“Naively-produced-cotton-candy-music-for-people-with-a-very-good-taste.” That’s how producer/DJ Adryiano would describe his music in a little more than three words.
Though, as well as so-called “cotton candy music”, his sound has a very distinct, groovy, and retro touch to it, which he shows off on his latest self-released EP 100% AUTHENTIC VIP LOUNGE TRAXX.
“My musical CV looks like a chaotic subway map”: introducing German house producer Adryiano and his bang-on take on live streamed gigs.
The four-track EP follows through with Adryiano’s general aesthetic of not taking himself too seriously, labelling high-quality music in an ironic way while dabbling between genres. It doesn’t really come as a surprise that the German producer recalls being influenced by different sounds before he stepped into the world of electronic music.
“I’ve been swimming through various subcultures from punk rock to ska and reggae through hip hop back to hardcore etc. My musical CV looks like a chaotic subway map,” he says, and then adds that he didn’t even get into electronic music until the age of 18 or 19.
As his passion for electronic music sparked quite late, I wanted to know if he remembered when, and how he got into music in general.
“At a very early stage [in my life], my parents, who were contemporary performance artists, used to play Kraftwerk-inspired Slavic free jazz to get me to sleep,” he says. “No, I’m just kidding. I started getting pretty hyped for different kinds of music when I got my first Walkman as a young little guy. I used to buy cheap cassettes at weekly markets each summer I was in Poland, which is my first memory of being into music at all.”
Adryiano then went from being the young boy with a Walkman to playing in a bunch of punk bands, where he learnt to play the instruments he’s playing now. And even though punk and electronic music aren’t exactly similar, those instruments still have a significant role in the producer’s creative process.
“Most of the time I sit down, turn off my phone, switch on all instruments and start jamming without having anything special in mind,” he tells me. His instruments, however, aren’t his only influences and inspirations, as he explains:
“I’m into a lot of stuff. Like all kinds of random and weird stuff – whether it’s art, nature or science. When I find something interesting, I spend hours researching all kinds of information about a certain topic. Even if it’s about the pacifist straight-edge vegan hot dog scene in Nebraska.”
With the industry moving forward in an incredibly fast pace, musicians seem to be under a constant pressure to releasing new music. This phenomenon is even more distinguishable now due to COVID-19, with artists being unable to play live. I asked Adryiano if he has made similar experiences. “Kind of”, he says.
“To me, it feels like things have changed since the whole artistic presence has moved to the realms of social media. People seem to consume things (and music) way faster as they used to and, therefore, the amount of music released also seems to have adapted to this phenomenon. At least for the majority.”
As already mentioned, the pandemic has had a massive effect on the music industry and its artists with the global cancellation of almost all festivals, events, and gigs for the rest of the year. Several venues are unsure whether they’re able to open their doors again due to the ongoing uncertainty as well as massive cuts in revenue. However, some DJs seemed to have found the light at the end of the tunnel with live streamed sets.
This concept is polarising, as you either hate or love them. Adryiano’s live stream description, however, hits the nail on the head: “Do you know that feeling when you haven’t eaten all day and your mouth is super dry and suddenly you see this video on Instagram of someone cooking the most delicious tacos and you start licking the screen? That’s basically what live streams are – not the real thing.”
Livestreams and quarantine aside, I asked Adryiano for his three favourite tracks at the moment:
Polymod – No Other
“I’ve mentioned it so many times already, but it’s still one of my favourite tracks ever. Such a catchy piano riff. First time I heard it Gerd Janson played it at Panorama Bar. #memories”
Three Drives on a Vinyl – Greece 2000
“This is more of a classic trance festival Ibiza sundowner. Doesn’t always work, but I played it on a festival before the pandemic took over and the crowd went crazy. On a side note: I once also played it in a nightclub in Berlin and it was horrible.”
DJJ – Just a Lil
“Sick closing track, which has some sort of groovy-romantic-melancholic vibe. Sounds massive on a good sound system. Been playing it all year. Will probably keep on playing it even next year.”
100% AUTHENTIC VIP LOUNGE TRAXX is out now, get your copy here.
