Adam Freeland - FABRICLIVE 16

Adam Freeland began DJing while a young clubber in London. With a forward thinking approach to music he's helped put breaks centre stage, and consistently sought fresh ideas. His 'Coastal Breaks' (1996) mix CD pioneered the nu skool breaks sound, while his artist signings for Marine Parade include some of breakbeats most promising talents. Most recently, Adam's artist album morphed into a live band project that he spent the end of last year touring. Initially a small scene focused in south east England breaks has burgeoned; Adam's extensive touring has brought him global fans and media attention for the scene. This year Adam releases his album 'Now And Them' in the US, is touring with Massive Attack and visiting Sonar, Rock in Rio and Coachella festivals over the summer. In 2004 the breakbeat scene is flourishing and diversifying with new labels, producers and successful clubnights. Adam remains at the cutting edge.

"I'm generally frustrated by small-mindedness. The reason why I started playing breaks was because it was totally open-minded, a mixture of everything from funk to hip hop to electro to house and drum n bass... As soon as people get all restrictive, saying the sound has to be this, I just say that was then and the sound has to keep moving and developing. But some people can't seem to get their heads round that, it has to be this sound or it isn't pure. To me that totally misses the point of what DJing is about. This mix is a selection of tunes I drop at Fabric. From rock through breaks, deep house, drum 'n' bass, electro and just general dirty deepness."" Adam Freeland

This mix builds with layers of deep grooves, phat production and organic beats. Mixed on 3 decks and CDJs, and messed about with on Ableton live and a digital delay unit, the mix is laced with samples, loops and fx. Opening with the guitar strains and live drums of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, rock quickly gives way to the tight studio production of PFN. Evil Nine's distinctive beats fuse with the crisp breaks of Precision Cuts rolling stereo xylophone. Aesop Rock's original vocals on 'Crooked' meet the minimal beats of Evil Nine's remix of Pet. There's deep 'Steamulation' from Justice VS. Gambit, an aural assault from the Bassbin Twins and low slung dirty funk provided by Berlin's M.A.N.D.Y. The mix straddles a diverse blend of breakbeat styles from the deep soundscapes of Freeland and Ian Brown's vocals for UNKLE, to rubbery basslines from Adam & The Soul Drummers and fierce electro with LFO. It finally reaches a high powered crescendo with Freeland and Radioactive Man. In the words of Juice Aleem: 'punk, rock, reggae, roll, combinin' with a whole heap o' soul'.

TRACKLIST:
1. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Loveburns [Virgin]
2. Proper Filthy Naughty - Flow (False Prophet Remix) [10Kilo]
3. Evil Nine - Hired Goons [Marine Parade] / Freeland - Heel 'n' Toe (Acapella) [Marine Parade]
4. Precision Cuts - Xylophone [Simple]
5. Evil Nine - Crooked [Marine Parade]
6. Pet - Super Pet (Evil Nine Mix) [Groenland] / Freeland - We Want Your Soul (Acapella) [Marine Parade]
7. Justice Vs Gambit - Steamulation [Ed Banger Records]
8. Bassbin Twins - Sqsh [Bassbin]
9. M.A.N.D.Y. - Words Don't Come Easy [Get Physical]
10. Freeland - Burn The Clock [Marine Parade]
11. UNKLE - Reign (Evil Nine Mix) [Island]
12. Adam Freeland and The Soul Drummers - F-Groove [Marine Parade]
13. Telemen - In All Nothing (Adam Freeland & Evil Nine Mix) [Good Groove]
14. LFO - Freak [Warp]
15. Freeland - Mind Killer (Origin Unknown Mix) [Marine Parade]
16. Radioactive Man - Airlock [Geist/Rotters Golf Club]