Having spent 12 years as part of the Lab4 behemoth, Adam Newman is making the most of his new found freedom by hitting the country's biggest hard dance nights in a big way with his intense DJ sets. We grabbed a word with him on life post-Lab4 in the run-up to his appearence in Frantic's arena at Tranz-mission at Ally Pally on April 7th...

It must have been a very hard decision to end the days of Lab4 Live. Was there a straw that broke the camel’s back or was it a very gradual process?

It was a gradual process, although personally I always felt that 10 years or so would be enough before I would be needing to have the chance to focus on something else. Lab4 was all consuming for the 12 years that we were together, with our constant gig schedule and all the work to put together and release the 3 Devilution CDs, 2 Laboratory CDs and the repress of Neurocide as well as 3 other full albums, our Fragile label… etc. etc. I ended up with so little time to write music, that when I did it had to be Lab4 music and I had no time to explore all the other styles of music that I am inspired by. I knew that that would not change while I was tied to Lab4 but that also my creative input to Lab4 would suffer if I carried on feeling creatively stifled.

Winning the Best Live Act Award at The Hard Dance Awards must have been a nice way to finish things off?

It was. I quite openly disagreed with certain details of the way the awards and the award party were organized this year and I don’t really like the idea of winners etc. amongst so many hard working and talented acts and DJs etc. However it was a great way to finish the Lab4 story. The whole Lab4 chapter of our lives is something that can now never be changed or taken away and I couldn’t have wished to have ended on a higher note.

Have you still been bashing out bits in the studio then?

I have been in the studio every spare minute that I have had this year, it has been so exciting. I have two new projects on the go - one is called The Judas Coven which is a very dark Techno /Industrial project (www.myspace.com/thejudascoven) and the other is totally at the other end of the scale, a little more long term and an outlet for all the styles of music that I love but that aren’t club based. I am also starting to feel ready to begin work on some new ‘clubby’ tracks some time over the next couple of months. I have also been spending a lot of time in rehearsals for various gigs playing drums for people (Proteus Live being the next in Finland in April) and also some studio work recording drums for an artist called Maria Ilett.

You’ll be playing in Frantic’s massive arena at Tranz-mission on April 7th at Alexandra Palace – the biggest indoor rave of the year. Do you wish that England had more of these large-scale shows like the Dutch do?

Yes. The various indoor raves that we have played in Holland have been amazing, the only thing that we were always left feeling though was that we wished it was to a UK crowd - sorry Holland, but for the most part the UK crowds are far more up for it! For some reason though, the Dutch can pull together anything from 30 - 100,000 people on an almost bi-monthly basis!

Yes although I have had to work at that a little. I have been DJing for 7 years or so and for a long time mostly people were expecting me to play either all Lab4 tunes or really fast and hammering. It has taken a while but I was determined to try to play sets that would be equally as dynamic as a Lab4 set but without just relying on Lab4 tunes. It’s exciting to be able to pick from 1000s of tunes for each set rather than just the ones you have written!

Is Adam Lab4 the DJ the same person as Adam who used to perform live if you see what I mean? Is your personality behind the decks the same as it is behind the keyboards?

No (well not completely). I have spent my life on stage, since the age of 17, either behind drums or keyboards (and sometimes not behind them) and that’s really where I feel at home in many ways. Comparatively I am still pretty inexperienced behind the turntables and have to concentrate on a different level! There is also something that feels very different (for me anyway) between actually hitting drums and creating the rhythm or playing sequences and samples etc. and actually playing music that you have written, that is very personal or that you may have wrestled with for days/weeks/months in the studio, just to get to that moment where you share it with people and get an instant reaction on what feels like part of you. It brings something very deep out, there‘s an honest brutal instant to it that is so different.

I am speaking of how I personally feel, as much as I enjoy DJing and sharing music with people in such a way, for me there is a constant need to be involved in live shows. I was so looking forward to no more gigs for a while and before I new it I was involved with two other live projects as well as being subconsciously focused on how to turn The Judas Coven into a full live show. Having said that, when I am DJing, I am still always trying to take people on a bit of a trip. I am still trying to create a bit of a rollercoaster ride, which is very similar to the way I like a live show to go.

When was the last time you went clubbing without any work being involved?

I went to Polysexual on New Year’s Day with my good friend Proteus. It wasn’t exactly ‘clubbing’ as I was pretty broken from Storm the night before. Other than that, I can’t remember! More often, if I have spare time to go out it’s far more likely to be to see a band play.

Are there any new producers that have caught your attention recently? Or has it more been the old guard doing the business for you?

I’m pretty out of touch with who’s doing what on what labels, I usually do all my record buying online and have recently started buying downloads rather than vinyl and often can‘t remember the artist or label. Just yesterday I bought an album by an industrial band called Panzer AG, which is a project by a guy called Andy LaPlegua who is from Norway I think and is also responsible for Industrial / dance act Combichrist, industrial act Icon Of Coil and Electro house act Scandy. The album is from last year and although I find some of the vocals a little difficult on the ear, the sounds and rhythms throughout the album are some of the most inspiring that I have heard from an electronic album for a long time. I am always looking for a sound, whether it be a single sound or the over all sound that makes me think ‘fuck!, I’ve never heard that before’. It doesn’t happen very often.

I think too many producers, new or established, are too scared of having a track ‘crash’ on the dance floor to take the chance of creating the next new sound or moving things on.

What was the last film you saw? I get the sense that you are quite inspired by films – true?

I love films. The last film I saw was a film called ‘Down in the Valley’ with Edward Norton (Fight Club etc.). It’s set in the present-day San Fernando Valley, and revolves around a delusional man who believes he's a cowboy and the relationship that he starts with a rebellious young girl - cool and vibey. Also the same day I watched ’Children of Men’ and ’Right Outside Your Door’ which are both very good films but pretty bleak! I was trying to kill time that day before leaving for a DJ set.

When was the last time you felt in awe of another musician / DJ / performer?

Well at the moment I am pretty in awe of the body of work that Andy LaPlegua (see above) is responsible for. While none of his projects would be among my favourite albums, I have been so inspired by so many elements and details of what he is responsible for. There is also an Australian singer called Bernard Fanning (not Manning !) who is from a band called Powderfinger. He did a solo album last year that went 4 times platinum in Australia alone within a few months of release. It’s pretty much Bluesy/ Country/Rock but the song writing and musicianship throughout blew me away. I went to see him play live and would have loved to have relived the gig every night of that week! Also the latest albums by Slipknot, The Chilli Peppers and Muse. I am really excited about the next 6 months as there will be (should be) new albums by Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails and Metallica!


Check out the full line-up for Tranz-mission here: http://www.dontstayin.com/uk/london/alexandra-palace/2007/apr/07/event-90388