AFM -2014

Adam Farouk Music

The "Musician's Unified Systems Integration Consortium"..."Syntax Interpolation Consortium"... what?

So what's the story?

I've joked that the "music" in "Adam Farouk Music" is actually an acronym that stands for: Musician's Unified Synthesis Integrity Consortium... which, in true acronymic style, is a way to take a lot of big words and not really say much of anything. Yet oddly enough, stripped down, it's a surprisingly accurate way to describe what's going on... basically, a silly way of saying "a bunch of people putting together a bunch of stuff and hoping it holds together," which is in essence what the AFM system is. Nothing fancy, just people, and stuff.

Huh?

No, you got it. Here's the backstory. After numerous sessions at various studios working with a blessed array of wonderful and talented artists and technicians, I found myself still finding the traditional “label” method of creating music (artist -> producer -> engineer) to be limiting. No matter how brilliant the producer, they are still but one person, looking at the music with one set of contexts.

@ The JB Cave. Jesse Barrera, Adam Farouk (2012)

A keyboardist producer such as myself will always see things, on an instinctual level, pianistically, and the same with, say, a guitarist producer. Bending to change, while possible, creates a moment of rejection of that artist’s natural way. I’m not into this. I’ve met many producers who have so generously said, “I’m here to make you (the artist) happy.” I am honored by this sentiment but I’m not really interested in this form of collaboration here. The producer is already giving me the gift of their talent transposed onto my creations; this already makes me happy. What I am interested in is the expression of themselves as an artist, fully and according to their natural way.

So these two components: the recognition of the limitation of having a single point of view and set of contexts on an artistic creation; and the desire to see the fullest expression of the collaborating artists displayed on the project, lead me to seek and develop this new way.

@ Crit's Cave. Crit Harmon (2011)

@ Soundtrack Studio. Tim Reppert (2010)

@ Soundtrack Studio. David Matthews, Adam Farouk (2010)

Which is?

In the AFM system, I collaborate with a number of producers on every single song, as budget allows, usually working with a couple of primary producers, and one or two adjunct ones. Usually I like to match the project to a producer who fits the style, though something going against type really works. They listen to the track, then we discuss vision, each separately (save for Tim and Crit, I’m not sure who else actually knows each other lol). For the most part I keep my trap shut: I just like to hear what ideas are being generated; I’m invariably touched by the fact that my music is affecting people. We clear up bits that are vague in the demos, and I leave them to go and be awesome, which they invariably always are. I’ve spent a few sessions actually on location in studio but again, similar to AFO, often times my schedule is prohibitive.

@ Studio Bopnique Musique. Richard Gates, Anthony J. Resta, Adam Farouk (2012)

Meanwhile, I work in my own project studio at either BlueDorian Sound or BlueDorian East, coming up with my own set of ideas. My stuff, as mentioned, tends to be very keyboardistic, or else vocal-centric (due to a past obsession with a cappella in my teens and twenties). Once the stems return, I create a master session file, and sift through the tracks to find interesting pairings and combos, which have a habit of showing up, even if sessions were recorded halfway around the world or at different times. I’m not kidding, guitarist Mike McMahon and pianist Matt Jensen on “Body of Water” (2010) came up with the same identical riff, taking place at the same time, even though they recorded months apart (it’s at about 4’10” on the track). It often amazes me, the moments of synchronicity that can occur. Anyway, editing is no small feat, and with sometimes over a hundred tracks to sift through, it can take some time. Sometimes new ideas present themselves at this stage, which is where adjunct producers come in. The endgame is fairly typical, involving mixing and mastering.

@ BlueDorian East. Jenga, Mia (2011)

Sounds complicated.

It does take a little bit of organization, but, for me, it’s worth it. I enjoy working with producers in an environment that allows them to go through their natural process and put forth who it is they really are, rather than needing to fit themselves into a particular vision. And ultimately, the responsibility rests with me as creator and overall project director, to ensure the final product is one that I can stand behind and say: Yes, it is true to the vision that was intended; this track is authentic to the personality of the song. In short, I just enjoy being true to what’s natural.

For me, what’s natural, aside from my particular musical and creative tendencies, is to create teams and collaborate with talented and dedicated people, and to create environments where every one is treated well and feels free to be themselves.

AFM is currently developing a collection of new singles, the first batch fully utlizing this new approach. Stay up-to-date via twitter and facebook!

@ Q Division Studio. Adam Farouk, Jon Lupfer, Sean Cahalin (2010)

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Adam Farouk (born April 6, 1978) is a Malaysian musician, producer, writer, and entrepreneur, currently based in the United States. He is known for his integrative approach to the creative arts, and frequently infuses his works with unlikely combinations of style, influence, and genre.

Adam Farouk Music

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