The Nest Mix – Adam Freeland by Thenest on Mixcloud

The Nest: So do you prefer living in L.A. or sunny brighton?

Adam Freeland: Well, I miss the sun of California and the buzz of LA. But I love the English depth of culture; bonds run deeper here and I do have a lovely place overlooking the sea.

TN: Life on the road can be a pretty hectic schedule for some DJs and you seem to be touring all the time. How do you cope? (no pun intended!)

AF: Ha! Well I don’t always. It’s all about balance. I spend as much time as possible doing the exact opposite of clubs and airports, such as surfing, cooking and time in nature listening to VERY chilled music.

TN: Recently you’ve been performing alongside artists such as Apparat, High Rankin and spinning tunes from the likes of Scuba and Ramadanman. How are you enjoying this new musical direction?

AF: I don’t feel i have a ‘new’ musical’ direction. It’s always evolved if you listen to the progression of my mixes since Coastal Breaks in 1996 through Tectonics, On Tour, Fabric, Back To Mine, Global Underground to my Urb podcast last year and till now my sound has continually moved, following what inspires me.  The link is more a vibe, less tangible than just the beat pattern. There’s got to be quality, great production and snare drums! I have a love of house music yet I have never been able to handle a straight 4/4 kick drums for too long.

TN: Tell us about your musical journey over the last 10 years and how you’ve progressed from the breakbeat sounds present on the “On Tour” album, the diverse selection on your FABRICLIVE compilation, the rock shades on “Cope TM” through to the type of music you’re championing at the moment.

AF: I’ve often said I’ve felt like a rocker trapped in a DJ’s body. When I did the Back To Mine which was really just showcasing the non electronic stuff I listened to at home I started getting loads of people asking for those tracks at gigs and realised that I could wear my heart on my sleeve more and mix my shoegazey rock love with the dancefloor.  I think CD2 on my Global Underground really captured that (check my Fujiya & Miyagi remix). Cope was a band album and I see that as quite a different thing to my work as a DJ. I got to work with some of my Rock heroes such as Joey Santiago from the Pixies and Devo. Right now, as well as some of the post dubstep peeps you mentioned above, I really like a lot of the Cosmic Disco coming out; Prins Thomas, Todd Terje, Permanent Vacation. Yet a lot of it’s just a bit too laid back to really rock the party for the peak time slots I’m mostly booked to play. So I’m taking some of that vibe and just toughening it up just a little.

Om Unit Searching-Adam Freeland remix by AdamFreeland

TN: We’re currently loving the Cosmic Disco output as well!

Productionwise what do you have in store for us in 2011? Any special collaborations or surprises such as your re-working of The Doors album?

AF: This week I just got the call that I’ve been asked to remix Daft Punk which I’m quite stoked about. I’m also working on a new collaboration project with Paul Hartnoll from Orbital.

TN: What are your experiences of The Nest so far and what were your reasons for selecting the venue as the home of your London events this year?

AF: It’s done properly. It’s in a great location, has an outstanding soundsystem and is run by people who know and care about music. I’m somewhat over huge super clubs. I’m at the point in my career where I feel my ego has proved everything it needs to prove and I want to get involved in a smaller intimate scenario with people who really love good music.

TN: What can we expect from your 4 hour mammoth performance on Friday 25th February?

AF: I never plan a set, I just go with the vibe. I’m hoping to start it really deep, pretty much ambient, and build it and play the set I want to hear. Having had the fortune of a very successful 15 years touring the world, the flipside is that these days, I normally only get booked peak time alongside a bunch of other artists on a line up who all feel the pressure to bang it out. There’s only so many dynamics you can give to a set in that scenario. That’s not always satisfying the creativity in me. The joy of doing my own thing in a smaller place with a great soundsystem is that I can really play the sets I want to play and get creative.

TN: Throughout 2011 you will be returning to play for us regularly. What is your vision for the residency and which artists do you intend to bring along with you?

AF: Hoping to have DJs with a depth of knowledge of music I respect. I have pencilled in Todd Terje and Phillipe Zdar for the next couple (although they are not yet confirmed). Also, I’d like just to play on my own all night long and do my thing.

TN: How did you decide upon the name Kaleidoscope for the events?

AF: For me the word Kaleidoscope evokes a mixture of colours, styles, textures and patterns with a tinge of psychedelia. Pretty much what the night’s about!

Adam Freeland launches his Nest residency, Kaleidoscope, on Friday 25th February. For advanced tickets click here