Alex Christensen and Genos

[Sokratis1974]

Hi to all

Very strange... Alex Christensen has been D-Jing on stage with a Genos on several occasions (and even brought one with him in the Abbey Road studios during the recording sessions with Bars & Melody)... but he never plays it!!! Same thing during the New Year's party in Berlin on January 1st... M. Christensen's Genos on the stage is not even powered up!!!

So I am wondering whether the Genos is being used at all by M. Christensen for musical purposes, and whether he simply rather did not receive some advertisement money from Yamaha to appear with the Genos on stage or in the studio, or on Instagram pictures etc. This is called "product placement" I believe.

Indeed, since Alex Christensen his one of the  most famous DJs in Germany, if he appears on stage with a Genos, this could attract German EDM-oriented youngsters to buy the Genos now, or else the next flagship Yamaha arranger in a few years... nice move Yamaha!

After all, as the baby-boomers slowly grow older and pass away, Yamaha will need to renew its pool of high-end arranger players...

Just my 2 cents,

Regards,

Vinciane

Hi Vinciane.
I completely agree with the passion of your answer...
But I find it hard to accept (on Yamaha's part) that there is a possibility that Mr. Christensen, took money from Yamaha just to display Genos as (product placement).
And I find it hard to accept  because if Yamaha considers advertising it to just display Genos next to Alex, let alone an overwhelming advertisement would be if we saw Alex playing Live with Genos (in concerts or videos) where he would show up in practice the real power of the Genos.
For me it is absolutely no value if Alex Christensen (and every Alex) tells him in the advertisement that he simply uses Genos to create an idea he will later materialize in Studio with real musicians or the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
And that's because it can very easily be done with a cheap Arranger.
I do not think it is a smart advertisement in this case (product placement), because that's how you do not show the true value of Genos and I think it's even wrong because it's like telling us that it's not worth the product so I'm trying to push it with another way...
Which I think is not true in Genos ...
I apologize if I am being tiring, but unfortunately the facts do not easily convince me ...

[AlBags]

I agree Vinciane, but ..

Most of this thread has replies and comments made up of complete supposition.
1) For sure .. no-one making/performing a professional masterpiece like his re-runs of the 80's/90's dance classics is going to use any keyboard style to lay down backing when he/she has various resources and top equipment (including an orchestra) at his disposal!
2) No-one on this thread .. to my knowledge is actually working in his/the studio, or on the mixing desk, has access to the original album master, nor knows details of the recordings through Yamaha's technical team, nor is a FRIEND privy to (probably) confidential information about the track laydowns.
3) It's possible that Genos WAS used for certain parts of these performances .. maybe lead EP, Pads, anything.

That's my take. Any more, we will probably NEVER know for sure, unless someone breaks a confidentiality agreement! For sure, Yamaha would invest considerable sponsorship in selected musicians, in return for product placement. This type of placement would attract customers. It attracted me.

Al. 

[AlBags]

Alex clearly IS using Genos. He is on Instagram, and currently seems quite busy.
He uses Genos on sytage and in Abbey Road Studios.

Heres a few pics/clips. Hopefully my Google Drive share folder works ok! 👍😊
Any more evidence needed?

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1RR79-9n6f6KUnzwczydQW-lhcIspnUhP

Al.

[vbdx66]

Well... you can see the Genos on some of these pictures and videos, but you never actually see Alex playing the keyboard, which is quite extraordinary.

Maybe he is using the Genos as a super sequencer or to produce his own rhythms as background for the music?

Here is an interesting video with a cover of Rhythm is a Dancer made on the Tyros 4:

https://youtu.be/_RD0WqW6ZeE

The homemade style sounds very good IMHO.

Regards,

Vinciane.

[vbdx66]

Hi,

Yet another video with Alex Christensen and the Genos. Unfortunately it is in German.

Maybe someone can figure out from this video which role the Genos is actually playing in Christensen's musical productions? Is he using it to make his own rhythmic lines with the Revo drums for instance? Obviously he is not using the Genos as most people would use an arranger keyboard:

https://vimeo.com/235565494

So what do you think?

Regards,

Vinciane

[AlBags]

I'm following him now on Instagram. Nice guy.

Al

[vbdx66]

He's got a Facebook account, too, if you're interested.

Vinciane

[AlBags]

He IS using it one one of the pics/vids I linked to.
I just cropped it in ..
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ROcBOCdoNhj2q_P-rezsc1Y4FX4H8Q_b/view?usp=drivesdk

A.

[AlBags]

He's got a Facebook account, too, if you're interested.

Vinciane

Hi. Yes, I saw that too. He's seeing my posts on Instagram.

A.

[AlBags]

Helene Fischer medley ..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d54ESWrMpRo

Carlotta Truman
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E5p5cZSyT24

A.

[AlBags]

V ...

Have you ever found a proper .pdf sheet for the Snap song (RIADancer)?
Not a midi conversion, tho .. as I never heard a good one! 😊
Al.

[vbdx66]

Hi Al,

Unfortunately not.

Apparently the sheet music can be bought via this link:

https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0147247

Why don't you post a request in the Sheet Music section of the forum? Someone might have it already.

Regards,

Vinciane

[AlBags]

Hi.Yes, it's available from a few sites.
Thx! .. Al.

[Bill]

Slightly cheaper version.

Bill

https://maksimsheetmusic.blogspot.com/p/rhythm-is-dancer.html

[vbdx66]

Thanks Bill 

Vinciane

[Eric, B]

Hi,

Yet another video with Alex Christensen and the Genos. Unfortunately it is in German.

Maybe someone can figure out from this video which role the Genos is actually playing in Christensen's musical productions? Is he using it to make his own rhythmic lines with the Revo drums for instance? Obviously he is not using the Genos as most people would use an arranger keyboard:

https://vimeo.com/235565494

So what do you think?

Regards,

Vinciane

He basically talks about every song being played.
He is saying that he grew up in the 90's and loves that music especially 90's dance. He always wanted to combine classical instruments with modern beats.
Then he talks about each performer and why he choose them.
No mentioning about Genos or any KB.
I wonder if and how much he uses Genos.
He can do much more with a Montage if he wants to start from scratch ...
Somewhat still confusing.
Eric

[Sokratis1974]

So,we got another incredible new video from Alex Christensen in which many shots showed the Genos..
The quiet advertisement continues..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB7mm8AWPTo

[Depo1964]

Since first hearing Peter Baartmans demo the Genos, I have always felt that if Yamaha wanted to
get its biggest bang for the buck, PR wise, they should have Peter play the Genos at a Boston Pops event.
But not tell anyone about it....

As the lights go down (curtains closed) and the music begins, you immediately think it's the Boston Pops orchestra playing behind the closed curtain.
Then as the curtain is pulled back all you see is Peter and a Genos keyboard. 

I can't help but wonder if that is what's going on with Alex Christensen.
After all, he is a well know composer who just happens to work a lot with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. 
   
And as I understand it, Yamaha sells many more Genos keyboards in the EU than in the States.
Wouldn't that be a perfect PR stunt?
Perhaps Alex, not being a full time musician, is working on his chops so that he would be able to perform using the Genos, LIVE at Konzerthaus Berlin....
I'm just sayin'.. 

[AlBags]

Alex is a DJ and Dance Music Composer. He's presently busy, and in and out of England, recording his second Classical Dance Album. I've communicated with him on Instagram.

I'd pay to go see Alex, but not Baartman. To me, Baartman messes around too much .. stabby playing, unnecessarily complicating melodies, like Menuhin played his violin.

Al.