Cue Points: ADIEL

This is Cue Points, a series where DJs get granular with current tracks in their sets, giving us the low-down on what makes them work.

On the tools today is resident of Roman nightlife pillar Goa Club, ADIEL. Since launching in 2016, her label Danza Tribale has become a key reference point in explorative, boundary pushing techno sounds. Currently, she’s gearing up for a stacked festival season in the midst of what has been one of her most travelled years so far, which has taken her from techno churches Berghain to Detroit.

Known for incorporating elements of psy and old school tribal sounds into her DJ sets that enchant and hypnotise, she picks out five records currently in her rotation and explains just how she does it.

Alessandro Bosetti – Stand Up Comedy

Alessandro Bosetti is an Italian musician, sound artist, and composer known primarily for his work in radio art, field recordings, and conceptual compositions. His work often explores the musicality of spoken language, focusing on the border between language and music, and using intricate soundscapes to challenge and engage listeners as in this track Stand Up Comedy.

The track is a form of comic monologue that relies heavily on voice, timing, and the ability to connect with an audience – elements that are central to Bosetti’s work. He utilises his expertise in dissecting the nuances of language and vocal expression, turning mundane conversations or language patterns into humour.

Part of his performance includes live manipulation of audience responses or conversations, transforming them on the spot into a part of the show. This real-time feedback loop creates a unique and dynamic form of comedy that blurs the lines between the performer and the crowd.

While this imaginative scenario stretches Bosetti’s actual artistic practices, it showcases the potential for cross-disciplinary innovation, fusing the art of sound with the craft of comedy to engage audiences in novel and thought-provoking ways.

I play this track as an intro at the beginning of my sets. I find it interesting because it creates a sense of suspense, and it’s good to see how people react every time. Being a dialogue, it is also technically good to be played on any track at any moment. Being also very long, both sides are usually great to start with.

Adiel – Nulla Resta (Adihell Version)

When I made this edit, I wanted to have a more playable and driving version of Nulla Resta. “Nulla resta” is Italian for “nothing remains,” suggesting themes of transience, loss, or the passage of time. The “Adihell Version” potentially amplifies these themes, delving deeper into darker, more intense, or even abstract sonic territories.

This version pushes the original track into harder techno, employing a heavier, more distorted beat and perhaps a faster tempo. It utilises darker synth lines, creating a more intense and enveloping atmosphere that is much more interesting when played!

I tried to introduce more unconventional sound textures and experimental noise elements, integrating them with the rhythmic structure to create a more complex and engaging listening experience. Sounds that evoke a sense of disintegration or chaos, aligning with the theme of “nothing remains”.

The tracks progression mirrors an emotional journey, moving from moments of tension and release to passages that might invoke reflection or melancholy before returning to the driving force of the beats. I think that each version of a track offers an opportunity to explore different facets of emotion, sound, and concept, creating distinct experiences for the listener while staying connected to the original piece’s essence.

I love to play this track in the middle of my set. I still get goosebumps during the pause, and it’s an absolute pleasure to play it on vinyl! I just released the record on my label, Danza Tribale!

Joey Beltram – It Works

It Works is a track from a legendary figure in the electronic music scene. Joey Beltram is an American DJ and music producer who is highly regarded for his techno work. He has been a pivotal figure in the development of electronic music since the early 1990s, known for iconic tracks like Energy Flash, which has become a techno anthem.

Like much of his work, It Works embodies the raw, driving energy that techno is known for, marked by rhythmic beats, engaging loops, and a mastery over tension and release that keeps dance floors moving—and it is also very satisfying for the DJ!

Joey Beltram’s contributions to techno and electronic music are significant, with a career that spans over three decades. He’s been influential not just as a producer but also as a DJ, bringing his dynamic sound to clubs and festivals around the world. It Works is part of his extensive catalogue that showcases his talent in creating music that resonates within the techno scene and continues to inspire new generations of electronic music producers and fans like me.

I usually play this track during the peak of my sets. It makes me feel elevated and energised every time I listen to it.

Sonique – It feels so good (En Motion remix)

The original track, which was released in 1998 and later re-released in 2000, became a global hit, showcasing Sonique’s distinctive voice and the catchy fusion of electronic dance music with elements of trance. Its success was propelled by its infectious melody, the emotive lyrics, and Sonique’s powerful vocal performance, reaching the top of the charts in multiple countries and becoming an anthem of the era.

The En Motion remix brings a fresh take to the original, infusing it with a more pronounced trance vibe that was characteristic of late 90s and early 2000s dance music.

This remix emphasises the track’s dancefloor appeal, adding new layers of synths, enhancing the bassline, and incorporating new rhythmic elements to give it a more energetic pulse, all while maintaining the emotive quality of Sonique’s vocals that made the original so compelling. I love to see the reaction of people when the vocal comes. Everything feels so connected and so unique.

Remixes like the En Motion version play a significant role in the lifecycle of a DJ like me. That’s why I love to play these kinds of old records. The skill in remixing lies in striking a balance between retaining the essence of the original track and introducing new dynamics that highlight the remixer’s unique style and vision. I find this track perfect for different moments; every single time, it hits definitely deeper.

Tobias. – The Continent of Reason

Tobias. embarks on a sonic journey with The Continent of Reason, a track that feels like a dream through uncharted territories of the mind and soul. This composition serves as both a narrative and an exploration, melding intricate soundscapes with a rich tapestry of emotional resonance, capturing the essence of introspection and intellectual curiosity.

At its core, there’s a seamless fusion of ambient textures and deliberate, thought-provoking rhythms that invite listeners to delve deep into their own contemplations. Tobias. crafts a piece that is not merely heard but felt, employing a minimalist approach that emphasises space and silence as much as it does sound on a sound system. This method allows for an immersive experience, where every note and pause is pregnant with meaning, guiding the audience through a vast expanse of cognitive and emotional landscapes.

The genius of the track lies in its ability to act as a metaphysical map, charting a course through the layered complexities of human thought and emotion. It’s as if Tobias. has set out to soundtrack the act of reasoning itself, translating abstract concepts into aural experiences that resonate on a deeply personal level. The Continent of Reason becomes a medium for introspection, offering a reflection of the listener’s own mind, with its myriad of thoughts, doubts, and revelations.

The ambient foundation of the track is punctuated by moments of electronic flair, reminiscent of the sparks of insight and inspiration that characterise the pursuit of understanding. These elements weave together to form a dynamic yet coherent whole, mirroring the processes of thought and introspection that are at once chaotic and ordered, fragmented and unified.

When I play this track, listeners are invited to embark on a journey within as they traverse The Continent of Reason, exploring the terrain of their own inner landscapes. The track, with its subtle complexities and introspective depth, encourages a form of active listening that is as much about self-discovery as it is about appreciating the music itself, also the same reaction I get when I listen to Tobias’s live. I usually love to close my sets with this track, leaving a sense of emotional excitement as a contemplative odyssey, charting unseen internal worlds and inviting us to ponder our own realms of reason.

ADIEL plays Mad Cool Festival, which takes place in Madrid between July 10 and July 13.