Five minutes with... Adam F

Adam also gives us his educated prognostications on the exact date that the Amen Break is going to fall out of fashion, and who he'd get to do dubstep remixes of national anthems (hint: Skrillex…)
 
Running a label, production, remixes, being an artist. It seems by your example that it helps to be versatile if you want to do well in music. So of all these things, which is the most fun you have ever had and what genre have you enjoyed most working in?
If it's purely down to the most fun, and not rewarding in a personal achievement kinda way, then it's gotta be production. Working with artists like Redman or L.L Cool J on tracks in the most ridiculously specked out studios in New York and then the opposite in Redman's home studio was classic. Never mind then flying to L.A to be a part of video budgets in the days when labels spent $400,000 plus was a surreal experience… topped off by then going out for the night on the town. I'd say that was more fun than work, right! I'm not saying that I didn't put a lot of hard work into it of course, haha.
 
We hear you were responsible for discovering the likes of Pendulum, Nero and Chase & Status. Is there a story behind any of those signings?
Great A&R, a good ear? I'm sure being a DJ has always helped when running a label and being able to see and feel first hand how music is working on street level through to studio and home environments. I've always loved artists that are fully focused and have their own defined direction… like nothing is going to divert them in what they believe. That goes for the likes of someone like Prince or Pendulum. Taking a chance and having a belief in someone's music early before it fully blows up is what running a cutting edge label is all about. But to simplify it… I've always loved their music and production. I could tell they were about making albums, performing live, rather than just one-off club single bangers.
 
Could you describe briefly how you take a track from idea to release?
Make it in the studio to a stage where it's almost where I want it, then road test it in DJ sets. Then if I'm happy, finish it off or work on it some more, then filter it amongst the DJ and specialist radio community to see if other people are into it. Then start then get the artwork ideas together, maybe a video… and it's time for release.
 
How did the idea for KAOS - The Anti-Acoustic Warfare come about, and how'd you pull it off, considering the amount of international collaboration and so on?
It came about from my fascination with films and film scores. I wanted to work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, so I spent time writing, orchestrating, recording a few massive pieces -  and then sat in the studio thinking of a concept for the whole album like it was a film, setting it in the future and thinking each artist could tell their story within the track. Check Pharoahe Monch 'Last Days' as a good example lyrically. I then made a few beats incorporating the choirs and orchestras I had recorded… and then literally jumped on a plane headed to L.A to see Redman and Method Man in concert during the BlackOut tour, and waited at the side of the stage to hand them a C.D. Fortunately I managed to blag getting backstage and played them a track on an old stereo in the dressing room… I guess he liked the track because a month later we were in the studio together. He liked the track so much he wanted it for his album too… and I think once Def Jam heard the track, L.L. cool J called me on my mobile to work on a couple of tracks for his new album… and the snowball was rolling from then onwards!

What's the strangest gig you've ever played?
I'm not sure I've had a particularly strange gig, but one that stands out as out of the norm was when I went to Brazil deep in the Tropical rainforest of Manaus for a Greenpeace event and the DJ booth was in some sort of tree house about 100 metres up in the air.  I wasn't sure if i was playing to snakes and tarantulas or ravers!
 
Will there ever be a saturation point for the Amen Break?
Oh yes definitely, right now I would say it's totally over used and don't expect to hear it in other tracks from now on… until maybe September time 2012, March 2013, August 2089...
 
Herbal tea and English tea get into a fight. WHO WINS?
You must be from Greenland or something… do you really need to ask that question? A more interesting question which maybe you could answer for me is... A Tetley circle shaped tea bag and a P.G Tips triangle shaped bag get into a fight - who wins? For the record I would say P.G. Tips, and that's got nothing to do with being fond of the monkey on the commercial alright!
 
If someone bought you a pet T-Rex, what would you name it and where would you take it for walks?
T-Rex would be called "Malpractice". I would take it straight to a lap top and help it create an iTunes account as obviously the first thing it would want to do is pre-order my new single 'When The Rain is Gone' with all the sick remixes, so it could then put in some personal moulded earplugs to blaze the track and then I would probably set him loose in Woburn Safari to have fun.

 
What do you reckon would happen if all the national anthems were replaced with dubstep remixes? Who would you get to re-interpret God Save The Queen and why? What about The Star Spangled Banner?
Skrillex and Skrillex as it would get the most views on you tube… everyone would secretly love them but find reasons to slag them off when leaving comments.
 
OK, final question... If you weren't Adam F the musician and businessman, what would you be doing instead?
Astronomer… or Astronaut or Striker for Liverpool F.C. That answer could also change if you ask it me tomorrow!

Interview by: Jack Oughton

Find out more about Adam F at his Skiddle artist page