Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Ian Bunting

Lanarkshire DJ signs with musical icon Tiesto after wowing TikTok with his debut track

A Lanarkshire DJ is in a spin after signing a deal with musical icon Tiesto's record label.

Adam Shaw, 21, has gone from putting his debut track 1999 together in his Glenmavis bedroom a year ago to seeing it electrify the ears of one of his musical inspirations.

He has linked up with Spinnin Records under the label AFTR:HRS which is owned and run by Dutch superstar Tiesto, who is regarded as the "Godfather of Electronic dance music (EDM)" by many.

Thrilled Adam told Lanarkshire Live : "I actually sat on 1999 for a year as I wasn't 100 per cent convinced it was ready but I then put it out on TikTok to see how it was received and the reaction was insane. I got lots of great feedback and was contacted by people at Sony and Universal.

"But I was absolutely stunned when I got a call saying Tiesto wanted my song under his label.

"Tiesto is the godfather of dance music and one of my biggest inspirations.

"I love his music and how he mixes genres like house and trance. Never could I imagine my music would catch his ear.

"I spent many hours sitting in my bedroom putting 1999 together and it's crazy to think I've gone from that to signing with AFTR:HRS.

"The idea behind the song was the trance style of the nineties with an Ibiza vibe, although my family keep bringing up the irony of calling it that when I wasn't born until 2001."

Despite his burgeoning success in the industry, former St Margaret's High School pupil Adam wasn't always interested in pursuing a career in music.

He explained: "I didn't pick music among my subjects at school and just saw it as a bit of a hobby.

"But I was good at picking things up and started playing the drums.

"I was actually really into metal and rock music when I was in my early teens.

"When I got a bit older I would listen to the rave and dance music my dad would play in the car and something just clicked in my head.

"I started really getting into music when I was 17 and began using a keyboard and software.

"I travelled down to Manchester to do an intensive week-long DJ course last year and gained the necessary skills to develop my career.

"From there I did a few gigs but my first big one was at the Ministry of Sound Club in London on a Saturday night which was quite the baptism of fire.

"I've also done some gigs in the Classic Grand in Glasgow and I'm planning a few more dates this summer.

"I'm also working on a collaboration with Australian DJ Tyson O'Brien who is doing a summer-long residence in Ibiza this year."

Adam's family are "hugely proud" of his growing success, with his brother Gary revealing how he knew Adam's debut track was destined for greatness.

Gary said: "I am Adam's sounding board for his material and the first time he played 1999 to me I was floored.

"Last year we we driving in the car to Coatbridge and he popped the tune on and I said to him, 'this is the one'.

"He revisited the song in January and began to realise that it was really good.

"Calvin Harris began teasing his dance tune Miracle round about the same time and it made Adam realise that if someone that big is doing this style of song, then he could too.

"He just went for it and things blew up for him when he released 1999 on TikTok.

"I keep telling him how he has went from sitting recording music in his Glenmavis bedroom to linking up with one of the world's biggest DJs.

"We're all hugely proud of him and he deserves it because he works so hard. He can sit for hours at a time listening to the same part of a song to make sure he gets it right."

1999 is available to listen to now on SoundCloud and will be released on all musical platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify, on May 12.

* Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.