Adam Freeland Interview: GU CD

Adam Freeland Interview: GU CD

11 June, 2007 | 8.10AM

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: drone step

Adam Freeland pushes a new genre of music on his new mix CD for Global Underground. The breakbeat don has fallen in love with ‘drone step’.

“Drone step is the same thing as e-drone,” Freeland told Beatportal.

No, we don’t know what e-drone is either.

“It’s droney wall of noise guitary frequencies, influenced by bands like Sonic Youth, Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine’s ‘Loveless’.

“But with an electronic twist and stepping beats for the dancefloor,” explains the DJ and producer from Brighton.

Freeland’s ‘Mexico City: GU 32’ mix CD is out now, but unexpectedly it isn’t an out-and-out breakbeat mix.

With tracks by Gui Boratto, James Holden, Justice, Para One and Carl Craig’s brilliant reworking of Faze Action’s classic ‘In The Trees’, it seems Adam Freeland has gone all eclectic.

“On the tracklist there may not be many of the cliché breaks artists on there.

“But for me breaks always meant club tunes with snare drums in them.

“In other words, boom bap boom boom bap, and a certain attitude.

“The idea of ‘breaks’ as a limited formulaic genre that has to sound a certain way to be considered righteous, is the very spirit of what I’ve always fought against.

“What I play is about attitude and sensibility rather than genre purism.

“Having said that I think the likes of Justice, Phones, Sebastian and Evil Nine are the very spirit of breaks and the finest that have existed to date.

“Pure energy, raw punk attitude and high production values.

“Also lots of tracks on the mix sit on an electro break or breakbeat.

“I have re-edited and mixed a break over some of the other tracks on the CD too like I do when I play out as I’m just a sucker for snare drums.”

Adam Freeland also embraces four four beats on ‘Mexico City: GU 32’, and that the record label encouraged the DJ to push the envelope.

“Yes crazily enough, there are four four tracks on this mix too, I think all of my mixes have had their four to the floor moments, but definitely there are more minimal and deeper moments on the mix than my last few mixes.

“I’m pushing the envelope further that I have before.

“I think partly that is down to the fact that this is my first double mix CD in almost ten years, so I’ve really been able to spread my wings and indulge myself fully in whatever I wanted to do, not cram one
night onto one disk. 

“GU actually encourage that, which was great.

“Also I think now is a way more open and exciting time musically.

“I’m finding DJing more inspiring than ever because so many boundaries have broken down now and there is so much incredible music out there.”

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