A-Trak Siblings: Meet David ‘Dave 1’ Macklovitch
A-Trak PHOTO/Gay Scope
Alain Macklovitch, better known by his stage name A-Trak, is a renowned Canadian DJ, record producer, turntablist, and music executive.
Born on March 30, 1982, in Montreal, Quebec, he has built a multifaceted career that bridges hip-hop roots, electronic dance music, and innovative production.
A-Trak first gained international recognition as a teenage prodigy in the turntablism scene before evolving into one of the most influential figures in modern club and festival culture.
Siblings
A-Trak’s most prominent family connection in the music world is his older brother, David “Dave 1” Macklovitch, who is one-half of the acclaimed electro-funk duo Chromeo.
The brothers grew up together in Montreal, where Dave introduced Alain to hip-hop records and scratching techniques in their parents’ basement, sparking A-Trak’s early passion for DJing.
They have maintained a close creative bond throughout their careers, collaborating on early projects such as the hip-hop crew Obscure Disorder in the mid-1990s and co-founding the Montreal-based record label Audio Research in 1997 alongside creative director Willo Perron.
In 2020, they formalized their partnership under the moniker The Brothers Macklovitch, releasing original tracks and performing DJ sets that blend their respective styles of funk, soul, and dance music.
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Career
A-Trak’s journey began remarkably early.
At age 15, in 1997, he became the youngest-ever and first Canadian winner of the DMC World DJ Championship, a feat that established him as a turntable virtuoso.
He went on to secure multiple major DJ titles, including wins in the ITF and Vestax competitions, making him the first DJ to claim all three prestigious crowns and accumulating a record-breaking five titles by age 18.
His technical scratching skills and genre-blending approach set him apart in the late 1990s hip-hop scene.
In the early 2000s, A-Trak transitioned into broader electronic and club music.
He served as Kanye West’s official touring DJ starting with the 2004 College Dropout tour, contributing to albums like Late Registration and Graduation while introducing Kanye to influences such as Daft Punk.
This period solidified his reputation as a tastemaker.
In 2007, he co-founded Fool’s Gold Records with Nick Catchdubs and Dust La Rock, a label that became a powerhouse in independent music, nurturing talents including Kid Cudi, Danny Brown, and Flosstradamus.
A-Trak further expanded his reach through high-profile collaborations, most notably forming the duo Duck Sauce with Armand Van Helden.
Their 2010 track “Barbra Streisand” became a global dance anthem, topping charts in several countries.
Over the decades, he has headlined major festivals like Coachella, Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival, Glastonbury, and Lollapalooza, while continuing to release remixes, originals, and mixes that fuse hip-hop, house, disco, and beyond.
Accolades
As a teenager, A-Trak earned the historic 1997 DMC World Championship title along with subsequent victories in other elite turntablism contests, cementing his status as a pioneering prodigy.
In 2011, he received a Grammy Award nomination for his production work alongside Armand Van Helden on Duck Sauce’s “Barbra Streisand.”
His remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll” introduced dance elements to rock audiences and became a landmark in crossover appeal.
Rolling Stone has recognized him as one of the 50 Most Important People in EDM, and his Fool’s Gold imprint has been praised for shaping independent music scenes.