There are not a lot of music producers that can claim to have as much respect in the music circuit as Jack Adams, better known as Mumdance, garners. A man with an influential and often imitated sound, the artiste has come a long way in establishing a legacy in the music he makes.
Having honed his skill in the basement of pioneering grime artiste Jammer around 2006, Mumdance went on to build a reputation as one of the world’s most inventive DJs and producers, drawing inspiration from around the world while adding his own signature spin. Rooted in grime, techno and sound design, the enterprising producer brings a certain diversity in his sets that make his music distinct.
Catching up from the UK, the versatile DJ and producer talks about updates in his sound mix, his passion to make people move to his sets and his next steps.
Commenting on his take on India and its music scene, Adams says his only previous experience was at the Magnetic Fields Festival.
“That was one of the best festival experiences of my life in terms of its setting and music programming. I was not only impressed by the festival, but also by the Indian crowds, who are knowledgeable and have lots of dancing stamina.”
On how his sound has changed over the years, Adams replies: “I guess I lean a little bit more towards the techno realm than I did two years ago. Techno is a new colour to add to my musical palette and I’ve been enjoying mixing it up with all the other genres that I play.”
Mumdance elaborates on his production: “The timeline of UK rave music or the ‘hardcore continuum’, as it is sometimes called, is at the heart of my music. The hardcore continuum started with rave music in the 90s and then moved to jungle, garage, drum and bass, grime and 100s of other tiny fractured sub-genres. Being from the UK, I try to spread a little bit of that flavour, while putting my own spin on things.”
When people listen to his music, Adams wants them to experience it with an open mind and be ready to be led all over the place musically. “I hope that it exposes some people to music that they might not have heard before and plants a seed for them to explore more. I have a weekly radio show which is archived on my Soundcloud page, a good place to start if anyone wants to learn more about the music I play.”
Adams goes down the memory lane and says he has been making music since he was 16 years old.
“It’s just been something I’ve always gravitated towards. Before that I tried to learn a number of different instruments, including the drums, guitar and piano, but using the computer as a musical instrument made much more sense to me. It’s kind of like a craft – an alchemy of science and art which appealed to me.”
Adams describes his musical journey as ‘free falling into sound’.
“As I learnt more about music, my tastes got broader and more complex, which I guess reflects in my musical output and DJ sets. I have always tried my best to search out the newest, most interesting music, while still paying homage to the sounds which influenced them. I think it is just as important to look backwards as it is to look forwards. Lately, I have been interested in more avant-garde musical styles such as electro-acoustic music, music concreté, drone and sound art which is a whole other world of music and ideas to explore which I find very exciting.”
In the future, Adams hopes to continue doing what he does best – make music. “I need to also knuckle down and finish a proper solo studio album. I’ve been talking about it for years but just never got round to it. 2018 is the year!” he says and laughs.
To aspiring music producers he meets in India, he has one simple message:
“This sounds clichéd but be yourself! It is the hardest thing to learn how to do, but if you are yourself and are making music which is true to your tastes and your story, instead of following fashion, then no one can say anything to you.”
