DJ Vadim at City Sounds: “Don’t Be Scared” and hip-hop with reggae, soul and electronics

Legendary Ninja Tune artist, true hip-hop visionary and renowned DJ and producer DJ Vadim appears on the LIVE City Sounds stage for the first time this December! His Wrocław performance will feature compositions from his latest album, “Don’t Be Scared”.

Like fine wine or whisky, DJ Vadim seems to improve with age, his music growing more interesting in character. Choosing ingredients skilfully, he has let his music ferment slowly for 20 years, and his records have long been a connoisseur's choice.

DJ Vadim is a true revolutionary and innovator in every area of his career. As influential magazine URB wrote: “Throughout his many years as a DJ and producer of countless projects, Vadim simply never runs out of ideas.” DJ Vadim founded his Jazz Fudge label in 1994 and signed with the legendary Ninja Tune a year later. Since then, he has played two and a half thousand concerts in 69 countries, including festivals such as Sonar, Glastonbury, Big Chill, Fuji Rock, Roskilde, Natting Hill Carnival and Shambala… The word “international” hardly seems big enough to describe Vadim’s reach.

His style is difficult to describe because Vadim shifts position quickly, moving effortlessly through hip-hop and electronic music while adding elements of reggae, soul, trip-hop, funk, dub, African sounds, house, jazz and boogie. Dubbed the “John Coltrane of hip-hop”, he has produced dozens of records, both solo and collaboratively, working with artists including Foreign Beggars, DJ Krush, The Herbaliser, Killa Kela and Fat Freddy’s Drop. His own catalogue comprises 6 solo records, 5 band albums and countless mixtapes and remixes: clearly, he takes his favourite motto, “No sleep!”, seriously.

In 2007, Vadim was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the eyeball, but fortunately for everyone, it did not interrupt his work. Meanwhile, he decided to pick up a camera and direct and shoot videos promoting his new album, taking the first steps in a budding filmmaking career. He also plans to open a restaurant! In Poland, DJ Vadim will promote his latest album, “Don’t be scared”, performing in Wrocław and Kraków with his drummer.

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