Adam Ten and Mita Gami bring Maccabi House to Coachella [Q&A]
Published: April 23, 2024
“Friends coming together to create special moments” is the motto Adam Ten and Mita Gami emphasized while gearing up for Coachella. Both named Dancing Astronaut Artists to Watch in 2024, the Israeli DJs executed one of the few and exclusive back-to-back DJ sets this year. While they’ve co-DJ’d many times in the past, the producers maintain unique and individual artist projects, with their joint productions comprising a supplementary creative outlet. Still, the duo boasts upward of thirty joint records, including “High On,” “Spring Girl,” and “Lego,” among others. In addition to being individually talented, Adam Ten and Mita Gami work exceptionally well together, both in the studio and onstage.
In addition to their highly anticipated stints in the Yuma Tent, Adam Ten and Mita Gami played opening duties for Rüfüs Du Sol as late additions to the Quasar Stage lineup. The DJ pair came prepared with special edits and never-before-heard track IDs, offering attendees an exclusive, psychedelic atmosphere during their time in the desert. Dancing Astronaut sat down with the DJs for an exclusive interview ahead of their Weekend 1 performance; read it below.
As one of the only back-to-back sets on the lineup, what does it mean for both of you to represent Israel at Coachella?
Adam Ten: “We’re very happy bring our sound from [Israel]. We have been in the Tel Aviv scene for a while, and there are a lot of producers. We do our best to support those that we believe have good music and are worthy to hear about. It’s not about countries; it’s about the music.”
Mita Gami: “Israel has a lot of very good producers, and the sound that comes from Tel Aviv is unique. The Maccabi house sound…It’s a movement, and it’s become a recognizable sound.”
Adam Ten: “Regarding the back-to-back, it’s really good that we’re doing it because both of us are also independent artists. So, when we play back-to-back, I am playing my music and he’s doing his music, and then we do music together. We like to keep the back-to-backs for these special moments.”
How did the Maccabi House label develop as a collaborative effort?
Mita Gami: “It started a few years ago, and then I officially joined a little bit after that.”
Adam Ten: “We started the concept as a platform to release our music, and friends’ music, that we believe in. After two years of just pushing the music, we got to focus more on the brand and parties.”
When did you notice the first breakthrough of your sound reaching North America?
Mita Gami: “We can say Burning Man 2022 at the Mayan Warrior Art Car. We played mostly an original set and people liked it. It was the first time a big crowd like that was listening to it and commenting on it.”
Adam Ten: “We had stable growth without having just one hit. Burning Man was a place that we really wanted to go and play. After the set, people started noticing and we started building.”
How would you guys categorize your genre of music?
Mita Gami: “It’s a combination of a few, including funk, indie dance, and tech house.”
Adam Ten: “I would say it’s like psychedelic house… Because it’s house, but with Israeli flavor, as psy-trance is the main genre in Israel.”
How do you curate your sets for an intimate club setting compared to a big festival?
Mita Gami: “When I go to a festival, I like to hear edits and happy songs. I’d go to festivals with my friends to have fun and listen to happy music. With clubs, its more underground and not as many big moments. It’s more about the groove and the continuous dancing. At festivals, it’s about moments. “
Adam Ten: “You have a limited amount of time at festivals. So, you come more prepared. It is less about improvisation and more about creating a kind of show structure. For Coachella, we would create a specially edited track, or a new track that we’re going to present at the festival. When you have those kinds of big stages, you want to bring your sound that people are familiar with, but you also want to bring something fresh.”
“Toys” is your latest release on Higher Ground. How did this record come about?
Adam Ten: “‘Toys’ is a collaboration with Rafael, a talented friend from Tel Aviv. He had prior releases on Maccabi House… We were just like jamming in the studio. We made a house song, but then we added psychedelic trance elements around it. I really loved the outcome. I think it really fits the American market.”
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