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 We sit down with one of the progressive scenes brightest talents before he jets off for a huge six month world tour, starting this winter down in Asia. Not only that, he's produced a very special bootleg exclusively for i:Vibes...
Ad brown is currently in the calm before the storm as he prepares for a six month world tour which will take him though Asia, the South Pacific and over to the United States. It’s due to his success this year which has gave him the opportunity to tour the world with his music. Since his first release on Black Hold Recordings Ad Brown has fast become of the scenes most highly rated progressive stars. His progressive style sits on the fence between house and trance while neither committed to both. He has a distinctive edge to his productions that have highlighted him as one of this year’s biggest breakthrough artists. That ball will keep rolling into 2011 but before that he has a very special, and exclusive we may add, gift to i:Vibes readers with an exclusive bootleg mix he’s done of Blue Amazon’s mid 90’s progressive classic ‘No Other Love’. Read on for all the details and the very latest, direct fro Ad Brown.
i:Vibes: Ad Brown, it’s a pleasure to have you on the site. This is the first time we’ve had you in the hot seat so we’ll be gentle. How are things at the moment for Ad Brown?
Ad Brown: Things are great! Apart from a touch on man flu! :) I would say I am busier now than I have ever been but its all music related so no complaints!
i:Vibes: You are currently home in London before jetting off on for a six month long tour. Looking back when you were first getting into music what influences drew you into electronic music?
Ad Brown: Like a lot of people I have enjoyed electronic dance music for many-many years, but i would say the early Gatecrasher albums such as Gatecrasher ‘Black’ really stand out in my memory as being a big part of it. They were wonderful!
i:Vibes: Do you have any particular artists or records that got you interested into the scene?
Ad Brown: I would say Tiesto has been a big influence. The early ‘In Search Of Sunrise’ albums really set the bench march for melodic trance. In fact, I think its fair to say they still influence some of the music I write, even now.
i:Vibes: As a producer many will remember your first release for Black Hold Recordings on their spin off ‘Fris!’ label with the two track EP ‘Smoke / I Just Do’. How did the breakthrough in getting one of the most well known dance music labels in the business to sign your tracks come about?
Ad Brown: Persistence! If your music is good enough then eventually it will be picked up by the right people. You can save a lot of time and energy by having a ‘hit list’ and target labels who have a similar sound, trust me this will save you hours! Black Hole put out many of my early singles which was certainly a good platform for getting my productions in the right places.
i:Vibes: Your early releases like ‘Hope’ and ‘Chasing Rainbows’ were very moody and deeply driven. Not just warmly welcomed by artists alike but DJ Mag thought very highly and awarded ‘Chasing Rainbows’ the money shot. What was the production goal behind those releases and were you surprised at the success they had?
Ad Brown: Yes I was surprised! The goal was really just to write something which combined several of my ideas. Its nice to write music with contrast. A dark production, followed by a lighter release keeps people guessing! The interesting thing about ‘Chasing Rainbows’ is the fact that I wrote the track at 126bpm and it quickly got noticed by many of the heavy hitting Trance DJ’s who would often pitch it up to 130bpm+ and as a result it actually sounded even better!
i:Vibes: 2009 was certainly the year which put Ad Brown on the dance music map, especially with releases on labels like Anjunabeats and warming up for the likes of Paul Oakenfold. What was it like warming up for one of the true legends in dance?
Ad Brown: It was legendary! :) more than anything it gave me the confidence to know that I could a least play on the same stage as a true A lister and not feel too out of place. Which is important if you want to mix with the big boys!
i:Vibes: Your music in style is a crossover between progressive house and trance but never really one or the other. Do you think that’s why your productions fit in well with the likes of more trance specialist like Ferry Corsten and full on progressive icons like Sasha and Nick Warren?
Ad Brown: Yes definitely - The technology involved with DJing and producing means the musical genres have become increasingly blurred. Its great not to be pigeon holed into one or the other, which often means if a DJ likes one of my releases theres a chance you could hear it in their live sets, irrespective of their ‘genre’
i:Vibes: What makes the progressive style so appealing to you?
Ad Brown: I think its the scope to be able to build a set from progressive to progressive trance and onwards, which keeps a set interesting from start to finish. More of a journey....can I say that?!? :)
i:Vibes: Moving onto this year, you’ve toured the States earlier in the year and debut at New York’s Pacha club. What was your experience over in the States like?
Ad Brown: Its always fun to visit the states - I have plenty of friends over there so its a great opportunity to catch up over a beer and play some great parties. Everything is BIGGER in the states, it really is quite a place.
i:Vibes: What did you make of the Pacha club in New York?
Ad Brown: Really great - the gig at Pacha was very special. Unfortunately Gareth Emery didnt make it over due to the volcano eruption. I made it out of London on the last plane to leave Heathrow so myself and Zac Roth played extended sets and then went tag team back to back - you cant ask for more than that on your debut!
i:Vibes: What was your biggest highlight from the tour?
Ad Brown: The gig at Pacha and playing for MASSIVE events who put on some great shows in the states, also visiting Philadelphia which is a city full of history. Plus I cant go without mentioning the famous Rocky steps!
i:Vibes: On the production side this year you had two tracks featured on Black Hold Recording’s ‘In Search Of Sunrise’ compilation mixed by Richard Durand. Your first was in collaboration with Matt Lange for a track called ‘As The Rain Falls’ which was Smooth, silky and flowing progressive trance. How was it working with Matt?
Ad Brown: An absolute breeze - Matt is a huge talent. Like me he writes across genres.
i:Vibes: He of course is a fellow artist on Silk Royal Records who you have had great success with over the past year and hosted their showcase radio show. How did the tie in with Silk Royal come about?
Ad Brown: The label boss had the great idea to do a weekly show which is a really nice twist as monthly shows tend to be overlooked or forgotten. Doing a weekly show means people have access to a regular, quality progressive house show.
The Silk Royal Showcase has gone from strength to strength and we now have over 20k listeners on a weekly basis, and growing!
i:Vibes: How highly do you rate Silk Royal as a label as they really have come of age over the past year as one of the most consistent progressive labels around?
Ad Brown: Very highly - not only is the output quality spot on but they are a dream to deal with and very professional - which makes my life easier.
i:Vibes: Your last release with them was a collaboration with Darin Epsilon called ‘Cold Water’. How do you come up with such smooth flowing melodies and keys for tracks like this, where does the inspiration for it come from?
Ad Brown: I started the collab with some killer pads - then I did a simple arrangement and sent the project to Darin who added some really nice elements and arrangement edits. Between us I think we got that one spot on. It took us longer to come up with the track name :)
i:Vibes: Who takes the most control when it comes down to collaborations in regards to putting the elements of the track together?
Ad Brown: There is no rule and it really depends on a number of factors. I know a lot of collaborations are born from one producer getting stuck on a project for ideas and inspiration so they send it over to a mate who comes at it from a different angle
i:Vibes: Your last solo EP for Silk Royal was the gorgeous ‘Tonica’. It’s such a powerful record from start to finish. How did its creation come about?
Ad Brown: For this one I had a wonderful arpeggio loop which was just crying out to be developed into a deep - brooding progressive number. I should dig that one out actually, I hope I haven’t lost the logic file somewhere!
i:Vibes: On the subject of solo work, we have a very special gift from you to i:Vibes readers with your bootleg remix of Blue Amazon’s mid 90‘s progressive classic ‘No Other Love’. What drew you to the original track and what gave you the urge to make a new mix of it?
Ad Brown: Blue Amazon were one of the biggest dance acts of the 90’s and for me “No Other Love” was their finest moment. I think its the combination of the enchanting chords, vocals and overall feel of the record which make it so magical.
i:Vibes: It was of course a track remixed a few years ago by Darren Tate who gave it a warm uplifting trance flavour. How would you describe your new version of it style wise?
Ad Brown: Darren did quite a trancey mix 4 or 5 years ago so I wanted to bring the track up to date with a slightly more progressive, cross over sound. The original is such a beautiful record that I wanted to keep the essence of the break with vocals, pianos and pads and build on that to create my own version.
i:Vibes: What other past progressive classics would you love to remix?
Ad Brown: Utah Saints “Lost Vagueness”
Starcase “Faith”
Dominion “Lost Without You”
Echomen “Thru 2 You”
i:Vibes: What’s the latest on the production desk to be coming our way in the months to come?
Ad Brown: I have a cracking collab with Russian producer PROFF entitled ‘Scared’ Its already generated quite a bit of hype so I am really excited about that one. Aside from that, I have a track with Kerry Leva on Enhanced Progressive called “(Memorial) You Were Loved” Kerry featured on my collab “As The Rain Falls” with Matt Lange earlier in the year and I must say I think she is arguably one of the best vocalists around, so watch this space!
i:Vibes: You are just about to embark on a huge tour at the end of this month which will see you first jet off to Asia. After that you will be touching down in SIganpore, Kakarta, Bali, Australia and New Zealand before heading over to America in May. You must be looking forward to it?
Ad Brown: I cant wait, what an opportunity to see the world and DJ at the same time. I really feel so lucky.
i:Vibes: In the midst of touring for six months solid how do you find the time to get into the studio and work on new tracks?
Ad Brown: I am hammering the production as we speak, just to make sure I have material in the pipeline while I am away. I will also get in the studio with friends I have in each territory abroad. The plan is to put it all into a mix or artist album when I get back.
i:Vibes: What cities are you most excited about visiting?
Ad Brown: I’ve heard great things about Hong Kong which is fairly modern and westernised. At the other end of the spectrum I cant wait to visit HCMC in Vietnam, which has a amount of history. The contrast will be extreme but I am sure both will be equally wonderful to experience.
i:Vibes: Do you prefer to play abroad rather than home in the UK or is everywhere slightly different in how it perceives its music?
Ad Brown: Most of my gigs are outside the UK so I am going to say abroad! :) My press agent said to me the only difference between a gig in the UK and a gig abroad is that fact that you have to get on a plane. This is true to some extent but I would defiantly say my gigs abroad, certainly this year, have been awesome.
i:Vibes: Out of all the artists on the electronic dance music scene, who would you most like to collaborate with?
Ad Brown: Chicane, BT, Utah Saints to name a few. Someone who has really contributed to dance music over the years.
i:Vibes: If you were defining your own style, how would you describe it?
Ad Brown: The beats of ‘John Digweed’ and the melodies of ‘Above and Beyond’ and you nine tenths of the way there.
Finally, we like to round off with what we like to call the ‘i:Vibes – Quick Fire’
i:Vibes: Your most prized possession?
Ad Brown: My first record pressed to vinyl.
i:Vibes: Name one of your all time favourite tracks?
Ad Brown: Dominion ‘Lost Without You’
i:Vibes: What’s your favourite airport?
Ad Brown: Heathrow Terminal 5 “It works” Super slick and no check in!
i:Vibes: Do you have any pets?
Ad Brown: 1 x dog 1 x cat 10 x Koi carp
i:Vibes: Many thanks for taking the time to have a few words with the i:Vibes team Ad and we thank you for dropping a great production off to our readers. All the best for the forthcoming tour!
Ad Brown: Thanks guys!!
I:VIBES EXCLUSIVE: AD BROWN REMIXES BLUE AMAZON's NO OTHER LOVE
If you were ever in need of an example of the production talent of Ad Brown, then this is it. Ad has recently been hard at work in the studio and produced this bootleg for Silk Royal Records of Blue Amazon's 'No Other Love'. It's a bootleg that will never get an official release, but thanks to our friends over at Silk Royal and Ad Brown himself we have it available for i:Vibes readers free of charge. It would be shame to keep this progressive animal caged up, so we’re letting it loose. Three flavours to get hold of and the links are below, enjoy!
"The ever versatile Ad Brown treats us to an anthemic progressive rework of the dance classic "No Other Love" by Blue Amazon, undoubtedly one of the biggest dance acts of the 90's. Not content with remixing for the likes of Usher (Sony BMG) and DJ'ing throughout Europe and India, Ad has yet again worked veritable production magic in breathing new life into this classic record. He contributes various artist signatures, including lush pads and floaty arpeggios, while greatly enhancing the vocal and piano themes of the original track.
"No Other Love" was originally released in 1995 at the peak of Blue Amazon's success in the progressive house scene. The track became an instant hit, characterized by the enchanting, echoey vocals, hook line, and piano, all of which gave the track an unparalleled warmth. Fifteen years later, "No Other Love" is yet again set to find its way into the digital record collection of all music lovers everywhere, this time in the form of the Ad Brown Vs. Blue Amazon "No Other Love" 2010 mixes. "
DOWNLOAD THE BOOTLEG
:: Ad Brown's 'Main Mix'
:: Ad Brown's 'Intro Mix'
:: Radio Edit
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