Alexander Drazin, also known as ADMN, is a highly talented musician who has been honing his skills since childhood. With a charming smile and Clark Kent-like glasses, he stands out as a true sonic superhero.
Photo credit: ADMN – Official
From a young age, ADMN showed a remarkable aptitude for music, mastering the piano, trumpet, and bass guitar before even graduating from high school. His dedication led him to explore classical and Jazz theory and technique, further fueling his passion for creating electronic music.
ADMN has an unwavering commitment to his craft. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant music scene of Detroit, he brings a blend of skill and tenacity to his DJ sets and productions, captivating audiences both in the studio and on the stage.
EG had the opportunity to catch up with ADMN to learn more about his latest remix of ‘From Beyond’ by Psyche, as well as future projects.
EG: Hi Alex, a pleasure to have you here at EG, where are you right now?
ADMN: Sitting at my favorite spot in Detroit to hang out, TV Lounge!
EG: So, your recent remix of ‘From Beyond’ by Psyche is gaining a lot of attention. Could you share your inspiration behind taking on such an iconic track?
ADMN: My inspiration derived from listening to the original enough times that I started to internalize the tune to see what pours out of me in the end. I had an absolute blast and am very happy with the results.
EG: ‘From Beyond’ originally appeared on the ‘Crack Down’ EP by Psyche in 1990. How did you approach remixing a track with such a rich history and how did you make it your own?
ADMN: Ooof. I tend to approach a tune by getting the low end to move the subs then write some chords on top to pull people’s ear drums in. The groove is the foundation, and the rest keeps people on their toes.
EG: The EP featuring your remix, along with reworks by Seth Troxler and Ataxia, has just been released on Planet E Communications. Can you tell us about the creative process and collaboration involved in this project?
ADMN: I would say that the collaboration mostly came from the feedback provided by Carl and Erno. I focused on what Carl was vibing with and continued down that path. When Carl said he “could f**k with this”, I knew on was on the right path!
“Music is subjective anyway, so who is to say what is good and should be listened to?”
EG: Carl Craig’s music often embodies diverse styles within electronic music. How did you navigate retaining the essence of the original while infusing your own unique sound into the remix?
ADMN: I leveraged the original stems that he provided to the best of my ability. Mangling some, using the bass and sub-bass with moderate changes to the mixdown to get them to play nice together while adding my own flavor. I tend to use deep lush chords in my music, and this was no different. I am very happy with the results.
EG: With the fusion of music and art being a core concept of Infolines, how do you see this concept reflected in your interpretation of ‘From Beyond’?
ADMN: Infolines pays homage to the party days of the 90s and early 2000s. There is a storytelling element to the label here that we try to capture in each record beyond the music through the collective artwork of those involved. I did my best to follow the same ethos and capture the essence of Carl’s original while putting my flavor into it.
EG: Your remix release is generating excitement. Looking ahead, what can your fans and the electronic music community expect from ADMN in terms of new releases or creative projects?
ADMN: I’ve been pretty deep working on an Art Projekt with Infoline’s artists Ashely Worden & Francois Dillinger in collaboration with Tim Price, Lightbender (Gabe Hall) and Remote Viewing party called the 313030 Projekt. It is basically a fusion of Art, Projection Mapping, Story Telling leveraging a modern phone system serving out to vintage phones packed in with an immersive live audio/visual performance. It’s been an amazing experience and I feel extra privileged to be working with such amazing and talented artists.
Musically, I have a remix pack coming on both digital/vinyl for my release with Oliver Dollar and Mr. V. ‘Sanctuary’ with remixes from Bendersnatch & DJ W!ld to be released on Industry Standard. More in the works beyond that I can’t quite talk about!
EG: Right now, social media seems to play a completely prominent role in the development of an artist’s career. What’s your stance on this? Is this bringing us closer than ever, or is it drawing our attention away from the actual music?
ADMN: This is a tough question. Social media is a difficult nut to crack. The algorithm seems to constantly change and to be able to predict when something catches is impossible. On the one hand, it’s great that we can put content out there on our own terms, but whether it is viewed is not as certain. There is a balance of the good and bad. I do think that it draws our attention away from the music. There are a ton of amazing artists out there with next to no social media presence. If social media was built to help those artists, I would expect them to have more of a following. The platform’s algorithms are a black box and appear more driven towards user engagement like clicking links, not so much the music. Music is subjective anyway, so who is to say what is good and should be listened to?
“I did my best to follow the same ethos and capture the essence of Carl’s original while putting my flavor into it”
EG: Can you share something personal with us only a few people know about?
ADMN: My cat is named after Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop one of the female leads of the popular anime series.
EG: Where should someone go when visiting your hometown? Bars, Restaurants, Clubs?
ADMN: Loui’s Pizza for Pizza in Hazel Park. Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop in Detroit for a Sandwich. Ima for all things noodles. Dos Locos Tacos in Hamtramck. TV Lounge & Spot Lite for your house and techno needs.
EG: How do you keep entertained when not in the studio? Have you recently found any good movies, books, or albums you’d recommend?
ADMN: Movies, SciFi Series, reading technical manuals (yes, I’m a geek). I’ve been watching ‘The Foundation’ on Apple TV which has proven to be a pretty cool SciFi series. Dragon Ball Super is my inner geek coming out. I’ve really enjoyed Arcane which is fairly new on Netflix. Really, I’ve been enjoying standing barefoot in the middle of my backyard lawn, that has been insanely therapeutic.
EG: Thanks for the time. All the best!
ADMN: The pleasure is all mine! Many thanks!
ADMN remix of ‘From Beyond’ by Psyche is out. Get your copy here.
Follow ADMN: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
