Alex Kislov’s Dream Sequence feels less like an album and more like an exploration of memory’s shifting textures. The Chicago-based producer and DJ, already a fixture at local institutions like Spybar and Radius, leans into a sound that exists in the half-light between deep house, progressive rhythms, and techno’s hypnotic tendencies.
On his debut full-length, Kislov maps a journey through the liminal spaces of the mind. Tracks like “Flashback” build from skeletal drum patterns into cascading synth arpeggios, their shimmering intensity evoking the flicker of old film reels. Elsewhere, “Tales” finds Kislov deploying groove with precision, layering percussive detail and melodic interplay into a tightly wound momentum. Collaborations with vocalists Leo Wood, Ron Carroll, and Eli Mes bring a human touch to the otherwise synthetic landscapes, their voices drifting like specters across Kislov’s intricate arrangements.
What sets Dream Sequence apart is its restraint. Kislov’s palette is rich but never indulgent, his productions tightly focused on mood and motion. The result is an album that feels deeply cinematic, yet avoids the grandiosity often associated with that term. Instead, it burrows inward, offering an intimate and meticulously rendered portrait of a producer stepping confidently into his voice.
With the album out now, we caught up with him to discuss the album’s themes.
Dream Sequence feels like a journey through different moods and energies. If this album were a dream you had, how would you describe it to someone the next morning?
The entire album is like sequences of dreams, and the tracks are named with this concept in mind. For example, there’s a track called Visions, which evokes the feeling of experiencing visions. There’s Flashback, which is more melancholic and rooted in memory. Then there’s Rapid Eye Movement, which is the most energetic track—representing the stage of sleep when your eyes are moving rapidly. On the other hand, Daydream captures that waking state where your heart rate is different, giving the track a lighter vibe. That’s how I’d describe it—it’s like walking through the changing energies of a dream.
You’ve worked across deep house, techno, and experimental sounds—do you feel like you’re chasing a certain feeling in your music, or do you let the process guide you?
It’s a mix of both. I’m always trying to find a vibe in my tracks. I like upbeat, danceable music—something that’s engaging but not overly reliant on popular vocals. At the same time, I let the process guide me. If a song feels right and fits within the genres I work in, I trust the process to shape the track naturally.
When you’re working on a track, how do you know it’s finished? Is there a moment of clarity, or do you just decide to walk away?
This is one of the hardest things to figure out as a producer. A track is never really finished—even after it’s done, there are always things you wish you could tweak. Learning to let go is key. You have to be subjective and recognize when it’s time to move on to the next project. In today’s fast-paced music environment, you can’t sit on one thing forever. The ability to finish a track and trust yourself to leave it as it is—that’s the hardest but most important part.
Some artists have a track on an album that they think of as a hidden gem. Is there a track on Dream Sequence that you think people should spend a little extra time with?
Definitely Rapid Eye Movement. It’s one of my favorite tracks to play live because of its energy, its drops, and the dynamic shifts in highs and lows. Another one is Imagine, which flowed out of me naturally when I was writing it. Then there’s Flashback, which is deeply personal and emotionally rooted. I spent the most time working on that track, and it holds a special place for me.
If you could play the album front to back in any setting—like a festival, a gallery, or a rooftop party—what kind of space would bring it to life best?
A beach or any setting around a body of water or in nature. A lot of my music is influenced by natural elements—especially water and mountains. I actually played the album front to back on a boat with 150 people before the album’s release. It was an amazing experience, and the YouTube video of it has already had over 70,000 views.
Electronic music often leans on technology, but creativity still needs inspiration. What’s something completely outside of music that inspired Dream Sequence?
Movies. I love watching films, and the scoring in movies has always been a big influence on me. Besides that, I’m drawn to anything related to water—boats, fishing, swimming, anything like that. A lot of the tracks on Dream Sequence reflect a fluid, naturalistic touch, which ties into my love for these activities. The melodies and overall vibe of the album are inspired by my surroundings and the things I enjoy outside of music.
Dream Sequence is out now
