Adam Ten is an Israeli musician and a rare, talented DJ. For the last 10 years, he has shaped his own unique sounds and has become one of the leading names in the underground scene of Tel-Aviv. He’s prone to play all-nighters, floating with the crowd and taking them on a smooth journey, seamlessly mixing a wide range of genres. Versatile, and always positive, Adam Ten describes himself as “a primarily curious DJ who is always ready to take the next step and push the boundaries of the crowd”.
EG caught up with Adam Ten to learn more about his career development, his own Maccabi House imprint, the state of the scene in Israel, and much more.
EG: Hi Adam! Welcome to EG! It’s great to have you with us. How have things been going so far this year?
Adam Ten: Hey guys! This year has been great so far. I’ve been busy playing on the weekends and touring a lot. Luckily, I’ve done lots of music in the past 2 years, so most of it is gonna be released this year, and it gives me time to work on new music with no pressure/plans to release it.
EG: You run the Maccabi House label. How has been doing since its launch? What is the brand up to at the moment?
Adam Ten: I’ve started Maccabi House last year with a mission to release house music with some new twists and flavors, trying to not follow trends of sounds and just release what feels right.
We didn’t compromise on the music and had some fantastic releases, mainly from upcoming Israeli artists that are friends of mine. When I hear a good idea, I always try to help the artist to make the best out of the track. Sometimes it’s mixing advice, and sometimes, it’s just ideas on the arrangement of the track. As an artist, I know how these little tips could help a lot, so I try to do that with Maccabi artists. We’re getting amazing feedback about the music from both DJs and the crowd. There are lots of great releases planned for this year, Including my own EP and also Yamagucci’s first album! We also have some label parties in the works, so I’m pretty sure there is a bright future for Maccabi House.
EG: How Maccabi House has been received by the Israeli electronic music scene? What does the Israeli scene look like right now to you?
Adam Ten: The Israeli scene is crazy! Everyone who has played here will tell you the same. There are tons of parties each weekend, all over Israel, and also some club nights in the middle of the week. There are lots of new young producers that are pushing the scene. In the past, there were mainly DJs, but these days it’s all about production, and I’m very happy with that. Some upcoming acts worth listening to are Monblaiere, Rebern, Pinto, Snirco, Bonafique, Maori, and the list goes on…
EG: Summer is almost around the corner…What are your plans in terms of gigs and music?
Adam Ten: In terms of gigs, I’m happy to play in new places and some festivals that will be revealed soon. I’m also making my Hï Ibiza debut alongside legends such as Black Coffee and Damian Lazarus, and I will be playing at Diynamic Barcelona during OFFSónar, of course.
As for the music, I have lots of releases including my 1st EP on Maccabi House, a collaboration on Yamagucci’s upcoming album, remixes for Ruede Hagelstein, Red Axes, and Yulia Niko, and an EP on Crosstown Rebels alongside Mita Gami.
“It’s good to follow new music but it’s even better to find old gems that people don’t know about, so when I’m digging for new music I always look out for both”
EG: How do you go about preparing your sets? Does every set require you to assemble a new folder? Do you try to base everything around your own music?
Adam Ten: I was DJing lots of years before I actually started producing so for me DJing comes 1st. Sometimes I find it a bit hard to play my music, as I have played it many times before. It is a tricky situation because most of the music is still unreleased and new for the crowd, but for me, it’s too much and can feel like a ‘show’ instead of the proper DJing, but usually, I just find a good balance.
Every time that I have a really good set, I save it as a playlist, and then it’s always fun to go back and pick up tracks from those playlists when you are stuck or just not sure what to play next. For big and important events, I’m trying to imagine the party and the vibe that will be on my DJ slot and then just make a playlist around it with like some 40-70 track options. It’s good to follow new music but it’s even better to find old gems that people don’t know about, so when I’m digging for new music I always look out for both.
EG: What about mixing? Do you know beforehand how one track will slide onto the other? Do you like to go for mixes you haven’t tested before when playing live?
Adam Ten: Yes of course! The fun part about DJing is the mixing of tracks. I try not to be predictable, sometimes playing track until the end, sometimes just playing half of the track, and sometimes I’ll skip long breaks by mixing the same track in two decks. I have many tricks and stuff I do so I can play the music the way I want to and not necessarily the way it was created. I have never prepared the mixes before. I just follow my instincts, for good or worse. A good mix, for me, is when both tracks sound better when they play out together. This usually means that the groove or melodies (or both) should sound like it’s one better track. When choosing the right tracks the mixing part feels much easier.
EG: What pieces of advice would you give to someone starting out and looking to make the most out of their career?
Adam Ten: Set goals and work hard every day to achieve them. Be kind. Keep going. Do it from the heart.
EG: We’ve all had a chance to slow down in the past years and reassess. What would you like to see more of in our scene? What would you like to see less of?
Adam Ten: I would be happy to see more promoters pushing & supporting new artists and giving chances to the ones who actually create music.
I would like to see fewer phones and mainly fewer flash videos on the dancefloor, it kills the vibe most of the time.
“I have many tricks and stuff I do so I can play the music the way I want to and not necessarily the way it was created. I have never prepared the mixes before. I just follow my instincts, for good or worse.”
EG: What else can we expect from Adam Ten in the future? What new milestones are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Adam Ten: I hope my future will be just the same as my present, creating music during the week and DJing on the weekend. I love both and I will do them as long as it makes me happy. I’m thankful for this opportunity to do what I love every day, and I’m trying to enjoy it without thinking too much about the future.
EG: Thank you for your time, Adam! We wish you all the best for the future!
Adam Ten: Thank you guys & enjoy my mix 🙂
Adam Ten & Mita Gami’s remix of Alphadog’s ‘Golden Boy’ is now available via Maccabi House. Grab your copy here.
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