TECH
TECH aka Kerry Adams started writing music on an Amiga 500 in approximately 1987. Using ModTracker Software (4 channels of audio!), I spent most the time just messing around, writing original pieces, and ‘bootlegs’ of tunes at the time.
I remember first hearing Alan Parson’s ‘i-Robot’ – and wondering how they made all those strange sounds, in addition my parents listened to a lot of Pink Floyd and Supertramp, and in addition, my father liked a lot of African Styled percussion groups like Mandrill.
One day, while looking through the CDs at a store, I saw a CD entitled – ‘Harlequin, the Robot, and the Ballet Dancer’ – this was my first introduction to ‘Electronica’, and it was not till a few years later that I found out the Sven Vath also produced ‘Techno’. This CD led to others from Orbital, The Orb and FSOL, ambient electronica works. Slowly, my ear turned more the he beats of house and tech, and I became aware of ‘DJs’ and the ‘Dance Scene’. I was soon putting on parties with the aid of my parents (I was still in School) – eventually putting on some of the biggest events that the rural area we were living in had ever (to this day) seen. These were put on as a place to play music, but more importantly, a place for all the teenagers of the area to met, and party in a safe situation.
A lot of time was spent in headphones, listening, floating off to other places, and I still see strong links between the Shaman and the DJ, the person controlling the experience, so the tribe, the collective, can go on a journey together. For many people, this aspect has been forgotten, or never understood in the first place. To me, there is the potential for something greater than just getting the dancefloor moving, creating a good ‘vibe’ – I still believe a good DJ has the opportunity to truly move peoples consciousness.
I was always the one hogging the stereo at Parties – which slowly developed into ‘DJ’ing having bought my first mixer over a decade ago. I originally had a dodgy Turntable (no pitch control) and ripped a second turntable out of a mini-system. My first Technics were bought while on holiday in the UK, and I had to carry them with me around most of Europe, before returning home to NZ.
The next few years were spent playing a lot of music, and listening to a lot of music.
I moved out into a small batch (a New Zealand term for a small, basic, holiday home by the sea) and picked up one of the first copies of Propellerheads Reason in the country. I spend most of the next year living by myself, working during the day, selling Hi-Fi equipment and producing in the evenings and weekends, putting music out as Budda Boy and Perception. During this time I was also training around four hours per day in Tai-Chi, and eating as a Vegan.
I got a new job and a music store, and suddenly found myself in charge of the countries biggest DJ and Production store. It was at this point, that I started learning Cubase SX, as I was now the national support officer, and really needed to know what I was talking about. Again, I had one of the first copies in New Zealand (a pre-release promotional version). It was around this time that I also started producing with a good friend as the Filterbrats – making French influenced Disco House. I was having tunes played on the radio, both as an individual and in collaboration and occasionally playing out as the Filterbrats (2 DJs, Four Turntables, Congas and Effects…)
Slowly the sound of Tech developed – intentionally multi-genre – Tech was originally an all hardware live PA project, that combined elements of all the different sounds I had been exposed too – the Tech-House of Terry Francis, Plastic City and the like, the Tech-Step sound developing in the Drum & Bass scene through Ed Rush & Optical and the Bad Company crew, Break Beat, Glitch and all the other many splintered sub-genres of electronica. To me, they all contained a certain similar sound, a certain vibe, which I then brought together. The name Tech was quite obvious in the end, because it is a statement of intent as much as it is an Alias.
Around this time, I was also playing in a live group called Skyman – Skyman was, and still is, a collective of musicians who would occasionally get together and jam. Eventually, we found ourselves on stage – with the only preplanned aspects being some basic elements, and tempo, and a key. This was also where I met J and Debbs (both involved with the Believe tune).
Because I was working at a Music Store, the studio grew fast – which was then eventually stripped back down to the essentials – equipment that I used, that gave me my sound.
Currently, the studio is based around SX 3, implementing hardware for both sources and processing. The Waldorf Q Keyboard, and the EMU E6400, along with the Akai MFC42 and Sherman Filterbank being favorite pieces of gear – the breathing Bassline in ‘Call and Response’ being a classic example of Sherman manipulation.
I currently also master for a couple of NZ’s biggest electronica artists – Greg Churchill and Timmy Schumacher – both releasing internationally in the House and Breaks scenes respectively. I have happily become the guy pottering away in the studio in the background, but at the same time, have decided that it was about time I stood up and started making noises of my own.
Radio :
I have hosted regular shows on several of NZ Electronica Radio Stations. Initially on Up FM, and then moving to Twisted FM, eventually doing a weekly live to air stream from his own studio studio. In addition he has guested at some point on all the main dance stations in his home town of Auckland.
Now I am putting out a weekly podcast, often putting up more than one mix per week.
INFO :
Kerry Adams - Proof Ltd
Fibre: PO Box 5654, Wellesley Street, Auckland, NZ.
Ether: 064 21 486 786
LINKS :
MySpace Artist Pages: Tech / The Filterbrats
Techs new EP ‘Dreams’ out now and available through – www.next-essence.com
Tech is a founder of the label : www.theproof.co.nz
Releases :
www.deepindub.org
[dId001] Tech - Non Action - Chanting soul lp - Various Artists
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