Alek Sandar

Aleksandar Nikolov (Bulgarian: Александър Николов) (born June 13, 1987), better known as Alek Sandar, is a music producer, songwriter and recording artist. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Alek has been raised in Germany and moved to the USA in 2009. He is co-founder of the German Berlin-based dance / pop music label Splendid Sounds Records and has further produced music for Universal Music Germany, Payner Music Bulgaria and more. In 2010 and 2011, Alek produced the album “Beast“ for German recording artist Oscar Loya. Alek further produced remixes for UK based musician Frankmusik (2011), French artist Jérémy Amelin (2009), Australian singer Kimbra (2012) and Bulgarian singer Andrea (2010). In 2012, Alek Sandar created the songwriter / producer group Boyplay together with Japanese-American musician Ansoni. The songwriters wrote „It Ain’t Over“, a duet with Bulgarian superstar DESS a.k.a Desi Slava, who is considered to be greatest voices of contemporary Bulgarian music.

Early life

Alek Sandar was born in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 13, 1987. He started playing the piano and singing in the Bulgarian National Group Radiodeca (Radiochildren) at the early age of 5 years. At the age of 8, Alek composed his first song, a ballad dedicated to his sister. In the same year, Alek had his very first appearance in the prestigious TV show Kato Luvovete (Like The Lions) in front of a national audience. In the following years, Alek was the Bulgarian voice-over of “Roo” in Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh. In 1995, Alek and his family moved to Oldenburg, Germany, where his father works as an opera singer until today. In Oldenburg, Alek took acting classes and played leading roles in productions of the German National Theater Oldenburgisches Staatstheater. While always excelling in school, Alek spinned records as a DJ at school parties and smaller clubs in Northern Germany for several years and set up his first home studio at the age of 14. After graduating high school, Alek studied International Business Management at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, École supérieure du commerce extérieur Paris and Baruch College, New York.

Career Beginnings (Splendid Sounds)

At the age of 17, Alek Sandar composes two pop songs for the Serbian-Bulgarian Diva Reni. Encouraged by his first international success, Alek moves to Berlin where he meets Jonathan Wuermeling. They form the Electropop duo Splendid Sounds in 2008 and while performing in various nightclubs in Berlin, they release their album and remix EP Scream. In 2009, the French record label X-Cite Records request Alek to create a Splendid Sounds club remix for French Star Academy celebrity Jérémy Amelin. In 2010, Alek produces another track for Balkan singer Reni and remixes the song Neblagodaren for Bulgarian singer Andrea. At the same time, Alek collaborates closely with German singer Oscar Loya, who gained international popularity representing Germany in the the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. He produces 10 songs for Oscar's solo album Beast. Two years later, Learn Something New, one of these tracks, is released again along with a Remix bundle by the L.A.-based US music label Citrusonic Stereophonic in January 2013. In 2011, Alek Sandar and Jonathan Wuermeling found the independent record label Splendid Sounds Records. In the same year, Alek produces a Remix for Cherrytree-signed musician Frankmusik and Far East Movement, released by Universal Music Germany.

2012 – now (Alek Sandar)

With the creation of Splendid Sounds Records, Alek begins a career as a solo singer under the name of Alek Sandar. For his debut single Creature In Me (2012), Alek delivers his debut as Creative Director in the official music video , including New York avantgarde performers, Cirque Du Soleil artists, high fashion designs by Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. The video makes a big impact in his home country Bulgaria, where leading Bulgarian Newspaper 24 chasa writes that “Alek achieved a level no other Bulgarian has achieved yet”. In June 2012, Alek Sandar is the opening act of the New York Music Festival and New Music Seminar in Webster Hall, New York, making him the first Bulgarian to have participated in this festival. At the same time he qualifies as a winner in an international remixing contest for Australian singer Kimbra. In Fall 2012, Alek Sandar releases “I Adore You” and “It Ain’t Over” in Bulgaria, the latter one being a duet with DESS a.k.a Desi Slava, who is considered one of the greatest voices of Bulgarian contemporary music. While the Bulgarian music market has no official airplay chart, both songs rise up to top positions in the leading national pop radio stations and leading media write that “Alek Sandar and Dess write music history”. The duet with DESS is a songwriter collaboration between Alek and Ansoni, a New York based music producer composing music for film and commercials in Japan. While working on the common project, they form the producer group Boyplay .

Life in New York

Alek Sandar’s international performances and video clips make him a highly discussed figure in his home country Bulgaria. Bulgarian media frequently refer to Alek Sandar as the male Lady Gaga . Even though the musician himself does not perceive his work as extraordinarily avant-garde, TV and newspapers frequently refer to him as eccentric and scandalous , quoting his video clips, nightlife performances and close relations with New Yorker nightlife personalities Amanda Lepore, Richie Rich, Susanne Bartsch and Yozmit .

External Links

• Vorlage:Official website
• Vorlage:Official website