Adam Freeland

Adam Freeland, sometimes billed as simply Freeland, is a breakbeat DJ/producer from Brighton, England, who debuted in the mid-'90s. One of the pioneering breaks artists of his time, he founded the Marine Parade label and in later years performed live with a band on occasion. Born on August 7, 1973, in Welwyn Garden City, England, Freeland made his recording debut in 1996 with Coastal Breaks, Vol. 1, a mix album showcasing a then-emerging style of breakbeat electronica sometimes tagged as nu breaks. The success of the album spawned a follow-up release, Coastal Breaks, Vol. 2 (1998). Meanwhile, Freeland collaborated with Kevin Beber in the production duo Tsunami One, which debuted in 1997 with "Number 43 with Steamed Rice Please"; more notably, the duo collaborated with BT on the song "The Hip Hop Phenomenon" on the album Movement in Still Live (1999). Moreover, he founded the label Marine Parade in 1998 and began releasing the production work of others. In 2000 Freeland released his most acclaimed mix album, Tectonics, a release on Ultra that was innovative for its time and featured "The Hip Hop Phenomenon." As a producer, Freeland made his full-length solo album debut in 2003 with Now & Them, which was released on Marine Parade and spawned the singles "We Want Your Soul," "Supernatural Thing," and "Mind Killer." While Freeland remained active as a producer and remixer in subsequent years, he didn't release his second full-length solo album, Cope, until 2009. Released on Marine Parade, the album, whose musical style is shoegaze-style rock as much as breakbeat electronica, is a band effort featuring Kurt Baumann (vocals, bass, guitar) and Freeland (synths, electronics, backing vocals), plus other musicians, including notable guest appearances by Joey Santiago of Pixies, Jerry Casale of Devo, and Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe. ~ Jason Birchmeier