BEYER, ADAM / GREEN VELVET - SIMULATOR

Adam Beyer's music is synonymous with all that is exciting about techno. Having emerged as the figurehead of the hugely prolific Swedish techno scene, Beyer's focused and considered approach to his craft has worked to confirm his position as a globally recognized DJ and producer who headlines the worlds cutting edge clubs and festivals week-in-week-out. However life in music began for Beyer down in the grassroots; making the most of Stockholm's blossoming techno scene and working in the city's renowned Planet Rhythm record store. It was here that Adam hooked up with the triumvirate of Cari Lekebusch, Joel Mull and Jesper Dahlback; sharing a passion for dynamic and diverse techno which inevitably led to the beginnings of production experimentation and musical exploration which has maintained to the present day. Beginning with the debut Drumcode 1 released on Planet Rhythm's record label, Beyer's production highlights including releases for Plus 8, NovaMute, Cocoon and Soma; remixes of Underworld 'PushUpstairs', Morgan 'Flowerchild' and Matthew Jonson 'Marionette' and a wealth of material on his own Drumcode, Truesoul and MadEye imprints. Something of an obsessive when it comes to creating his own productions the key to understanding the Swede's studio method can be traced back his formative years. The beating percussive pulse of his music has been at the heart of his musical taste since adopting the role of drummer in a band while at school. By the time he was a young adult he was fully immersed in electronic music. DJing at friends parties, working in the record shop, playing around with samplers and an Atari computer, investing what money he could in better and more equipment; everything was focused on music. This self-drive and dedication has been central to the development of his sound. Self-taught and instinctively creative; the result is an individual style founded on a patient and natural technique that neatly balances impact and innovation. The development of his own sound can be seen in the maturity of the three record labels Beyer positions at the heart of his operation. A passionate A&R, Beyer has bucked recent trends as Drumcode, Truesoul and Mad Eye go from strength to strength. Established in 1996, Drumcode was and still is about a very clear musical vision. Honest, forward thinking and functional; the label has stayed on its one true course from the outset; providing a consistent home to core artists such as Cari Lekebusch, Par Grindvik, Jesper Dahlback and Joel Mull while creating a platform for the leaders of the techno new-wave; Paul Ritch, Joseph Capriati and Alan Fitzpatrick. Truesoul pushes the boundaries of the accepted norm with forward-thinking music from artists such as; Heiko Laux, Steve Rachmad, Dustin Zahn and Nihad Tule while Mad Eye is where Beyer showcases his more personal and inventive productions. Beyer's progressive approach to his craft transcends into the live arena. A natural and accomplished DJ capable of playing across the range of his genre, his sets are characterized by a mesmerizing fluidity that enhances the power and impact of the music he plays; as witnessed on compilations for Fabric, Music Man and Timewarp. Greeted with the knowing expectation reserved for headline acts wherever he plays, Beyer prefers to share the limelight with the acts he supports on his labels. Nowhere is this attitude more evident than at the expanding network of Drumcode parties that are now a regular event across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Using the Green Velvet moniker to make his singularly twisted, funk-flecked house and techno hybrid, it was as Cajmere that he made his first musical mark back in the early 90's after ditching school half way through a post-grad, chemical engineering degree at top-notch US college Berkeley. Up until then, music had been a hobby fueled by cobbling together tracks on a "sixty buck keyboard, a cheap four-track and a cheap drum machine" while still an undergraduate at the University of Illinois. In 1992, after surviving on cheese sandwiches and maximizing credit limits, Cajmere finally made an imprint on the dance community with his infectious experiment, "Coffee Pot" (It's Time for the Percolator) – Clubhouse Records. Then he moved on to more complex musical and lyrical arrangements with songs like Lidell Townsell's "Get With U" (Mercury Records). The Cajmere and Dajae collaboration resulted in a #2 Billboard Dance Chart and International dance hit - "Brighter Days". It was at this point that Cajmere decided to start Cajual Records. Having his own label gave Cajmere the autonomy to attain his goal of developing a sound that was representative of Chicago. Later that year, he formed the sub-label Relief Records, mostly for instrumental tracks by himself and others. The label gave birth to his first Green Velvet production 'Velvet Tracks'. When he emerged as the flamboyant, neon-haired Green Velvet to front mid-90's hits like 'Preacher Man', 'Answering Machine' and 'Flash', the shock-waves reverberated throughout house and techno scenes the world over. This elaborately garbed, lyrically wild creature scored a direct hit, putting his hometown back on house music's production map. Jones has since brought his DJ stylings around the globe, playing house and techno under his Cajmere and Green Velvet monikers. In addition to DJ sets, he hit the road with his live show, performing original tracks in front of crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. "I've always been quite shy and introverted in a way," says Jones. "So it was weird getting up on stage and doing the Velvet thing. It's just quite strange that I'm doing what I'm doing now." Recent stops have included Exit Festival (Serbia), Awakenings Festival (Netherlands) and T in the Park (Scotland). In 2009, Green Velvet’s production made waves in the dance music scene yet again with “Everybody Wants”, this time collaborating with rap-songstress and fellow Chicago native Kid Sister. The club hit was swiftly followed up with “Turn It UP”, which features powerhouse production duo Santiago & Bushido. 2010 will see the release of a new Green Velvet album with an exciting guest list that includes Afrojack, De La Soul, Diplo, Kid Sister, Santiago & Bushido, Tommie Sunshine and more. With a new Cajual Records residency in Chicago—‘Green Velvet & Friends’—also to launch this year, the imprint of this artist remains fresh with the help of his network of DJ buddies from around the world. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.