by LORRAINE CARPENTER

A woman in a wife-beater, hiding a knife behind her back. A list of names, and the words “deceit,” “betrayal,” “lies” and “possession.” This is the dark, feminine imagery toyed with by Justin Warfield and Adam “Adam 12” Bravin, two L.A. producers/DJs who took a hiatus from hip hop to recapture the music of their youth, when Joy Division segued into New Order and goth, electro and new wave hit the heights. The Mirror spoke to Bravin about playing rock shows and deflecting those Interpol accusations.

Mirror: As club DJs accustomed to dancing crowds, were you guys wary of performing in front of rock audiences?

Adam Bravin: We understand that it’s two different things. We’re just trying to put on the best show possible. This is the first band I’ve ever been in and it’s definitely a different experience playing other people’s music for people that come to dance all night, and getting a reaction from a crowd based on music that me and Justin created. It’s been amazing. Of course, if people feel like dancing, it only adds to the energy of the room.

M: I understand that you guys initially intended to collaborate on a hip hop project. What happened?

AB: After five or six months making hip hop beats together and learning about each other’s influences, we realized that we had a lot of emotions that we wanted to get out in the music and we weren’t really able to do it through hip hop. So one day I made a beat that was a little bit faster and a little bit darker than anything I had ever done. I actually made it for a friend of ours, a recording artist named Kenna, but Justin said, “No way, Kenna’s not getting that. You’re giving it to me.”

M: How do you feel about the way some critics have attacked you for sounding like Interpol?

B: Well, everything’s been done, everybody’s got influences, but it’s silly to think that we’re influenced by a band that’s been around for four years. We grew up in the ’80s, and there are certain sounds or tones that reminded us of that time which we decided to incorporate into the music. It was the soundtrack to our lives when we were teenagers, it became part of us, and when you make honest music, which we do, that’s gonna come out.

M: Do you hear a lot of dishonest music these days?

AB: Sure, there are bands out there who go into a studio and say, “Let’s sound like this band, or these bands,” or it’s a record label going, “You know what, let’s put together a band that’s the new Duran Duran,” and those bands are out there, but they’re 22-, 23-, 24-year-old kids that weren’t around for all that. If you listen closely, you can tell the difference between stuff that’s influenced and stuff that’s emulating.

M: Do you feel that the comparisons are hurting you?

AB: We’re not really worried about what critics say. What it really comes down to for us is that there are kids who like it, and we continue to have sold-out shows. We get e-mails and messages on MySpace all day, every day.

With Nightmare of You at le National
on Friday, April 7, 9 p.m., $15, all ages

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