I first ran into Adam X at Groove Records in 1992, back when he operated the store on Avenue U in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, N.Y. It was a summer Saturday afternoon, the breezes were whipping off the water and the store was full of kids excited about the latest from labels like R&S. Storm Rave flyers dotted the walls and a new dance culture was just grabbing its foothold in the States. Of course, DJs like Adam X and fellow Groove principal Frankie Bones were as responsible as anyone for importing the records and the scene.

Fast-forwarding nine years, Groove has moved to Manhattan (now as Sonic Groove) and Adam X remains one of America’s top techno devotees. A listen to his two latest Instinct Records releases, On the One & Two (a mix comp) and Creative Vandalism (an artist album) shows that Adam X isn’t in this for the glow sticks. Rather, he offers a full-on techno experience that can be equally soothing and riveting. DJ Times caught up with Adam X to talk techno.

DJ Times: Ten years after the Storm Raves, putting Brooklyn on the techno map, what do you make of the current scene?

Adam X: It will never compare to the way it was. The current scene is very divided. The raves are a certain age group predominantly between the ages of 15-20 years old. The-21-and-over crowd mostly attend nightclubs, small loft parties or bars. The scenes do not cross much at all. Most people in my age group will avoid raves at almost all costs. Many of my friends will not come to hear me play if I’m DJing at a rave. It was much different back in the day because it was a total mix of everyone.

DJ Times: With On the One and Two, your techno sound remains aggressive, minimal and edgy. Has your musical approach as a DJ changed much over the years?

Adam X: My approach is still the same. Musically, I have the same visions of techno that I had 11 years ago. Perhaps the only difference now is that I keep it a bit more down on the tempo. I don’t like to play faster than 135 BPM during the peak of my set. Years ago I would top the 150’s on BPM. I often wonder how I played that fast back then. I guess my testosterone level was a bit higher when I was a youthful DJ. I feel that music faster than 135 BPM loses most of its groove.

DJ Times: Did you do the mix CD on computer or live from decks? Do you have philosophical hang-ups about whether DJs use Pro Tools on these things or not?

Adam X: I’m totally against using ProTools or any other editing programs on a mix CD. On the One and Two as well as the Mastermix CD I did on Wax Trax in 1999 were both done live in my studio. The only use of a computer was to master the final mix. I wanted to make sure the levels were consistent throughout the CD. The reason I’m against editing is that I don’t want people to buy my product and get a false representation on how I play records. The way I mix on my CD is the way I DJ. Love it or leave it.

DJ Times: Which producers/remixers rate with you these days?

Adam X: I find that many of the new records I play are from unknown artists. The big name techno producers seem stuck on giving people the same thing that made their names big in the first place. I find that unknown producers take more risks and are not afraid to experiment with new sounds and ideas.

DJ Times: In America, it seems that genuine techno has fallen far behind other forms of electronic music in terms of popularity. Do you see that?

Adam X: Underground techno has always been behind in popularity versus other forms of electronic music in the States. Why that is I’m not quite sure of. The underground techno scene is still strong. It gets a bit bigger every year. This year the Detroit Music Festival is expecting over a couple hundred thousand people. So I don’t think techno is losing ground. This form of electronic music doesn’t have the crossover mainstream appeal that trance and house have, so I have no reason to believe it will ever be as big as those genres.

DJ Times: From a production standpoint, is there a piece of gear that you can’t do without?

Adam X: At the moment my main piece of gear is my Akai MPC 2000 XL. I wouldn’t say that it’s vital to my sound for one simple reason...I could achieve the same sound with other pieces of gear. The only thing to me that is vital to my sound is my way of thinking. I feel that one of the main problems with creativity within producers today is they get too caught up in the technical side of things with gear as opposed to the creative side. Listen to techno records from 10-15 years ago that were produced without higher-end digital gear. I find many of these tracks are way more creative than music being released now.

DJ Times: What’s next for you?

Adam X: I just finished a project for Tresor records in Germany. I have a new release coming out on Things To Come records, which is based in NYC. They have a huge following in Germany. This particular release is different in style to the music I’ve been doing. It’s hardcore distorted industrial/techno ranging in BPMs from 114-132. It’s very dark and aggressive. I also plan on playing live within a few months and have already started work on my live show.

— Jim Tremayne