Alex Ferbeyre

Spinning Around with DJ Maximus 3000
by Ben Rock
When his parents wanted him to become a “suit”, Alex Ferbeyre did the opposite and became Miami’s DJ Maximus 3000 instead.
Becoming one of Miami’s most sought-after DJs was not Alex Ferbeyre’s initial goal growing up. Even though music was always alive in his home, it was while pursuing a visual arts degree that he began experimenting with music by studying album covers, reading liner notes and learning about every genre of music.
In fact, he says some of his first gigs were providing soundtracks for experimental art exhibits and installations.
“I was always intrigued by the dichotomy of music and the visual arts and how they can go hand in hand,” Ferbeyre says. By the time he was seventeen, he opened a fully-operational mobile DJ company and began booking events for a vastly diverse clientele. Finally, in 1999, at age nineteen, he discovered his real passion for club DJing and started landing several residencies that ranged from Goth nights to underground parties.
“Most of my family didn’t really see music, DJing, and nightlife entertainment as a career,” Ferbeyre says. “They were waiting for me to someday become a ‘suit’.” However, he continued on his path and began adding video production, directing, and editing to his repertoire.
“I started experimenting with video editing and making extended music videos in the early 2000s by splicing and looping b-roll for club versions of my favorite tracks,” he says. “This was before I even know what video bars were!” To add this emerging media into his production, he took entire video projection systems and mixing gear into some of South Beach’s trendiest rock bars.
By producing his own re-edits and extended mixes for his live VJ performances, Ferbeyre’s talent began catching the eye of numerous venues and events ranging from ultra-chic boutique restaurants and hotels to edgy underground mod-rock bars, from philanthropic fashion shows and art exhibits to electronic music festivals and pride events.
The popularity and success of DJ Maximus 3000 not only secured Ferbeyre’s current residency at Living Room Nightclub, one of Florida’s most successful clubs, but also culminated in the 2008-founding of his record label, 8025 Alliance Music Group.
“8025 Alliance Music Group is actually a spin-off of a smaller micro-label I had formed back in late 2006,” he says. While touring, he began amassing remix singles from DJs all over the world and learned how to license their tracks to several compilations, get placement in radio, TV and club rotation, and service the national record pools and Billboard-reporting DJs.
His work gained the attention of several independent artists and micro-labels, and so he created 8025 Alliance Music Group and secured a distribution deal with IODA/Sony Red.
“The label has gone through many phases,” Ferbeyre says, “including working and housing other micro-labels from London, Miami, New York, Aruba, and South America. We have released several compilations and remix maxi-singles, and our artists’ releases have been licensed to companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch and have been featured on FM, Internet, and XM/Sirius satellite radio.
“It really has been a very rewarding, self-fulfilling labor of love,” he continues, “all while helping out very talented, wonderful people.” He couldn’t have done it, however, without the support of his family. Even though they were not all on board with his career choice at first, they have really started to see just how successful he has become.
“I’ll never forget the day I played Miami Beach’s first gay pride in 2009,” he explains. “My parents came to have ‘a drink’ and dance a bit. When 20,000 people showed up and their son [was] the guy playing the music and moving a sea of people, I think it sort of clicked!”
Playing to those seas of people on a consistent basis is something Ferbeyre finds amazingly powerful. “It sort of feels like I’m the sorcerer’s apprentice, conducting in the cosmos,” he says, explaining that he is always looking for that rush in more and more powerful doses.
“I am very blessed to have made a name for myself,” he adds, “and continue to successfully make money as a working DJ, producer, and consultant. Because of the broad spectrum of what my company covers and the various skill sets I have under my belt, I can traverse into almost any scene and handle just about any situation. I’m constantly evolving and growing and have so many things in store.”
For more on DJ Maximus 3000, check out twitter.com/DJMaximus3000 and Facebook.com (keyword: DJ Maximus 3000).