Name: Adara
Location: Nashville, TN (originally from Colorado)
Dimitri: Can you mention your biggest achievements in your music career in 2014 and your personal life if it is something that you wish to share with our readers?
Adara: In regards to my music career as an electronic artist, my biggest achievement in 2014 has been my collaboration with DJ Shogun on our song “Dragon.” Not only am I proud of the track itself and the message it sends, but the song is the leading single and title track for his long awaited album 4 years in the making. Thanks to the support of the listeners, we reached #1 on the Beatport Trance charts. The song was also played on Armin Van Buuren’s A State Of Trance radio show 3 times. I’m so happy that the song has been well received. We wanted to make music with a message, that message being that we are all born with an inner spark. It’s up to you to set it ablaze and release the incredible person you can be just like a Dragon breathing fire.
In regards to my personal life, I’m proud to have completed my first round of P90X. This is by far my favorite workout plan. As you can probably tell from my music and songs like “Stadium” and “Dragon,” I’m all about strength. I want people to find the fight within them to be strong and reach for their dreams. I believe that physically being healthy and strong is a big part of that, therefore I have made it a personal goal to always be challenging myself in fitness to be prepared for whatever life has to offer.
Dimitri: 2014 was packed with releases from so many different styles, which Electronic Music style you believe is the absolute Electronic Music Style Of 2014 in the mainstream indifferent if you like it or not. Why you believe this style became so successful in 2014?
Adara: Electronic music is constantly evolving and there have been many intriguing fusions with other genres like pop and hip-hop. My favorite fusion this year is what Porter Robinson has been doing. He took the big room sound that we love and added a youthful, indie twist. He is setting a trend in an industry of non-conformity.
1) Best Track:
Adara: “We’re All We Need” by Above and Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston
This is by far my favorite track and song for Electronic Music in 2014. One thing that I love about this genre is that there is an overarching message of peace, love, respect, and unity (#PLUR). In a world that can be dark at times, it’s so beautiful to have music that emphasizes love. “We’re all we need!” I’m a romantic at heart, so this song really speaks to me. It’s about someone saving our heart. It’s inspiring, bittersweet, and chalk full of emotion! Above and Beyond really killed this track. In Nashville, we always talk about serving the song, and I think Above and Beyond really did that with this masterpiece. The production serves the song and conveys beauty. It serves Zoe Johnston’s entrancingly unique voice on a silver platter of bittersweet sounds. You can feel all of emotion and release from start to finish.
2) Best Artist (Dj & producer):
Adara: BT! He is ahead of his time. I can’t wait to hear the Electronic Opus project he is producing.
Cazzette is also consistently releasing well-produced songs. Their latest “Blind Heart” is such a fun record.
3) Best Remix:
Adara: Estiva & The Spacies - “Voices” (Estiva Club Mix)
4) Best Remixer:
Adara: Special tip of the hat to Audien, and his Grammy Nomination this year!
5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
Adara: Ross Lara.
Ross is my amazing producer. His tone choices are fantastic. My favorite thing about his productions is that he uses a lot of sounds that he records out in nature. He’s had a lot of success in the electronic and Korean pop world, so go check him out. Without him, my dream wouldn’t be coming true.
6) Best Electronic Music Album:
Adara: “Worlds” by Porter Robinson.
Porter Robinson creates something magical in this album by blending Electronic music with an Indie, young, and rebellious twist. Simply put, it’s real and it’s a sound all his own.
7) Best Electronic Music Compilation:
Adara: AnjunaBeats, Vol. 11
8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation:
Adara: The cover for “Worlds” by Porter Robinson is really beautiful. It’s artful and really matches the sound of his album.
9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track:
Adara: “Find You” - Zedd feat. Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant.
All of these lyrics are so poetic and deep. It’s chalked full of really unique imagery. They took a common concept of love, and being there to catch someone if they fall, and said it in a beautiful new way. It’s a pop electronic song with lyrics that really make you think. The words paint a picture that sparks the imagination.
Some of my favorite lines are:
“High on words we almost used/ Fireworks with a wet fuse/ Flying planes with paper wheels to the same Achilles heels.”
10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track:
Adara: Zoe Johnston. Simply put, her voice is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. It’s almost hypnotizing. She grabs you from the first word. It’s genuine, real, and raw.
11) Best Electronic Music Label:
Adara: Armada Music - they prove time and time again why they are at the top of the Electronic world by putting out top notch, amazing music. Enhanced Music is a close second for me!
12) Best Electronic Music Video:
Adara: Lionhearted by Porter Robinson (feat. Urban Cone)
It’s young, rebellious, and full of angst plus this video employs very colorful, cool effects. I like the juxtaposition of violent acts creating beautiful images. It’s jarring.
13) Best online Funny video related to Dance Music:
Adara: Definitely the video of the Orangutan getting down to some Dance Music (“Ravers Be Like”):
I’ve been told I need more “swag” so maybe I could learn a few moves from him. Haha :)
14) Best Online Social media network:
Adara: Instagram - a picture says a thousand words. Let’s be honest, how many times do you read a magazine and just want to look at the pictures? I can learn more about a person’s personality from 5 Instagram photos than from a plethora of status updates. I think it’s a great way for people to give others a glimpse into their world.
15) Best Twitter or Facebook message you received from a fan or friend or you have read on someone else’s account:
Adara: This is my favorite message I’ve received from a fan this year.
신이아 shinleea @shinleea Nov 17
Hey Adara ^^ I'm Lia from Indonesia,
I really love your Stadium acoustic version
It's such a healing & motivation song for me
(This one is great because it’s always such a wonderful feeling to know that my music can help and inspire someone. That’s what art is really all about and this is why I make music.)
16) Best personal selfie of the year, where, when and under which circumstances you took it?
Adara: I’m actually really bad at taking selfies. Can someone please teach me the right angles?! lol
17) Best music composition software:
Adara: I’m a HUGE Logic Pro supporter! Not only is it incredible for programming, which is super important in Electronic Music, but its sound bank and platform makes it easy to imagine and create.
18) Best Event or Open Air Festival:
Adara: TomorrowWorld in Atlanta! I come from a theater background, so the larger than life, intricate stages blew me away. The lighting and effects really made me feel like I had traveled to a fantasy world. And all of the people were amazing. I looked into the crowds and saw thousands of people letting the music move them and unabashedly being themselves. The beautiful part was that no one was judging anyone. You are free to be who you are.
19)Best country that you have visited to perform with the most up for it crowd:
Adara: Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to perform outside of the United States yet. However, I have been lucky enough to travel and France and Italy are my favorite countries so far! I hope that I get the opportunity to perform there someday soon.
20)Best Radio station:
Adara: Lightening 100 in Nashville. They are a major independent station that plays music that they love. There is a lot of variety and they are also really dedicated to introducing the world to talented up and coming artists.
21)Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music:
Adara: I love iTunes :) I hope that’s alright :)
22) Best Website that you visit frequently:
Adara: Does Netflix count? Their original shows are amazing, plus I get a lot of musical inspiration from the stories I find in movies and books.
23) Best Smart phone/Mobile phone device:
Adara: Sir Sampleton is one of the coolest apps ever! You can sample sounds and assign them to notes on a touch keyboard. Check out this video with Zedd and Dillon Francis:
24) Best Dj equipment (software or hardware):
Adara: Ableton Live!
25)Best new sound or sample that has been used in Electronic Music this year perhaps introduced first by you?
Adara: We used a Sea Lion growl in one of my songs. It was recorded while my producer, Ross Lara, was in the Galapagos. That’s got to make the list!
26) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2014:
Adara: Stay true to who you are and hold on to that initial vision that inspired you in the first place. People will have a lot of opinions, but if you start listening to every one of them, you’ll lose what makes you unique.
27) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2014:
Adara: Horseback riding. I’m lucky enough to know someone who has a farm with TONS of acreage, so I get to help out on the farm and go riding. I love animals and nature, so this is the perfect activity.
28) Best holiday destination for 2014 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
Adara: I’m heading to Lake Michigan for Christmas this year and I can’t wait! I will definitely be having a white Christmas this year. The snow makes everything beautiful. In my life, I am constantly searching for beauty, and Lake Michigan has a lot of it!
29)Best Movie of the year preferably related to Electronic Music that may inspire you to compose a track:
Adara: Divergent. The soundtrack for this movie was amazing, including heavy hitters like M83 and Ellie Goulding. The music and message of standing up for what is right and challenging your own limits as a human being makes for some great musical inspiration. The soundtrack is chalk full of soundscapes and beauty. That’s what I want my music to be like.
30)Best online/PC/video game of the year that you have played this year?
Adara: Well, I’m pretty bad at video games, but I did struggle through one game of Destiny on the Xbox One and it was AMAZING!
31)Best soundtrack for video game of the year:
Adara: Destiny for sure!
Dimitri: Finally, 2015 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.
Adara: I’ve got a lot of new music coming in 2015, so stay tuned. My hope is to do a follow up track with DJ Shogun since our song “Dragon” did so well. I’m also planning on hitting the road to tour with my new music and create a live experience that gives the audience a glimpse into my world.
Lastly, another passion of mine is fashion and I think that the fashion world is heading in a futuristic direction. I’ve been working with one of my favorite designers, Mychael Knight to design some performance pieces. I plan to work on some more pieces with him in the coming year.”
Dimitri: Thanks very much for your collaboration to reply in this interview
Thanks to Lauren at Theory X for organizing this interview.
Additional info:
