Jazz."
11. What other hobbies do you have, besides music production and demo listening?
Alan Li: "I love biking, I bike a lot. I also love travelling and photography. Both of which I do regularly." Vetala: "I enjoy cleaning cars (Weird)."
12. Describe your A&R style in only 3 words!
Alan Li: "Professional – Dynamic – Detail-oriented"
Vetala: "Open, Honest, Constructive."
Thanks to both Alan Li and Vetala for answering our A&R questions! Later on this week, we will be dropping more 2021 stats reached on FFA this year. As well as that, if you are on the FFA Discord server and are of a bronze or higher rank, you will now have access to the '12 days of Flexmas'; one free download a day, for the next 12 days! What is not to like about that?
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