Born in the ambient sounds of the early nineties, raised on the dance floors of Fever, Buzz, and Twilo, refined behind the controls of Yoshitoshi.com and Blowfish Music, the sound of Alex Whalen is about to take over the world. Ask anyone who has had a chance to hear Alex, from Honolulu to D.C., from Los Angeles to Lima, from San Francisco to Spain, and you will hear the same thing, Alex Whalen is a master of dynamics - moving a dance floor from deep euphoria to uninhibited mania and back again at will. His first hand knowledge of the dance floor, encyclopedic knowledge of records, flawless track selection, and fluid mixing skills combine in a maelstrom of beats and beauty to intoxicate even the most hesitant dance floor.

It's impossible to tell when exactly a DJ goes from being good to being great, but it's easy to tell when the rest of the world takes notice. Washington D.C. insiders knew they had someone special in their midst six years ago when Alex played his debut set at D.C.'s longest-running, nationally-renowned event Buzz. Two years after that first event, and many sets later, Alex was invited to open the night for Dave Ralph - who didn't even want him to be there! As a long time industry veteran it didn't take Dave long to overcome his skepticism and see the rare talent that finds its home in Alex Whalen. In fact, Dave was so impressed with Alex that he asked him to share the bill with him on his nation-wide "Naturalized" tour, and to this day Dave and Alex continue to play together throughout the world.

Of course, it wasn't just his skills as a DJ that the D.C. faithful had come to respect. When not manning the decks at Buzz, he spent his days holding things down at Deep Dish's Yoshitoshi Shop and Yoshitoshi.com. In addition to his duties as General Manager, he served as their resident progressive "specialist", blessing inquisitive vinyl collectors world-wide with a knowledge of progressive house that borders on clinically obsessive.

But in Summer of 2002 it was time for a change, and 100 boxes of records and 3000 miles later he found himself setting up shop deep in the heart of San Francisco. And it didn't take long for him to leave his mark on his new hometown. As the newest member of the Thump Radio crew, he's added syndicated commercial radio to his arsenal. As the label manager for Blowfish Music, he's developing what promises to be one of the U.S.'s premiere independent dance music imprints. As the vinyl buyer for Spundae Records, he's helping shape the sound of the city he now calls home. And through his production work with friends like Dave Ralph and the Transition Records crew, he's adding production to his long already impressive list of credentials. Think he's come a long way? Just wait till you see where he's going.

Among his many projects Alex is developing a new music website called GourmetGrooves.com with and expected a launch date of early summer. According to Alex, "Gourmet Grooves.com will be the web site for people serious about dance music, but a site that never takes itself too seriously. It will be a site that's not afraid to tell the truth about the music and the scene, but not one that buys into or builds hype where it doesn't belong. It will be a place where we can profile the people and music that are rocking the world's dance floors, not the ones drawing the biggest pay checks or most magazine covers. It will be a place that remembers that this scene is about creating and sharing art, not about building an industry. It will be a place that treats DJs and producers as human beings, not gods, and that takes on anyone who does otherwise. And most importantly, it will be a place where other people who believe everything you just read can come together and build a better tomorrow for the dance music world."

Catch Alex at the following regular events in San Francisco:

Shizzam Jizzam @ Arrow Bar @ 6th and Market Streets every Wednesday
With co-residents Didje Kelli and Mwie Lun (of Soulstice fame)
Breaks, electro, and tech-house.

Anu Beginning @ Anu lounge @ 6th and Market Streets once a month on Saturday.
With co-resident Todd Prophet
Progressive

Look out for Alex Whalen during upcoming East Coast and South American tours.