This Weekend on Mixed Emotions Radio Show – December 28, 2014
Alright, so this week I’ll be showcasing some cool new records from the underground house scene, as well as the mainstream club circuits. Of course, we’ll do our best to keep a good balance between the two, as always, but the line has grown so thin these days it’s really hard to tell them apart. I mean, for sure, we’ve got our got our own opinions about this matter but let’s rather focus on the topic at hand – yeah? So yeah, this week I’ve got some very special treats lined-up for you. First being the artist showcase – where I will be playing music from/by a great duo named ‘Adana Twins’:
Straight outta “Hamburg house city”, Adana Twins helped secure their home’s reputation for deep grooves with a series of early EPs that have made them among the most buzz-worthy acts to emerge from the German media capital. Placing repeatedly in the pole position on both Resident Advisor and Beatport charts, the duo of Take It Easy and Friso have found their way into the record bags and Traktor set-ups of the world’s top DJs, while comfortably establishing their own sound where sleek beats and clever sampling are only a small piece of a bigger musical vision that began to form during a previous era.
Formed in 2006, at the height of the French indie-electro takeover, the pair was, like the rest of the world, instantly enamored with the song-filled crossover sound coming from Ed Banger and its affiliates. But unlike many of their peers, Adana Twins soon began to feel exhausted with the harder, stronger, faster ethos that took over the community. Take It Easy, in particular, felt the fatigue, his name in direct conflict with the adrenalized style, as was his youth spent head-nodding to laid-back hip-hop like Black Star and Dilated Peoples. Friso, a follower of techno since the ripe age of 10, also knew of sounds beyond mere analog crunch.
This appreciation for deeper beats soon found its way into the duo’s all-night DJs gigs, which allowed them to buck the trend of the times by playing all styles and tempos. They quickly established a residency at famed Reeperbahn club Baalsaal soon where they could incorporate the full range of dance music over eight to ten hour sets. These popular JEUDI (French for Thursday) nights inspired Take It Easy to launch a label of the same name with Doctor Dru and Davidé, committed to providing music for DJs who, like the Twins themselves, wanted a fun-yet-sophisticated sound that would stand out, even amongst their Hamburg peers. This close knit scene included, not only colleagues like Monte, Davidé, Doctor Dru or Kruse & Nuernberg, but also indie-dance stars Digitalism and Solomon’s Dynamic posse, all of whom collectively pushed Hamburg’s dance scene to new heights while garnering attention beyond the city’s own clubbing community.
Perfectly poised to seize the opportunity, Adana Twins delivered their first hits, “Everyday” and “Strange”, on Exploited in 2012, to a global scene that was ready to look in Hamburg’s direction. The tracks would go international, being played by the likes of A-Trak, Pete Tong, Soul Clap, and Wolf+Lamb to name just a few, and would lead to remix requests for labels such as Get Physical, Noir Records and Kitsune.
The wider attention also sent Adana Twins off on a whirlwind year of touring, manning the decks at renowned venues such as Ushuaia (Ibiza), Cielo (New York), Watergate (Berlin), Warung Beach Club (Brazil) and The Warehouse Project in Manchester, where their hit records caused the crowd to sit-down in respect. They also got their first taste of festival success, offering their sound to an exceptionally appreciative crowd at Loveland and MELT Festival.
Despite the constant globe hopping, the duo took the time to double down on their hometown, launching their bi-monthly “Adana Night” party at Hamburg’s EGO club, where they invite their local crew to come party with the many new musical friends they’ve made on the road.
This expanding scene, which includes many colleagues from the pair’s former careers in design and advertising, forms the nexus of music, art and graphics community that is sure to see Adana’s next step— whether an album, a live show, or something equally exciting—rival that of the Ed Banger heroes who inspired Take It Easy and Friso in the first place.
And in the ‘New & Exclusive’ segment, we have music from the same act, as well as Danny Darko – so yeah, it should be an interesting show. As for special guests? Well, there won’t be any, yet again, but that will soon change though.
Anywho; you can catch all this (and more) LIVE on Sunday December 28, 2014 on www.africancrestradio.co.za or stream on mobile by visiting www.africancrest.ndstream.net. Otherwise, if you miss the live broadcast you can peep the podcast by using the Mixcloud playlist as they are uploaded shortly after the live broadcast – visit the archive here to listen to every show recorded at African Crest Radio TV studios.
