ADAM F INTERVIEW

UK producer and label head ADAM F has been making the rounds in the US this year bringing his talents to dance floors and festival grounds all across the country. Between producing countless genres of music, running the highly successful Breakbeat Kaos label and touring all over recently, it's no surprise he find himself in the upper echelon of the dance music world yet again. LED  presents was able to catchup with ADAM F before his upcoming show in San Diego this weekend and pick his brain for a bit. Check out the interview below and be sure to catch ADAM F performing at Voyeur this Thursday!

LED: Most people probably first heard of you through your first artist releases producing Drum & Bass music, so some may not realize that you also produce Hip-Hop. Is Hip Hop where you first started producing? Any major artists you have worked with in the hip-hop industry?

ADAM F: Hip Hop is definitely one of my early loves listening to music but not where I started producing. It’s often I meet producers , artists and D.J’s who make or play Complextro, Trap, House, or Dubstep that first got into electronic music through Drum & Bass and loved hip hop at the time of starting to make music. I have always liked the challenge of producing something different involving Hip-Hop. After my first artist album Colours came the Drum and Bass Warfare project  involving Hip-Hop artists which I took on the road with DJ Craze. I have worked with a lot of the classic Hip-Hop artists that I grew up listening to including Redman, Missy Elliot, De La Soul, Guru, Method Man, M.O.P, Capone n Noreaga, L.L. Cool J, and Dead Prez.

LED: What drew you from hip-hop to the more electronic spectrum of music? Was it an easy transition or did it take some time to really find your sound?

ADAM F: Going to the bigger outdoor festivals and raves that were all electronic music and of course the more intimate underground clubs. I wouldn’t say there was a transition as such as electronic music was evolving then as it always is but producing electronic and Hip-Hop developed simultaneously for me. I just found myself getting into a lot of other dance genres both as a producer and as a DJ and  I just saw it all as an exciting time to combine and evolve music at club level.

LED: With the dance music culture in America differing from Europe it’s often difficult to make the jump overseas and still have a successful career and maintain your sound. Did you find this to be a very daunting task or did you find a way to make it work pretty easily in the US. Do have any advice for others looking to do the same?

ADAM F: Personally I think both sides of the pond have influenced each other at different times and will continue to do so, you can see that now in the more deeper sounds of House and over the last few years in Dubstep. Radio stations are playing more varied dance music than ever before supporting artists from everywhere.

I had a vision one day to try get some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop to work with a UK producer at a time when that just didn’t happen which was daunting at the time and it took going to many shows and handing out CDs and patience but from it came some of my first releases in the US. Those went on to be singles for Redman and L.L Cool J’s first Billboard #1 and opened a world of production opportunities.

So I would say if you have a vision as a producer or artist that seem against the odd’s go for it, now more than ever the worlds ears are open and ready for experimenting and taking the jump.

LED: You have been hitting the festival circuit pretty hard but have also been playing more intimate club gigs. Do you prefer one instead of the other?

ADAM F: I play a mixed set of genres when I DJ. Festivals are always a special experience for me playing to big crowds with mixed music taste and with all the different themes, locations, and stage production. Intimate shows always feel more personal though with a stronger connection to the crowd.

LED: You also run Breakbeat Kaos. What’s it like being a producer, traveling all over on tour, and trying to run a label at the same time?

ADAM F: Traveling and playing out has always been the best way to hear new music and discover new artists for the label.

LED: You’ve released some of the biggest names on the scene on your label such as Pendulum, Chase & Status, and Nero. Are there any other big names with upcoming releases on Breakbeat Kaos that people should be keeping an eye out for?

ADAM F: We have always wanted to work with artist’s that have a vision for the future and can perform live and we feel will naturally evolve their sound. Pendulum who also produce as Knife Party are a great example. Nero and Chase & Status are both amazing artists that perform live, make great albums and continuously produce quality and cutting edge music that keeps the underground movement and true fans excited. At the moment both DJ Fresh and myself are focusing on our own projects, so no new plans for BBK releases at present.

LED: After this tour, what’s next for Adam F? Do you have any collaborations coming up or in the works?

A: Next on the music front is a new single, released on Circus records called ‘The Pit.' It’s a collaboration including myself and Doctor P featuring Method Man. Also a release on Dim Mak as a collab between myself and Cory Enemy called ‘Strike Gold’ You can hear some previews of new music on my soundcloud page.

LED: Lastly, with the dance music scene and culture constantly shifting and changing, what direction to you think is in store for us next? Any new styles or sounds you think will breakout in the next year or so? Maybe a revival of a specific genre?

ADAM F: Yes it’s definitely shifting and changing and that’s what keeps it alive in my opinion. I definitely see the organic side of song structures, emotion and sounds coming through more in some styles of the dance scene. We have seen that in acts like Disclosure and I see more of the 90’s influences becoming more present. Its felt more like a singles or E.P lead market over recent times so this may produce some more great artist album projects, music for inside and out of the clubs. Exciting times!  See you at Voyeur on Thursday night!