With limitless energy, they take to every stage, tearing apart the sound system and the audience. They know exactly how to navigate a world with a high demand for DJs, prioritizing authenticity and experimenting with a wide range of musical genres. On the occasion of this year’s debut at Up To Date, Adnable and shhron discuss their experiences and perspectives on the current scene.
Dominic: How many years have you been working together musically? It feels like forever!
Adnable: It’s been about three years since our first B2B, and for the past two years, we’ve been booked relatively frequently as a package deal. It’s funny that our first B2B was the promoters’ idea, not our own initiative – shout-out to the Refleks team, who invited us together to a very successful event at Sekta in Krakow. At the time, I wasn’t feeling very confident yet; Szymek was already playing clubs regularly, and I was just starting out. About a year later, we played together on a stream at Hoer, and since then, bookers have been inviting us as a duo quite regularly.
shhron: Officially, it was exactly like that. I would also add that, generally speaking, before our first B2B, we already knew each other very closely, as we’d been friends for many years and had shared very similar tastes in club music for as long as I can remember. Years ago, we were both into electro with a heavy bass DNA, and that’s what distinguished our “selects” and, in fact, still resonates with them today. We regularly went to the same events and were excited by similar things.
Your style is described as “bass-heavy experiments.” Where did your interest in this particular genre come from, and how would you assess the role of broadly defined broken beat in the Polish scene?
Adnable: I don’t like to define myself in a box, but if I had to answer, I think it was simply a process, a further exploration of broken select. Many producers I was inspired by (e.g., Aloka) moved towards a more broken genre than just electro. I don’t remember exactly when I started playing bass, because in my first set you can hear breaks, electro, UK garage, and leftfield bass, but also a 4×4 vibe. I like the term “multi-genre,” not necessarily heavy bass. Because I love playing in a dub atmosphere on summer evenings, and it’s a bit nice and pleasant there.
As for the Polish scene, we’re doing really well, and the sets by Polish DJs last year were, in my opinion, the best at the UTDF festival. I walked from set to set, thinking that this level was top-notch. We have wonderful, local selectors, enthusiasts, let’s spread that message even more!
shhron: I wouldn’t even agree that “my style” is defined that way. I lean more towards this multi-genre approach. The label of a break selector definitely stuck with me because, in my early days, I played a lot of electro and ghetto, and that’s what distinguished me (and my collective WE LECIM) on the Polish scene. The fact is, however, that this music has always intertwined with 4×4—not just techno. I used to joke that we smuggled these broken beats into the club like some kind of Trojan horse—the horse in this case was techno, haha.
Currently, 4×4 is as important to me as broken beats, although it all depends on the audience I’m playing for and the profile of the event. I sometimes play very bass-heavy and broken sets, especially at our Fisherman’s Bass Club events, but more often it’s a genre-specific and rhythmic jumble.
Adnable & shhron: But there’s something about the fact that when we play together, it takes us in a more left-field, experimental, and “heavy-bass” direction! It happens naturally, and we’re not hiding it—we like it. We understand each other perfectly in this area, often without words, yet we do something different together than we normally do in our solo projects.
So you also play techno?
shhron: Yes, definitely, although I’m aware that I’m not associated with it at all by promoters. Techno has been present in my life from the beginning, and I enjoy playing at these typical techno events. However, when I feel like I can create a “100% shhron experience,” techno is a tool for me, a glue for combining different genres—currently, especially Latin techno/Latin bass. I won’t deny that I’ve always been inspired by producers with a similar approach—back in the day, it was DJ Stingray, a few years later I discovered what Neffa-T is doing, and currently I’m incredibly excited by people like Verraco—a producer with deep roots in the South American scene who resonates with techno, which can be heard in his sets. If anyone’s looking for me at the next UTDF, I’ll be in the front row for this genius’s set.
Adnable: Surprisingly, that’s how I play techno. From the beginning, I’ve been diverting a bit from broken genres, breaking the broken elements of techno, but not enough to call it playing techno. I’ve matured into it, and now I know I have my two wolves: broken madness and proper techno. When mixing different genres, and a lot of them with a UK vibe, the mix is often very fast, and I simply love blending and like to keep my hands busy during a set. I love that vibe on the dance floor!
I really enjoy it, and I’m glad I’ve been trusted to play at some really cool techno events. To make life more interesting, sometimes bass, sometimes techno track! I highly recommend it!
Is this year’s performance at Up To Date Festival your debut at this event? What can we expect from your performance?
Adnable & shhron: This is our first time being part of the lineup, but we’ve been loyal fans of this festival for years, praising it as our favorite on the Polish festival circuit—primarily because the lineup always appeals to our tastes and because so many of our friends come to UTDF every year, and we only have the opportunity to chat with them in-depth this time.
And what can you expect from our set? We’re kicking off Saturday’s lineup, so our set will definitely kick off with more unconventional, rocking tracks with a bass core. We need to build a foundation for the stage’s atmosphere with our warmup for the next artists, and honestly, it’s a pleasure to think about the song selection for this occasion. It’ll be dub-infused, broken, and there will definitely be plenty of percussion, subs, and organic sounds.
Nowadays, being a DJ/producer has become more common, which somewhat devalues the role of local badasses.
Up To Date is also one of our favorite festivals, not only in Poland, and we’re thrilled to be able to see and hear you this year. Tell us a little more about the Silesian scene. I still remember the days of my sets at places like INQbator, Electric Cafe, and the student Panopticum. What’s clubbing like in Katowice and the surrounding area these days? Do you have any favorite spots?
shhron: INQ will probably always be a legend in Katowice’s underground club scene. Every now and then, I hear voices of longing for this place; after all, it nurtured several generations of Silesian clubbers. I’m glad that, in a flash of lightning, I managed to play my debut there just before the venue closed – it was a full-house party and a legendary event. It was also a symbolic end of an era. Three weeks after the closure, the pandemic broke out, and its reverberations in the underground club scene are still felt today.
The scene has changed; I feel like fewer people are as passionate about the scene, dig, and follow DJs and producers. These days, being a DJ/producer has become more common, which somewhat devalues the role of local, dedicated individuals.
When it comes to the Silesian scene, I feel like there’s a bit of untapped potential; I feel like there’s a lack of cohesion that would build a committed community. I also feel like there’s a lack of space in the scene for people who don’t want to work for a living, play to the bone, or pursue business techno, hard techno, etc. This isn’t a criticism of anyone; I realize that clubs need to make money too, especially after the “lean” post-pandemic years. This doesn’t change the fact that with my more “invented” selection, I feel more appreciated, for example, on the Warsaw or Poznań scenes.
Fortunately, I’ve always had my place in cool, hometown collectives that build a certain community around them. From time to time, I also think about getting more involved in building this alternative community, but with age I’ve learned to let go, because you can’t do everything – for now, my priority is self-development as a producer and DJ.
Which clubs or festivals abroad would you most like to play?
Adnable: As a basshead, I’d be thrilled to play at Outlook or Dekmantel. I also dream of playing a proper bass set somewhere in the UK, for a local crowd, to experience the roots of this music in its natural habitat.
shhron: I don’t think I have a specific club or festival in mind. I feel drawn to the Parisian or Berlin scene, where electronic genres churn just as much as different cultures. It would also be a dream to host a South American rave, for example, in Bogota.
Can you reveal your plans for the coming year? Can we expect any more festival debuts, collaborations, or other projects?
Adnable: Besides the highly anticipated UTDF, I’m lucky enough to play at Tauron this year, which I consider a great honor. You can still find me at the Dance Circles with the PR1VAT3 D4NC3R crew, where I’ll be playing a 100% techno set alongside Vi.
I have another techno core festival on the horizon, but there hasn’t been an announcement yet, so I can’t reveal anything… I’m looking forward to it! I also plan to visit Radio Rudina this summer, and Ableton has been waiting to be launched since January, but no one knows when that will happen… :3
shhron: I won’t say anything spectacular here – this year I’ve decided to devote more energy to exploring production, which will probably mean I’ll be a bit less in the event lineups. In short, I plan to nerd out more on the computer, and I’m aware that it’s less catchy in terms of reception (e.g., on social media), but it’s very satisfying for me and feels like a natural stage in my development. I have a few spots waiting for me at some cool V/As from international labels, which makes me very happy, but also helps me maintain the self-discipline of regularly connecting with my DAW.
I wish you endless success, thank you again for the interview, and I’ll be catching you on stage at this year’s events!