DJ Observer

Alex Bartlett aka Fabio Carrara started his career as dj, with his real name Fabietto, as resident dj in his home town Bergamo (Italy) in 1990, when he was very young. Few years later thanks to his great ability, the experience as resident dj drove him to play in the top italian clubs such as Matis, Titanic, Cellophane, Gheodrome, Insomnia, Ultimo Impero, Duple’, Cocorico’ and many more...

Fabio is really keen on music and technology since he was very young, and after some years he started to develop his own recording studio and to become familiar with computers, mixer, sampler and keyboards. And in 2001 he started his career as producer with ‘Amnesia’, a single that became an anthem and it was played by all the top dj’s in many many clubs and events and it was a radio hit, too. We can say that the inspiration of this track comes from the combination between the Pop music’world with its voices and melodic sounds ,with the techno-trance research for new rhythms and dreaming atmospheares of the clubs. This production has been carried out in the Symsonic recording studios and the first release was completed by two important remixes: The Green Court and the Flutlicht ‘ones.
The name of DJ Observer can be read on flyers of big national and international events for more than a century: Biosphere and Donauinsel Festival in Vienna, Love Parade in Berlin and Sziget Festival in Budapest – these are only a few out of many. DJ Observer has also rocked the dancefloor in Ibiza’s most famous club Amnesia – also known as the mecca for lovers of this kind of music.

DJ Observer describes his music as „Advanced Electronic Dance Music“ – mixing together progressive house, electro and trance as well as bringing in his own personal style which makes him unique for his fans. In 2008 the ambitious DJ finds a new home at V-Club, where he can combine electronic music with a traditional and very charming location in the heart of Vienna – the Moulin Rouge. Apart from playing in clubs there is another passion for DJ Observer: It’s a project called Navida Music which he brought into being together with Daniel Heatcliff aiming at making Austrian electronic music popular abroad as well. “Daniel is more than an ideal partner for our productions, he is a valuable friend. When we do studio work we complement each other in the best possible way. He is the first one who I really enjoy working regularly and intensively with.” Navda, however, is not only a record-label, but also stands for events where fans of electronic music can dance their nights away.

The road to success was hard and stony. His first solo-tour all around Austria and its neighboring countries in 2001 didn’t only make him well-known and popular internationally but also gave a clear signal.”That was the time when also smaller discos in rural areas wanted to join the fashion and have rave music. Bookings were done that way that they just ordered any DJs. All of us were completely exchangeable. This solo-tour was like a process of discovering myself. For the first time in my life I felt free and could concentrate on my music and nothing else.”

Due to his popularity, especially in Hungary, he gets numerous gigs at the largest events, for example at Sziget Festival. “When I was at Sziget Festival in 2008 I played our Remix of Brian Cross’s “Paradise” after the opening. I had only played the first beats when the crowd started cheering. That was the moment where I knew that we and our sound are going into the right direction.”

His sound is still on the journey to find even more dance-lovers. “It was only very late that I discovered the Amsterdam Dance Event for me. I was there for the first time in 2007, mainly to get into contact with people from the music industry.” Knowing that it can be counted as even large success that he got a booking only one year later and debuted at ADE which can be seen as Europe’s ultimate clubfestival and meeting-point for everybody who is involved in electronic music. “When I am DJ-ing, the only thing that counts is to make a cool party for the people. The crowd, the location and me – that has to merge.”

However, not only the present but also his past, even his childhood were dominated by music. “I did my first tapes using a radio recorder and a microphone and recording music from TV. My favourite broadcast was the chart-show on Skychannel with Simone Angel. Her song “Let this feeling” and some other tracks by Culture Beat or Shamen moved something inside me and this was the point when I knew that electronic music was my love.” DJ Observer started being resident DJ at this time. He worked hard and grabbed every opportunity to play at large events. In 1998 he is the shooting-star at Biosphere in Vienna. “I remember this gig very well. I played “Open your eyes” by Nalin & Kane as encore. Although it was already 5 o’clock in the morning it was really easy for me to make people dance and clap. After this evening nothing stayed the same for me.” Although most event organizers didn’t believe in his potential for quite some time, the young DJ didn’t lose his heart. And he was successful. He even got an award at the Austrian Techno Awards – category “Best National DJ”.

In 2007 he did another milestone on his way to the top – he released his first solo-debut single. The track “Sunrise Reloaded”, already published by his own label Navida Records was awarded with 5 of 5 stars by DJ Magazine UK. The review reads that Austria can be seen as one of the last countries untouched by trance. DJ Observer could be the one to find the missing piece in the jigsaw map of trance (quoted from DJ Mag December 2007). DJ Observer and Daniel Heatcliff’s Remixes are played by top DJs all over the world. There is a special link to Juicy Music which is Robbie Rivera’s label: In 2008 the debut single “Boomerang” produced by Observer and Heatcliff was released under their pseudonym Steelfish at Juicy, one of the best house labels worldwide.

Apart from numerous gigs and working in the studio DJ Observer has also been successful in conquering the radio. After Visions of Trance Global – a two-hours radio show which was regarded as Austria’s most successful webradio show for two years, he tops himself by founding Viva Navida. Since the beginning of 2009 DJ Observer, Daniel Heatcliff and David Barnes have been presenting not only trance but all kinds of electronic music via webradio worldwide.

His music shows numerous shades and can achieve a lot – it can sometimes even save lives. If there are humans in need DJ Observer doesn’t hesitate for a moment. He is open-minded for all kinds of charities – so he also takes part in the event Charity 4 Cancer which took place in Vienna’s Kursalon Hübner in 2003, playing his music in order to collect money. “It goes without saying that I will always support such projects with my work and with my popularity.”

DJ Observer has always done and will always do his very best for Austria’s electronic music. No matter what happens – when he enters a party it’s all about music and emotions. He leaves a permanent mark and the party people having listened to him will return home smiling all over their faces.