Returning after a long-lasting hiatus is no mean feat - how to stay relevant, to plug the gap and come back as strong as where things were left off. A Man Called Adam’s return however, is as emphatic as it is endearing. Sally Rodgers and Steve Jones are back with a brand new album of melodic, emotional, pop-not-pop tracks, bringing fresh layers of feeling, from warmth and passion, to sentimentality and sorrow.

Displaying a wealth of knowledge gained through two lifetimes spent immersed in music, Farmarama showcases a myriad of styles and richness in arrangements. Moving from soulful slow jams to lo-fi disco, Balearic house to dub, post-rock electronica and art-house ambience, there are glistening horizons and windswept beaches conjured up at every turn.

Take to the likes of ‘Mountains & Waterfalls’, ‘Farmarama’ and ‘Michael’ and hear dancefloor, disco tinges that marry live percussion, sultry Rhodes and hearty basslines, oozing emotion. But venture deeper to uncover a pensive, yet equally expressive side to the record through tracks like ‘Higher Powers’ and ‘Top Of The Lake’. Take the later as an example, a neo-classical slice of magical ambience, that wouldn’t be out of place soundtracking sweeping views of shimmering scenery. Or ‘Spots Of Time’, beginning as a frenetic, glitched out piece of electronica, before opening into a brooding breakbeat journey.

Full of vintage warmth, analogue synths and intricate textures, Rodgers, Jones and new collaborator, Paul Smith, combine experimental touches with an undeniable catchiness, balancing electronic elements, with acoustic sparkles. In harmony with this, the contemplative, poetic verses, that considers life as a hi-definition, Westworld-like simulation, a Farmarama, and disco as a way of being, meld and morph a conceptual narrative that tugs on the heartstrings of life.

Farmarama, then, isn’t your archetypal album. It’s an emotionally charged, intelligent and enlightening body of work that’s Balearic to the bone.


DJ Feedback:

GRAEME PARK
Oh my Lord! This is superb! Absolutely superb!

FRANCOIS KERVORKIAN
Very nice, laid-back and endearing.

DANIELLE MOORE/ CRAZY P
This is absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous depth , lush, delicate, strong, mesmerising...stunning musically and vocally. What an inspiration! Love all the tracks -there’s not one I don’t like. Sits perfectly as an album and bubbles and flows perfectly! Stunning. Really is the best thing I’ve heard in YONKS x

HORSE MEAT DISCO/ SEVERINO
Lovely. Huge fan since the 90s.

LEFTO/WWFM
Absolutely down with this!

LAURENT GARNIER/ WWFM /MEUH
Hmmm this is super elegant. Love it. As always with A MAN CALLED ADAM

KENNETH BAGER / MUSIC FOR DREAMS
Love this album - we will as radio support the whole summer with different tracks and we will for sure select one as a powerplay a list several tracks over the next coming months - excellent stuff - and a smashing return to form !

HONEY SOUND SYSTEM/ JASON KENDIG
You can definitely hear the musicianship throughout this album. Each track twist and turns on its own singular journey. Obviously one ear on the dance floor and the other for home grooving or those late night after hours vibes. Mountaind and Waterfalls, Farmarama, and D123 were personal standouts.

JASON BOARDMAN/ AFFICIONADO
Lovely collection of modern sounds with a nod to the past but firmly in the present, nice to hear AMCA can still turn it out with ease. Personally and probably the 4 tracks i would play the most are Ou Pas (That bass line is bugging me - The Final Thing???) Top Of The Lake (Glacial Ambient overload) Tic Toc (Loving the south American vibes on this one) and Michael (Killer Slow(ish) Jam!) for the dancefloor Paul Valery At The Disco is proper cosmic disco, really well arranged with those freaky keys and Mountains and Waterfalls would get my later night attention.

BILL BREWSTER
Can't believe I missed this somehow. Loads of stuff to get your teeth into here, some familiar samples used well (Was That All It Was drums for instance), some lovely early 80s vibes in the area and overall a slightly more ethereal, impressionistic AMCA than previous outings. Like like.

MIKE HUCKABY!!!
Very nice music from him.

NICK THE RECORD
I bloody love it!

RON BASEJAM/ JAMES BARON
This was not what i was expecting in a very good way. love this new grittier sound bravo!

KRISTIAN RAEDLE / INNERVISIONS
Oh yes please!

6TH BORO PROJECT / CRAIG SMITH
Been I while since I've heard any new AMCA material. Liking this LP on 1st few listens, lovely emotive music.