In Conversation: Underground Resistance Cohort Esteban Adame Looks Back

As a member of iconic groups Galaxy 2 Galaxy and Los Hermanos, Esteban Adame has been involved with techno almost since it's inception and his productions, both solo and collaboratively, have been widely lauded. As a DJ, his sets are known to be deeply seated in Detroit techno, with a heavy infusion of his Latin roots, covering ground that other selectors able to compete with. It's this mix of influences that keeps him relevant and at the forefront throughout the two decades that he has been in the game for. It is however his work with original members of Underground Resistance that have elevated his name the furthest, and Esteban has been listed amongst some of the real pioneers of the genre consistently for more than a decade. We spoke to Esteban about how his various projects came about, his favourite piece of kit and why collaborating is more than just the sum of its parts before he joins us in Room Two on Saturday to celebrate 15 years of EPM. Tell us a little about when your interest in electronic music began? For me it was in the early 90’s. A lot of the kids in the neighbourhood had these mixtapes with this music I had never heard before. Then a buddy of mine from my baseball team took me to my first rave and I was just blown away by the whole experience. I wanted to learn how to DJ pretty soon after that but I never thought that I would be making the music until I saw a buddy of mine with a Roland MC-303. That summer (96’) all I wanted to do was learn how to make my own tracks. Who are your biggest influences in the music you make and play today? The usual suspects, Mike Banks, Robert Hood, The Godfather (Juan Atkins). I really like what my boy Gavin Russom is and has been doing. The way he makes his gear sing is amazing to me. I also dig Haxxon Cloak, Israel Vines, and IpMan. I really like the way they put their beats together. I can go for days….. Haha How did the Los Hermanos project come about, and how were roles divided between such a big group? Banks wanted to put a group together that brought Blacks and Latinos together. Similar to what WAR and Santana were doing where soul music and Latin music came together. Banks felt that at times there can be a lot of separation between these cultures and he says there should not be. In America we live in the same neighbourhoods, play the same sports, our kids go to the same schools and our lifestyles share a lot of similarities, so there should not be that separation. Los Hermanos was a way for us to celebrate Black and Latino unity through electronic music. In terms of roles, Gerald did a lot of the writing and was the resident Gospel expert. Rolando, Santi, and Dex were the DJ’s and did a lot edits for the releases. Banks was like the General who oversaw it all and I was brought on for my knowledge of Latin music. At the time, I played in a lot of Cuban Dance Bands in LA, that was how I paid my bills in my early 20’s. Rafael Merriweather (Ray 7) was the heartbeat on the drums, and William Pope was on bass bringing that Detroit Funk. It was a fun group to be a part of and I remember it fondly. Was the Galaxy 2 Galaxy project different, and how did you get involved there? G2G was pretty much the same, only there was a sax added to the mix and an MC with Atlantis (Corn Harris). The music was different of course, but the roles were all the same. I learned a lot about playing funk and Gospel. I had known how to play those styles before, but in LA they play it differently than in Detroit. Those years where a big influence on how I play keys and produce to this day.

"Mike was always big on letting the music speak for itself, always going into the venue as a group and to, as he put it, electrify your roots."

What do you call yourself first and foremost? A DJ, a producer or a live performer? I was a DJ before anything, I guess you can say that the decks were my first instrument but I perform and produce more than I DJ, but that is not by choice, folks see me more as a live performer. I have a working Jazz trio that I play with weekly and I still freelance as a pianist/keyboardist here in LA but I still love playing records for people and do it any chance I get. So I’ll say that I am a DJ that plays keys and makes beats. How did you meet Santiago Salazar, and what led to starting your own label together? I met Santi while I was working at a record store called Club Beat Records. A customer had mentioned to him that there was a kid that worked at Club Beat that was down with Detroit techno. He came in one day and we chopped it up. Soon after we started exchanging mixtapes, tracks and we would even collaborate. Years later while playing with G2G we had finished some tracks and Santi gave a CD of those tracks to Carl Craig. Carl signed our first ICAN single which was followed by a second. This ultimately lead to starting ICAN as our own. What do you feel that the act of collaborating with so many other talented musicians brings to the music you make and play? I think it’s great! I learn so much by interacting and collaborating with other folks, I like to see how they work and how their work flow is different from mine. It's also good to not have to make all the creative decisions when in the studio. Were the core ideals of the original Underground Resistance members still in the forefront of your mind as you made a part of their live act? Yes! Mike was always big on letting the music speak for itself, always going into the venue as a group and to, as he put it, electrify your roots. Mike was never about making any part of the show about any one person. Yes, he would feature musicians on different tunes, but it would always be about the group at the end. I feel that is a big part of what UR is about, staying low… What is your most essential piece of studio equipment? My MPC 2000 XL. I use it all the time. I love that thing! I always say that the MPC sounds like every record you ever loved. Can you tell us a bit about your contribution to the recent EPM compilation? I was lucky enough to get a track selected for it. I really appreciate the support that EPM has shown me. They released my album as well as singles by me on a consistent basis. I am honored to be a part of the label. What can we expect to see from you and your several projects in the coming months? A few more singles for sure and I am working on a follow up album. Are you looking forward to coming down and playing for us in room 2? Oh yeah! I love playing room 2, can’t wait.