Adamski
Adamski | |
|---|---|
| Born | Adam Paul Tinley December 4, 1967 Lymington, Hampshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, vocalist, musician, record producer |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | "N-R-G", "Killer" |
Adam Paul Tinley (born 4 December 1967), professionally recognized as Adamski and Sonny Eriksson, is an English DJ, vocalist, musician, and record producer. He gained prominence during the acid house movement with tracks such as "N-R-G" and the UK chart-topping single "Killer", a joint effort with Seal.
Career
Originating from Lymington, Hampshire, England, Tinley established his initial band, The Stupid Babies, at just 11 years old. Early demo recordings caught the eye of the indie label Fast Product. Their song "Babysitters" received airplay from BBC Radio 1's John Peel and garnered favorable media attention. Alongside his brother Mark Tinley and Johnny Slut from Specimen, he performed as Diskord Datkord, releasing a well-received electroid rendition of "Identity" in 1988.
Adamski’s debut solo performance in March 1989 led to a pivotal booking at London's Heaven nightclub, which launched him into the rave circuit. He quickly appeared at major festivals including Sunrise Festival and secured a contract with MCA Records, issuing Liveandirect, the label’s inaugural rave album. This release contained live interpretations of "N-R-G" and "I Dream of You," solidifying his commercial foothold.
Extensive touring with an MC and subsequently with Seal allowed Adamski to present early versions of hits like "Killer" and "Future Love Paradise." His 1998 album Adamski's Thing, released through ZTT Records, fused guitars, orchestral strings, and dance beats, spawning singles such as "Intravenous Venus" and "One of the People," which peaked at No. 56 on the UK Singles Chart.
By the late 1990s, Tinley concentrated on his DJ career under the moniker Adam Sky, performing across Europe and appearing at influential events like London's Nag Nag Nag electroclash night. His production collaborations involved artists like Danny Williams and Mark Stewart; in 2007 he reinterpreted The Pop Group’s "We Are All Prostitutes." Releases including the single "ApeX" emerged on Kitsuné Music in 2006, followed by tracks on Shir Khan's label starting in 2009.
After returning to the UK in 2009, Tinley initiated his Futurewaltz project, experimenting with 3/4 time signatures. His current alter ego, cyberbilly Sonny Eriksson, merges rockabilly and psychobilly influences with contemporary electronic music.
In 2020, Adamski unveiled Free to Kill Again, featuring new versions of "Killer" alongside artists such as Boy George, Nina Hagen, and Mykki Blanco. The 2022 single "Black Butterfly," featuring Robert Owens, acts as a tribute with proceeds benefiting the charity Million Women Rise. That year also included releases like "Black Star Acid" on Boys Noize Records.
Albums
- Liveandirect (1989) – UK No. 47
- Doctor Adamski's Musical Pharmacy (1990) – UK No. 8
- Naughty (1992)
- Adamski vs The Sentinels (1993)
- Adamski's Thing (1998)
- Killer – The Best of Adamski (1999)
- Mutant Pop (1999)
- This is 3-Step EP (2014)
- Revolt (2015)
- The Sound of Sonny Eriksson (2017)
- The Spirit of Sonny Eriksson (EP) (2018)
- Re:nrgise (2019)
- Free to Kill Again (2020)
Singles
| Year | Track | Highest Chart Positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | NED | BEL (FLA) | GER | AUT | SWI | ITA | SWE | NZ | |||
| 1990 | "N-R-G" | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Doctor Adamski's Musical Pharmacy |
| "Killer" (featuring Seal) | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 15 | – | 5 | 29 | ||
| "The Space Jungle" | 7 | 13 | 20 | 24 | – | – | 25 | – | – | 21 | ||
| "Flashback Jack" | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991 | "Never Goin' Down! / Born to Be Alive!" (featuring Jimi Polo / Soho) | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Naughty |
| 1992 | "Get Your Body" (featuring Nina Hagen) | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Back to Front" | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "Sleeping with an Angel" (with Transformer 2) | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Singles only |
| "Bastardo" (with Pizarro) | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998 | "One of the People" | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Adamski's Thing |
| "Intravenous Venus" | 165 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999 | "In the City" (featuring Gerideau) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – | – | Mutant Pop (as "Adamski Products Inc.") |
| 2000 | "Take Me Away" | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | "Already Out There" | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Singles only |
| 2012 | "I Like It" | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2012 | "Pawa 2 Da PPL" (with Gaudi) | – | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2015 | "Dazed 'n' Confused" (featuring Betty Adewole) | – | Revolt | |||||||||
| 2022 | "Black Butterfly" (with Robert Owens) | – | ||||||||||
| 2022 | "Black Star Acid" (on Boys Noize Records) | – | ||||||||||
Remixes
- "Stock Exchange" by Miss Kittin and The Hacker (2003)
- "Demons of Love" remixed for Mignon (2004)
- "[She's in the Flowers]]" remix for ESKA (2015)