Music Essentials: Boys Noize

German artist and electronic music favorite Alex Ridha — known to the world as Boys Noize — is hailed as one of music’s finest producers, claiming three consecutive years as Beatport’s Best Electronic Artist and the Independent Music Award in 2010, but the Hamburg native has more to offer than just his beat creativity as his talents flow into his roles as an innovator and entrepreneur. Known for a sound that blends an array of styles without falling into one particular genre, Ridha has taken on remixes of Depeche Mode and Justice while still having plenty of steam to work across the pond with K-pop sensations BIGBANG and G-Dragon. Forming a label of his own, Boysnoize Records in 2009, and connecting the world with the likes of SCNTST and Mixhell, Ridha’s essentials are a showcase not only of his musical inclination but also his quirky personality. Pairing tech essentials, such as Technics headphones or the Rozz Box Syntesizer, with weird art books and a Playboy Playmate Calendar from 1996, the above music essentials share a rare peek at the man behind the music. Also make sure to be on the lookout for Boys Noize’a Go Hard — The Remixes project, which is due on April 28.