Al Walser
Al Walser | |
|---|---|
 Al Walser (left) with Barack Obama. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alexander Walser-Rothschild |
| Born | July 16, 1982 Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Origin | Liechtenstein |
| Genres | Dance, Eurodance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Cut the Bull Entertainment |
| Website | alwalser |
Alexander Walser-Rothschild (born July 16, 1982), known professionally as Al Walser, is a Swiss-born Liechtensteinian singer, songwriter, DJ, record producer and culture jammer. Walser first gained fame as a member of German Eurodance group Fun Factory. His 2012 single "I Can't Live Without You" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the field of Best Dance Recording.
Biography
Walser was born in Lausanne, Switzerland on July 16, 1982 to a Liechtensteinian mother and African father. He is Liechtenstein's first biracial citizen.[1][2] He later became a Dj personality in Liechtensteinat Radio Liechtenstein, then toured worldwide as a EDM DJ.[2] Following his work on radio, Walser was asked to join German Eurodance group Fun Factory following the departure of member Toni Cottura.[1][3]
Walser later wrote the book Musicians Make It Big: An Insider Reveals the Secret Path to Break in Today's Music Industry and founded the record label Cut the Bull Entertainment, based in Hollywood.[3][4] He also hosts the EDM radio show Al Walser's Weekly Top 20.[5] In 2008, his debut album Heart Breaker was released.[6] Walser released the single "Living Your Dream", a collaboration with American singer Jermaine Jackson, in 2009.[3] "I Can't Live Without You", followed in September 2012.[7] The latter was nominated for Best Dance Recording at 55th Grammy Awards, a nomination that attracted much attention due to Walser's low profile compared to his fellow nominees.[3][4][8] Electronic music artist Zedd has accused Walser of using Zedd's stems from his single "Spectrum". Walser has not credited Zedd with production and has been questioned by many in the news media and EDM community. Several media outlets speculated that Walser's membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and position as a Grammy voter, as well as his close contacts with other voters through the social networking website Grammy365, may have had a role in his nomination.[4] Walser has attributed his nomination to "great music" and "drive".[3][9]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Heart Breaker[6] |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Living Your Dream"[10] (with Jermaine Jackson) |
2009 | Non-album singles |
| "I Can't Live Without You"[7] (with Olga Levit) |
2012 |
References
- ^ a b Cadasse, David (November 15, 2004). "Al Walser : "Je veux construire un pont entre l'Afrique et le monde"". Afrik (in French). Retrieved December 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ a b Marchand, Francois (December 7, 2012). "Meet Al Walser, this year's unlikeliest Grammy nominee". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Sherburne, Philip (December 6, 2012). "Who the Hell Is Al Walser and How Did He Get an EDM Grammy Nomination?". Spin. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Al Walser Very Happy About Al Walser's EDM Grammy Nomination". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. December 7, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ^ Lhooq, Michelle (December 8, 2012). "We Spoke with Al Walser – The Euro DJ Who Trolled The Grammys". Vice. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ^ a b "Heart Breaker: Al Walser". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ a b "I Can't Live Without You: Al Walser". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Sargent, Jordan (December 6, 2012). "The Grammys Nominated the Dance Music Version of Rebecca Black and Nobody Knows Why". Gawker. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Bhansali, Akshay (December 7, 2012). "Exclusive: Al Walser's Shock EDM Grammy Nom Is 'Decades' Of Work". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ "Living Your Dream". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help)
External links