There are few techno DJs today as accomplished as Adam Beyer, who as a teenager made his mark on the scene and has remained a prominent figure since. He currently runs 3 successful labels, his productions are always in high demand and he is a true globetrotting DJ, playing regularly from Brazil to Japan.


The Swedish legend is about to start his North American tour with 7 gigs in 10 nights across the United States and a few stops in Canada. I recently had an opportunity to chat with him to see what he has been up to these days. He even admits he is a bit of a control freak!

Kate: Kate: You have had a series of Drumcode parties this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary, how has that experience been so far?
Adam: Well obviously it’s great to be able to travel with the boys and my friends you know… I do a lot of traveling on my own so yeah it’s a really big and cool thing for me to be able to bring the other ones together and keep the old thing that we started alive and see that it is actually really alive and happening still. We’ve been doing it for two or three years now, it’s not just this year, it’s been going on for some time. They have been successful, I thought we would just do a few of them, but it just keeps going and some clubs we are already back to like the 4th year in a row, and always full houses and stuff so we are really happy.

Kate: What are the next releases for your labels?
Adam: Hmm.. I got quite a few on Drumcode… There’s a 10 year compilation with 7 tracks on it from various artists, coming out in November. We got a Par Grindvik record for Drumcode and a new Alexi Delano and Xpansul release for Truesoul, same guys that released the new Plus 8, which is really amazing… I really love that record. And I also have a few remixes and other things coming out on other labels, but not too much actually. It’s been quite a busy year DJing so I haven’t been able to produce that much.

Kate: So nothing coming up for Mad Eye then?
Adam: Not ready, I mean I got some sketches and things going on, on the computer but I need to finish it (laughs).

Kate: I noticed in some recent party pictures that you still seem to be playing quite a bit of vinyl, when much of the industry seems to increasingly be moving towards digital mediums, what is your preferred setup these days for performing?
Adam: Well I think it really doesn’t matter how you play your music, it is what is coming out through the speakers at the end of the day. Since I have been a DJ for quite some time I am really used to playing vinyl and I kind of enjoy doing that, and I don’t have a problem carrying my records around. I also find the weekly going down to the record store quite entertaining and important for me to go through music and see the other people that are going there and just hang out. So I am going to stick to vinyl for awhile I think and obviously CD’s when things are not released yet.

Kate: What is your favourite mixer to use then?
Adam: I use Allen & Heath 92, and I use a loop player so I can loop stuff, sometimes I bring a Koss pad or some other effects units, then just 3 decks and 2 CD players.

Kate: What about your productions? Are you still using mostly Cubase and Ableton?
Adam: yeah, right now yeah. I still don’t have, like a proper studio since I moved my old one and basically the last few records I’ve done have just been done on a computer in my house, really simple. I am building it right now, I’m going to build it when I take some time off and then I probably will incorporate some hardware again like effects and a few synths and stuff, but right now it is just all done on computers.

Kate: How involved are you in the day to day managing of your career including your labels, PR & marketing etc?
Adam: Unfortunately, I must say now it is kind of a one man show still, hmm… I mean obviously my distributors and stuff are helping me out but I don’t have a team working for it so I am doing it all myself and that is how it has been since the start. So that’s why, maybe to be honest it has been lacking a bit on the marketing side, and I mean in the old days I didn’t need it, Drumcode was just selling ****loads anyway… but now times have changed a bit. We still do OK numbers but it could get a bit better marketed on so I am in the process of doing that as well, setting up, like, trying to gather the right people together and form something a bit bigger, to have some people to help me out… it’s just that I am a control freak so I have a bit of a hard time to let go of things, I know how everything runs and it’s hard to let go, (laughs) but I think I have to, pretty soon.

Kate: There is no shortage of talented Swedish artists but it seems as though there are very few females. Are there any that come to mind for you that we should know about?
Adam: We have a few, like one or two in Sweden coming up, but like everyone else they need to work on production and get their names out, but they are pretty talented. Sweden, the DJ thing just started to happen on a broader scale, it was just only us and then like a few people, not like some other countries where everyone is a DJ more or less, I can see it’s like a new generation coming now and there’s some girls as well that I think can really get somewhere.

Kate: Do you have any hobbies outside of music?
Adam: I used to, quite a few! (laughs) I wish I still had time to do them but I like skiing and various sports really, and yeah, normal things.

Kate: How do you spend a typical day in Stockholm when you are not busy touring?
Adam: In front of a computer mostly. Working, I mean getting things sorted, labels, cuts..

Kate: the work never ends!
Adam: No it never ends really… or just hanging out with friends, just trying to chill or disconnect a little bit from work. It’s been a very busy year, the last two years, so it is mostly work and music related things.

Kate: You have a busy schedule later this month, playing 7 gigs in 10 nights during your North American tour, are there any gigs that you are looking forward to especially?
Adam: I think it all looks pretty good, this time! I’m quite excited. You never really know, but Chicago is always good. It’s always been amazing, since I can remember, Detroit is always special. So yeah, I think it is all going to be really good actually.

Kate: Minneapolis should be decent as well!
Adam: Yeah Minneapolis… I haven’t been there for a few years and last time it was amazing. And I heard they have a really cool scene there now.

Kate: I think you will enjoy your gig here in Montreal at Parking, definitely the best Thursday night in the city and has had some names already this year like Barbara and Laurent Garnier.
Adam: cool. Yeah, everyone is saying it is decent!

Kate: Well, that concludes the questions I had for you. I appreciate you taking some time to speak with me. I know your Canadian fans are eager for your return!
Adam: No problem. Thank you, see you there maybe.