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Interview: We can always do with more Headroom…

May 4, 2011 By Dave Mac

Several years ago I rocked up at a club in Green Point, Cape Town to play a set after a 6 hour stint DJ’ing on Internet radio. Needless to say I was a little worse for wear and a tad under the influence. The floor was pretty packed and the vibe tangibly good. You see the DJ on the decks was a young upstart named Adam Metcalfe and his job was to warm the club up with some super groovy tunes before I took over. Well that night he had done more than just warm the place… Adam had successfully created a vibe that was oozing fun. Regretfully I don’t think I matched his performance that evening but I do remember thinking… ‘wow this boytjie’s got the juice to be a really good DJ.’ Little did I know at the time that Adam would go on to become one of South Africa’s, and indeed the world’s, brightest stars of the global psy-trance community having built up a solid reputation both as DJ and producer under the moniker, Headroom. Now as he readies himself for a 3 month summer tour of Europe, having been a mainstay presence on our own dancefloors all summer I touch base with him ahead of his travels…

When did you start producing?
2004

So which came first – DJ’ing or producing?
I started DJ’ing at 17, about 4 years before producing.

You’re originally from Zim? Did you grow up there or were you schooled in SA?
Yes l was born and schooled in Zimbabwe. I spent the first 18 years of my life there.

So how and when did you discover psytrance?
I first heard psytrance through my older sister. We visited Cape Town on holidays growing up and when she began going to Vortex and Alien Safari parties she became an avid listener, as did I. My first exposure was around 1998. However, it was my first outdoor party, the ‘2001’ Solar Eclipse’ in Zambia that sold me on the sound as well as the scene.

Did you grow up with electronic music?
I actually grew up around traditional Zimbabwean music as my mother managed a popular local artist but from age 14 my attention diverted towards electronic music and club life. I was really into progressive trance at first but when l began DJ’ing l ended up playing a more ‘housier’ sound, simply to even stand a chance of playing at clubs in Harare.

Who was your biggest music inspiration before you established yourself as a reputable producer?
In the psy scene l’d have to say Atmos, Sub 6, Infected Mushroom and Hallucinogen.

And today?
Well now l tend to look outside the Psy scene more for inspiration and that comes from Tipper, Amon Tobin, Noisia, James Holden, Extrawelt and Peter Broderick.

How often do you start a new track?
Once every 2 weeks.

How many unfinished tracks do you have?
Hmmm, scary….  I’d say close to 70.

So when are we going to get another Headroom album?
2011!!! Towards the end of the year though, as l have been traveling a lot.

A few years back we both discussed how homogenous psytrance had become (although admittedly many genres suffer the same demise). Would you agree that there seems to be a bit of resurgence in ideas nowadays, or is it still mostly just crap?
Well there’s still a lot of below average Psy but what l am seeing is many of the older reputable names are slowly returning to their roots and this is definitely bringing back a positive wave of ideas and energy.

Why do you release so few tracks these days?
A few reasons l guess. It’s partly to do with a lack of inspiration, some slack Psy labels sitting on my unreleased tracks and also my own perfectionist approach to my music. The longer I’m in the game the more analytical and critical l have become. I have also been committing time towards another project.

Your tech-house project?
Yes, it’s called Artelligent. l’d like to say its more techno oriented than tech house. Ultimately l hope to create a sound that has a fair amount of freedom within the tech boundaries. I honestly thought l’d have more time to commit to the production side of it but sadly l’ve only had time to get the DJ angle off the ground. It’s been fairly slow so far but mainly ‘cos my focus still remains Headroom. When album 2 is done l will push to get another live act going under this alias and then l feel it will start moving!

Many ‘psy producers’ have tried playing ‘non-psy’ (usually more techy stuff) on psy floors but with little success (Boom last year had people displaying signs that said ‘no tech please’) – what’s your take on this and where do you think DJ’s should draw the line?
Well l am open to new sounds and ideas coming into the scene as long as they remain psychedelic, which is where DJ’s should draw the line. I have and do play some very techy sounding tunes, made by psy producers and l see a better response to them each time. My main focus in the scene has always been to stand out a bit by trying something offbeat and while the scene has been in its lull of decent tuneage the timing to try this approach has been perfect.  Music, artists, punters and their scenes are always evolving.

Yeah, you do seem to find a lot of techy, minimal psytrance for your DJ sets. There’s not a lot of that around. Where do you find all those killer tunes?

www.KillerTechyFreePsyTunes.com ..Kidding…. Being a part of the producer circle has the benefit of access to unreleased music. It’s through sharing with other producers that l have come across certain tech-psy gems. Often the producer hasn’t found the right label for the tune or simply isn’t comfortable releasing it yet, so it can remain hidden in limbo i.e. my CD wallet, heh heh.

How much have you enjoyed the travelling overseas? Are you bored yet?

It’s been a real blessing and has made me a far more rounded person. Although l’ve had times where l hated individual trips, l wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Definitely not bored.

I believe you’re going to spend most of our winter enjoying the European summer. Tell us a bit about the gigs you’re booked for…

So far  I have closed Glade (U.K.) , Solstice (Holland), Blissful Festival (Portugal), Colour of Forest (Switzerland), Sonica (Montenegro), Aqua Veda Festival (France), Aurora Festival (Greece) and a couple more are still in negotiation.

So life’s good then?

Well it’s a rollercoaster but l’m loving the ride.

One more trance related question… last month our Little Misfit columnist wrote an opinion piece on the CT trance scene. Do you think she was spot on, or a little unkind to the board short boys from the ‘burbs?

On the whole she’s on the money but maybe a tad harsh to the boardie boys.  l think all of us who’ve been in the scene for  a long time will feel somewhat alienated by certain stirrings created by the younger blood but this exaggerates our assessment of the state of our scene. The youthful troops are the strongest supporters and energy bringers so it’s wise to accept them all and help them settle down into a calmer more respectful party existence.

And finally…. Beef or chicken?

Beef.

Bacon & eggs or lentil & tofu?

Bacon & eggs.

What’s ALWAYS in your fridge?

Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Hit the snooze button

And the last thing before bed?

It’s X-Rated!

If you did not live in Cape Town, which city can you see yourself living in?

Melbourne

Written   By   :   Dave Mac

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