In this edition of #CREATORTALK, we speak to Brighton based musician Daniel Adam. #CREATORTALK is a series of articles and interviews, with a focus on the creative industries and the the talent working within them.
PW- Hello Daniel. How’s it going?
I’m absolutely fine Ryan, thank you for asking.
PW- So, first things first: how would you sum up who you are and what you do?
Daniel Adam are a darkwave duo inspired by synthesized music from the 80’s.
PW – How did you meet (co-producer) Vadim Petrov; and what inspired you to work together?
Myself and Vadim met via Soundcloud. We listened to each others work and felt as a live act we would make a good combination.
PW- What would you say are the themes of your work, and your latest album Where the Waves Meet in particular?
The themes of our work are of love, pain and regret and Where The Waves Meet is the culmination of that thus far mixed with synthwave, retrowave and darkwave soundscapes and beats.
PW- What do you think is the appeal of genres like darkwave to artists and their audiences?
I think the appeal of darkwave is that people have been looking for something different for some time now, something that they can really feel and that really speaks to them and with this whole 80’s revival taking place, it’s just that thing to bring back the feeling of what was a fascinating and legendary decade, not just in music but in everything. darkwave can transcend right back there.
PW – Which artists would you say have particularly inspired you? And which artists would you recommend others check out?
Our three main influences are Depeche Mode, Radiohead and Pink Floyd but I find inspiration in all the great acts out there. Some of my favourites at the moment are The Ocean Beneath, Empathy Test, NINA, ALEX, Johnny Jewel, Kanadia and I like a couple of bands local to me named La Lune and Olivia May Green, all pretty special in their own right.
PW – Your bio describes how your work has been used by the BBC, among various other organisations. Which projects were these, and why do you think your work appealed to their creators?
We often get asked about our TV and film stuff and our features with The BBC and what we say is, we often see that we attract a lot of directors and producers of film and TV, and a certain type of radio show that would like to work with us and we see a theme, and our conclusion is that the whole darkwave thing just works great with film. We had our music featured in a UFO documentary that went out on The History Channel, a sneaker company even used some of our music on their TV commercial and we’ve been receiving a lot of airplay overseas as well as here in The UK, even doing some live stuff through the BBC, all playing this whole Cinematic 80’s thing we’re now finding on the synthwave, retrowave and darkwave scene.
PW- This site focuses heavily on creativity and the real people behind the art. How does creativity affect you on a day to day basis? Does inspiration typically strike you out of nowhere; or do you have very specific ideas and goals for any project you decide to work on?
Creativity effects us and me especially, on a daily basis. As an independent act in charge of our own destiny, we work hard. We live and breath this thing, if we’re not writing, we’re trying to get heard or performing, it’s a daily task of working hard and hoping in time, you’re going to get to where you want to be. To hang in there, you need to have balls of steel and if it’s in you, it’s in you and you’ve got to get it out. Not for the faint hearted but if it’s freedom you’re looking for, music is the place to find it.
PW- What are your ambitions for the future?
Our ambitions for the future are to have our music featured in more TV and Film and to compose Soundtracks for film and to keep performing live.
PW- In this kind of economy and industry, it can be tough to feel like you’re moving forwards sometimes. How do you battle these feelings when they come up, and do you have any advice to other people who might be struggling in a similar way?
There’s a lot of talk about how tough the industry is now and we have to say, we totally agree but you have to question what you’re doing it for. Off course, all artists would like to earn a living from music and receive recognition for their work but it is a tough industry, if it was easy, then everyone would be doing it. We do it for that sense of accomplishment when you listen to something you have recorded or when you hear an applause from an audience and if you can get some people on board to share that with you, then great and remember, when you’re playing or listening and you’re really in that zone, then fame or fortune doesn’t mean a thing.
PW- And final question. Actually it’s more of an invitation. Feel free to use the next few sentences to self-promote the hell out of what you’re up to.
We are Daniel Adam, purveyors of darkwave, synthwave and retrowave music. If you like Stranger Things, John Carpenter and all things 80’s show some love and check our third album release Where The Waves Meet, hear it in full here – Where the Waves Meet.
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