"I don’t believe in competition in music": Adam Freeland Talks to Skiddle

Brighton-born label honcho, producer and DJ Adam Freeland has made a career out of a winning combination: break-beat and techno.

From his countless remixes, including the Grammy nominated Sarah Vaughan "Fever” remix, to the major collaborative efforts with Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee to The Pixies’ Joey Santiago, the sometime LA resident is ever the genre bender, oscillating between shapes and sounds.

Jasmine Phull talks to Marine Parade label owner Adam Freeland about the importance of residencies and why there’s no room for competition in music.

You’ve just reignited your Kaleidoscope residency at London’s The Nest. What attracts you to residency spots?
Friction at Bar Rhumba was my first back in ‘96, I was at Fabric London for nearly ten years and this is the latest. It’s good to be able to play exactly what I want in an environment where I know the sound is going to be good, the crowd are there for the right reasons etc. On the road you never really know what kind of scenario you are going to find yourself in.

You’ve obviously spent a lot of time behind the decks. For those of us that haven’t, can you think of a metaphor that would describe that experience?
I've been scratching my head to come up with an apt metaphor here, but nope. There’s really nothing that describes the wonderfully bizarre life of a DJ.

Collaboration vs competition – Do you have a preference? Are they both just as healthy as each other?
Collaboration has always worked for me. I don’t really believe in competition in music. I think if an artist is really big in a scene it opens doors for the artists in the scene around them, rather than close ‘em.

The last song you listened to?
Planningrorock- The One

The first album you bought?
The Muppet Show album

Do you have a song that you like to finish a set with?
My remix of Om Unit 'Searching'

As a DJ you would have had many opportunities to observe different types of people that come out to listen to your music. Based on your ‘observations’, if you had to categorise music-goers into three different groups, what would they be?
Mongers, Onthepullers and Ohshitthistuneisdopers.

Is visual aesthetic an important part of Adam Freeland?
I've had some pretty shocking barnets over the years, so aesthetic I'd say no. But I think it’s important to visually interact and connect with the audience; if they see you having fun, it liberates them to do the same. I get frustrated by performers who never look up or at least acknowledge the audience that bought their tickets.

Are you just as comfortable to perform intoxicated as you are when sober? Or do you have a preferred state of mind?
I may be comfortable, but whether my set is worth hearing is a whole other matter. I've learned over the years that if I go onstage sober and lock into the groove then whatever happens from there usually works out.

You moved to Brighton, UK in 1998; can you describe the music scene while growing up? Can you describe it now? Has there been a big shift?
It’s a wonderful place full of artists, freaks, subcultures and a huge amount to choose from any night of the week. It’s also very transient as is the population, you don’t meet many people here who are actually from Brighton. My tip though is check Brighton by week, its fills with tourists on the weekends and is a whole different thing.