Introduce yourself? Hometown? Where do you currently reside? 1 fun fact about yourself
Hey, my name is Miah Benton aka ADAB. I’m Chicago born, Cleveland raised, and currently Pittsburgh based. A fun fact about myself is that I’m largely identifiable by my weird pants people see me wearing all the time.
Favorite music collective atm?
There’s a few at the moment for me actually. TUF (Seattle), Honcho (Pittsburgh), Sublimate (NYC) and Room 4 Resistance (Berlin) are all doing some of my favorite stuff right now in one way or another.
Favorite mix series?
Definitely more than one for this category as well haha. Rave Scout Cookies, Daisychain Podcast, Abstract Without Extraction, Spontaneous Affinity, Neptunian Influence,Beyond/Below,HNYPOT and Truants are a few continually putting great stuff on my radar these days.
Describe the vibe of your ideal party? Space? Smell? Drinks? Anything you can think of 😉
My ideal party is a heavily POC and Queer warehouse that smells of shea butter, Palo Santo, Sage, Leather and Latex. The decorations are a blend of pan african/afrofuturist interior design and dystopian neon lighting. And it’s BYOB but there is a juice bar to keep everyone feeling balanced.
Dream b2b?
I think most of my dream b2b’s right now with the sounds I’m into are with people I know personally in one way or another:
Titonton Duvante x ADAB
CCL x ADAB
Tabasheer x ADAB
Clark Price x ADAB
SOLD x ADAB
HI-VIS x ADAB
FANA x ADAB
All of these would be really fun and interesting in their own unique ways.
Let’s play a pipipi game… I give you a situation and you give me a track
Just got a groupon to a zero gravity plane with surround sound
Swamping around in a greenhouse in a desert
emrecords.bandcamp.com/track/gazing-beat
Stuck in an underground subway filled to the brim
In love with someone at first sight
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUxN0K1ykNo
Any ritual performed before djing?
Every set I bring at least one african mask from my personal altar at home and set it up in the booth.
Describe the weirdest club moment you have experienced?
I was closing one of the Motherbeat parties we do in Hot Mass and at one point started to lose control of my hands via them cramping/clenching shut. Had never heard of it happening to other deejays so for a minute I was worried I was having a stroke or something lol.
Which current friends in your life inspire you on a day to day basis?
Well off top my partner Ayn aka FANA, the entirety of the In Training crew (Mx.Silkman, Father of Two, and Kiernan Laveaux),Tabasheer, Julie Mallis, Ali Berger, CCL, Russell E. L. Butler, Savile, Kamal Naeem, Eris Drew, Octo Octa, SOLD,and Hi-Vis.
Advice to beginning dj’s?
Don’t get discouraged. It’s all in the time you put in. Practice and don’t fixate on others accomplishments. And never ever be afraid to be weird…
Describe the best dj/live set you have seen this year?
I saw a lot of great sets this year but I’ll keep it short and say seeing our beloved Eris Drew play Now Way Back as I did backstage security was a thrill.
Favorite DJ trick?
A well placed backspin is always a ton of fun.
Look on whatever platform you use to listen to music and what is your most listened to track?
This is one of the most heavily listened to tracks in my youtube account:
Spiral Tribe “MI5” youtu.be/M8viegBjUTM
DJ dream of yours?
Currently it’s playing the Nyege Nyege Music festival in Uganda. Some of the others are weirdly already happening haha.
What would you like to see in the future for the dance community?
I’d like to see more diversity in sound,audience make up, and booking in the dance music community.In my personal opinion too much of it is still very homogeneous and doesn’t reflect the inherent diversity/resistance of this powerful form of music.