Adapter

A combination of glamorous 80s synth work, glistening disco vibes, and groove-laden modern tech house come together in the music of Italian DJ and producer Adapter. A veteran musician with a decade of releases under his belt, he continues to evolve and reveal new ways to revisit nostalgic sounds on the modern dance floor. His sub-thumping synth-heavy beats beautifully bridge the gap between modern house music and the genres that helped form its foundation. His releases on Get Physical, Hot Creations, Snatch!, Relief, and Black Book have blessed dancefloors the world over.

A lifelong musician, his background as a percussionist informs his approach just as much as the 70s and 80s records he grew up on. His hometown of Naples is also a key player in the construction of his musical DNA. We caught up with Adapter to chat with him about the moments in his life that informed his unique approach to house music.

What kind of music did your parents listen to when you were a child and how did that influence you as an artist?

My parents listened to all the good music of the 70s and 80s. I was very fascinated by those sounds. They conditioned me throughout my artistic career.

You are a pianist and percussionist. When did you start your musical journey?

I started from an early age alone without any professor. I was very tending to the piano but then I met the percussion and I fall in love with the influences of Neapolitan music.

Percussion still plays heavily in your music, do you incorporate a lot of what you learned as a percussionist into your creative process?

I believe percussion is the soul of a record. I love to include them in all my tracks, they give a magical essence. Also, I see that the reaction of the dancefloor in the club is different when percussion is involved in the tracks.

How did you fall in love with dance music? Was there a specific time or place that it happened?

Yes! I was 15 years old and I watched DJs play dance music in the clubs. I saw people's reactions were crazy and from that moment, I said I want to play this music too!

What do you remember about your first gig?

In the beginning, my hands sweat and I had difficulty batting the track cause of the emotion of the moment I was living, then thanks to the support of friends I let myself proceed to do what I know!

Naples has a strong culture of music. How did growing up there influence you musically?

[It] influenced me a lot. Naples is 100% musical exploration. We can start from the spiritual rites of the past, passing through the tarantellas, and end with the current songs.

You've said you don't listen to dance music outside of your work. Is there any particular reason?

Certainly, because the influences to produce come from other genres like rock, pop, chill, R&B, ambient, etc... That's the main reason!

Your music has big '80s vibes. Where did this fascination with the '80s  come from?

The music of the 80s influenced my whole life. My mentor is Michael Jackson. All my research on 80s music started from him. I love that genre is the most beautiful ever created!

What excites you about the future of dance music?

Dance music will always change. I'm fascinated by the new experimentation, continuous use of new sounds and vocals. I think we will reach increasingly difficult levels but really interesting at the same time!