ARTIST OF THE MOMENT: Adi

Do you know these moments walking onto a dancefloor, half-broken from a long night but enthusiastic enough to not let go just yet, saying to yourself, “just another hour” as the sun rises? Often times, these are some of the most cherishable moments of a party or festival, especially when you stumble upon an artist you never heard of. That happened to me somewhere in 2019 in Funkhaus Berlin with Colombian DJ and Producer ADI. Her set was effortlessly energetic, eclectic - dark enough to hold on to the night but bright enough to take you into a new day with promising energy. I decided to cancel my flight back home that very morning as I felt the need to cross exactly that bridge from dark to light. It may be coincidental, but ADI’s debut album on Belgian Label BASIC MOVES comes at a time when we all may just need that feeling of a transition. BM14 is a light, eclectic journey, soulful and vibing but doesn’t fail to acknowledge darker themes and loops. An album that will put ADI even more on the agenda and a good reason to talk with the versatile South American producer about how BM14 came to life.

Hey Raquel, very nice to connect with you. From where are you taking this interview and what are you up to these days?

Hello Theresa, thank you for having me. I’m in Bogota, Colombia at the moment, at my house. I’ve been working on a few different projects like our record shop “Discos del Espacio”, planning some events and gatherings, as well as making music and digging mostly.

I personally remember you playing at Funkhaus in 2019, a set I thoroughly enjoyed and still remember. It picked me up after a long night. How would you describe your development as a DJ over the years?

I think the development is linked to how deep you go in your research, the sounds you find, and how you connect with them. I started with a more minimal take then overtime I found inspiration in artists that could swing between different styles without losing their narrative and that seduced me, it felt natural as I had a lot of different tastes when it came to what I listened to.  How you learn to interpret the moment and become an instrument for music to flow, creating a bridge of this powerful energy and vibration is a skill that takes time and loads of experience to accomplish. Sometimes it is complex to find a way, there's a lot of music as well as noise, even your own thoughts can prevent you from actually listening, or just enjoying the moment. It can be overwhelming but I’m learning to enjoy the process, be patient and create deeper bonds with what I really like so that it can take over me whenever the moment arises like that night at Funkhaus. Indeed it was a very special one, a memory I hold very close to my heart.

You started early in your life connecting with the music and got musical education (side note: which one?). What would you call your main influences over the years since the start?

I was very influenced by classical music in the very beginning although I had many stages when it came to what I was listening to. From Colombian folklore to psychedelic rock, R&B, salsa, jazz there was a wide variety of genres being played at home. In my childhood as i was trained in Classical ballet i took classes of violin and piano, i remember getting goosebumps and feeling hypnotized by the power of the orchestra we used to dance to.

The “birth” of your debut album on Basic Moves tells a wonderful story about your friendship with Walrus, the Basic Moves Label Founder. Tell us a bit more about that.

Is quite a nice story, one of those things that somehow feel destined. On my first visit to Crevette Records in Brussels, I remember Jackob handing me some copies of Basic Moves, I loved them! Later on, he got in touch letting me know about Michiel visiting Colombia. It so happened I was starting with my partner Samantha “Automagicalley”  and we managed to host Michiel for our first event in December 2018, it was a simple and homey gathering. We got to hang out and share a lot of thoughts and music, very inspiring and motivating. Found some courage to show him some of my productions which were more like experiments at the moment and from then on we kept in touch. He was very supportive and friendly. I came back to Europe during summer 2019, and we were able to meet and share some more. We were listening to music in Berlin and I think it was at that point when he decided to put together an Album. I couldn't believe it! Even though I envisioned it, I didn't see it coming at that time. And so we started selecting the tracks and made the necessary adjustments to the ideas. He's been a guide through the process (thank you ;), I feel lucky we connected.

You recorded this album to a large extent during the lockdown and processed a lot of the various emotions that come with a lockdown. Listening to it is diverse but also very coherent. Looking back, would you call this album some sort of salvation process?

It did indeed process a lot of what was going on at the moment, even though some of the tracks were conceived at different times, the final stage was maybe the toughest part of it. I had to overcome many of my fears, insecurities, frustration, and blockages realized how powerful the mind is, and also accept the way things were happening. found a lot of support from my friends in Lima. Feels like I closed a cycle and I'm ready for the next chapter. Learned a lot through it all. 

I fell in love with “Beginning”, it feels hazy, intuitive but as well really easy. How do you go about your production process - intuition versus science?

These tracks on the album come from a feeling, a moment where I could channel these emotions into sound without much thought, so they are indeed quite intuitive. I think science is essential when it comes to the more technical part though when it comes to creativity it is important to overcome reason and let the soul shine through.

Let’s talk about the samples. You used quite some samples that reminded me very much of the sample culture in hip hop. 

Lately, I've been very much into hip hop, yes. I really appreciate how artists own their history through sampling and give new meaning to things that touch or influence them deeply. It's also something very present in house music, although there are different ways of doing it and some might be more creative than others, I find it very inspiring and refreshing.  

We are always curious to hear who are artists that you are fascinated by and you think our readers should discover?

Well just to name a few: Launaea, Cultura Americana, D-UFO, Melina Serser, LNS, Bel Air Project.