From a DJ to a band: Adam Freeland

From a DJ to a band: Adam Freeland

11 June, 2009 | 4.10AM

• Written by: Caleb Rakes
• Filed under: Music News: adam freeland, freeland, marine parade

Adam Freeland is a character known for bringing a rock n’ roll spirit to dance music.

His DJ sets can transcend from the early Tectonics break sound, that first brought light to his Marine Parade imprint, through to heavy electro French house with dashings of Queens of the Stone Age thrown in for good measure.

Never one to be pigeon-holed, Adam Freeland last treated to us to a full LP back in 2003 with ‘Now And Then’, which carried the massive worldwide hit, ‘We Want Your Soul’. Since then he has packed up and left his sunny coastal home in Brighton for another seaside town, Los Angeles.

Teaming up with label buddy (and BBC Radio 1 DJ) Alex Metric and singer Kurt Baumann, Adam now returns to the electronic music scene with a new live band and a sonically exhilarating album called ‘Cope’ (check it in the player below), which is far removed from his coastal breaks heyday.

We caught up with Adam Freeland on the road to find out how he’s coping with the whole band thing, and to find out more about the last five years of his life.

Five years have passed since the release of ‘Now and Then’. Where would you describe yourself now in terms of production and outlook on music?

I’m much more comfortable as a producer and less concerned about what I’m ‘supposed’ to be doing. Also, I think the parameters are much broader now with what is accepted.

In the last five years my musical knowledge beyond electronica has grown immensely, which is a blessing and a curse.

I find it very hard to focus on a very dialed in sound, as there are so many things I like. But I’m all up for pushing frontiers of what is ‘normal’ or familiar.

On this new album I’m really trying to combine my love of shoegazer indie rock and’ drones’ with crazy distorted electronic dancefloor mayhem. Whereas before I would have kept one for home listening and one for the club.

How has relocating to Los Angeles affected how you work?

I think I spend more time in the studio here as I have a beautiful sunny space and it’s just a nice place to hang out rather than my limited daylight in London or Brighton. 

Also there are so many great musicians at my fingertips here who are always up for doing stuff, I would have never worked with some of the people I did if I was in the UK.

Also there so much happening here every night, I go out and see a lot more bands and DJs in the off days than I ever did in London, Brighton or Ibiza where I lived previously, and seeing what works live definitely influences my studio headspace.

It makes me appreciate how easy us DJs have it flying around the world business class...Now we share motel rooms, spend eight hours a day in uncomfortable vans, and load into venues seven hours before a show!

Have you discovered much fresh talent over there? How would you say the scene differs from the UK?

There are a lot of different scenes and subcultures condensed into one place here.

The whole desert indie rock vibe I like a lot, and spin off electronica from the Burning Man movement such as Glitch Mob and PANTyRAID, which have really loyal tribal followings, is inspiring.

The UK is more fad and hype based as you have radio stations and media that are so universally absorbed. Where as here it seems more about the music and the culture around it than the hype. I still think parts of UK music culture are the best in the world though.

You’ve roped in Alex Metric with the new album, how much of an influence has he been?

A big influence, I’ve known Alex for years and used to mentor him on his productions. During the process of us working together his game came such a long way, now he mentors me. He’s the soft synth king.

Does it operate as a trade off – did you end up contributing to his forthcoming album?

Yeah, the trade is; I pay him. He helps produce my shizzle. It’s a cash for talent trade off!

Seriously though, I feel heavily involved with his career as he’s signed to my label but I guess I’d be heavily involved whether he was working with me in the studio or not.

Rumours were circulating that for the full band tour you were going to have Tommy Lee on drums and Joey Santiago on guitar?

They both play on the album but there’s no plans to take them live. They’ve all got pretty full schedules! However Tommy ‘may’ do the odd festival date.

How did you find Kurt Baumann? He seems like a pretty good find.

Man! The stars aligned and dropped Kurt Baumann right onto my back yard.

Our mutual friend Melissa introduced us, it’s like everything I was looking for from a front man just appeared in my garden!

How have things been going with the new live act?

Very well. Not without drama though.

We had to fire our drummer the day before our first tour and cancel some shows.

So, having rehearsed for a month we got a new drummer who only got two days to learn everything and we charged straight into the SXSW festival for our debut shows.

Three show in two days, there were 50 at our first, 350 at our second, and 600 at our third. The word spread quick! So that was a great start.

Now we’ve done two mini UK tours and an east and west coast US tour. It’s not been without technical dramas though!

Certainly a lot more things can go wrong when you do things live. Does it give you more satisfaction performing your music live, as opposed to DJing?

It’s a very different thing. It makes me appreciate how easy us DJs have it flying around the world business class, rocking up 30 mins before a show with no sound check, rocking a club and taking home bank.

On tour with the band it’s a whole different vibe. Now we share motel rooms, spend eight hours a day in uncomfortable vans, and load into venues seven hours before a show!

Then have to pack all our shit up when I’d normally be chasing girls. And I have to pay the bill. But I’m loving it.

It’s great being on tour with friends and when we rock it the unity and synchronicity we all have is so rewarding. I think what you can say as a band is far more powerful than what you can say as a DJ.

I can’t say I like one more than the other though. They both keep the other interesting.

How has operating from America changed Marine Parade?

Well the label is still in the UK. So, other than the label manager Luke never being able to get a hold of me cos I’m in bed on the west coast when the UK is awake, not that much.

However we have just made our debut US signing with PANTyRAiD who I met at Burning Man.

I think the electronic scene has been largely disinterested in saying anything because its roots are in hedonism and escapism, and not really dealing with reality.

Is Marine Parade as influential in the US as it is in the UK?

I’m too close to it to give you a balanced opinion on that. We definitely have pockets of hardcore fans here where as the UK is more evenly spread.

As an electronic artist you have been unafraid of letting your political views known and openly support and raise issues through the use of your popularity and music. Many say that electronic musicians are faceless in terms of key social issues, especially in comparison to the rock scene. What are your opinions on this?

I think the electronic scene has been largely disinterested in saying anything because its roots are in hedonism and escapism, and not really dealing with reality.

But that’s also its beauty, nothing wrong with the odd bit of unreality.

My stance however is that there are things I care strongly about, I have a voice, and I’m going to use it.

The ‘rights and freedoms’ we mostly take for granted were fought for by our ancestors and if we don’t speak out and fight to maintain them they will be slowly chipped away.

Unfortunately most people are so caught up in their own shit and just surviving, that they lose sight of that. They just grumble when they are gone.

And finally just out of interest; what’s currently on your stereo playlist whilst touring?

I try not to listen to too much ‘club’ music on my stereo just to keep a balance as I spend so much of my life in clubs.

I’d say the three albums that have had the most love in the last couple of months are the School of Seven Bells album, some moments from the Moderat album, and a beautiful acoustic album by Peter Broderick called ‘Home’.

Video: Freeland ‘Under Control’

Here’s the video for the first single from Freeland ‘Cope’.

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• Get Freeland 'Cope' on Beatport