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A.skillz - Artist Profile
Adam ‘A.Skillz’ is one of Sussex’s most talented beatmeisters. At just 23 years of age, Adam has been producing music and DJing for more than five years. Since starting out playing drums in the rock band Sabio, which for several years took him on regular tours across Europe, Adam has fast gained a reputation for himself as studio wizard, musical maestro and tantalizing turntablist.His incredible deck talents involve fusing funk, hip-hop and breaks with his own style of highly innovative scratching and sampling, and have won him prime-time slots across the UK including FabricLive, Ministry of Sound, The Apollo, 93 Feet East and Chew The Fat in London; Supercharged, The Boutique, Catskills, Ocean Rooms and The Event in Brighton and Blowpop in Bristol, as well as gigs across the world playing at major events and music industry parties such as the Hit Factory Studio (New York) and Transmusicales Festival (France).
A.Skillz has also been a busy boy in the studio with his impeccable engineering talents being utilised by high profile labels such as Defunked, Arista, Curious Records and Planet Funk. He also co-produced the flip to the UK No.1 smash hit “Breathe” by Blu Cantrell with fellow producers Ed Funk & D Rok, as well as “Feel The Love” with Funk n’ Flex. Adam has also mixed and engineered compilations for the UK’s leading dance music magazine Mixmag, and has written and produced tracks for pop groups T-Girl and Tribe.
Over the past two years, Mr Skillz has been working in the studio with a certain other Brighton breakbeater and scratchmaster: Finger Lickin’s very own Krafty Kuts, producing their highly acclaimed album “Tricka Technology”. With a nod towards De La Soul, Ugly Duckling, Gorillaz and Jurassic 5, it is true Finger Lickin’ Funk, and the future certainly looks bright for these two! Enlisting the talents of some of the world’s best hip-hop and funk artists including Kurtis Blow, Real Elements and Ashley “Freakpower” Slater, the duo have created an album that just oozes a summertime vibe full of hip-hop beats, party licks, deck tricks and spontaneous skits.
On the one’s and two’s the pair have left audiences and dancefloors astounded with their shows, demonstrating their skills by DJing together on four decks and two CD mixers, and so far have already had a jam-packed year with gigs at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Pacha Ibiza, DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ Awards Ceremony, live sessions on BBC Radio 1 and a tour in Australia being just some of the highlights - and it’s only just the beginning! In February 2004 the boys embarked on the live Tricka Technology Tour enlisting the talents of the artists featured on the album.
2004 has been a busy year for A Skillz with his extraordinary musical talents being enlisted by some of the world’s biggest brands. His quirky little ditty “Short Breath” has recently been featured on the Renault Scenic adverts, he has had yet more of his work used for Sony Playstation and he has been commissioned to write the theme music for the upcoming TV series “Sex Inspectors”. In October, A Skillz will be heading off on his first solo tour of Australia which will see him play to sell out crowds in all major capital cities.
He is currently working on his first solo artist album which will see him team up with DJ partner Krafty Kuts as well as other major names for some seriously hot collaborations! You read it hear first: you’ll be seeing plenty more of the amazing Skillz in the future!
Written: 10th Jul, 06
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