Adult (stylized as ADULT.) is an American band from
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, formed in 1998 by married couple
Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller. The band integrates vocals with
drum machines, analog
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s and
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
/
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
elements.
[Copeland, Liz. "Pressure drop: Adult. redefines 'dance punk' on Anxiety Always." ''Metro Times'' May 14, 200]
/ref> Both band members have art degrees. Miller has a painting degree, and Kuperus a photography degree.[Carioli, Carly. "High anxiety: Adult's 21st-century electro-pop." ''The Boston Phoenix'' April 17, 2003 ]
History
Before forming Adult, Miller was one half of the band Le Car (band), Le Car and released solo material under the name Artificial Material. Adult began releasing albums in 1998 under the pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
''Plasma Co.'' Initially, the band members were uncredited and not publicized, but by the time ''Anxiety Always'' was released, Adult was listed as husband-and-wife team Adam Lee Miller
Adam Lee Miller is one half of the band ADULT. and an owner of Ersatz Audio with his wife Nicola Kuperus
Nicola Kuperus is an American musician and artist. She is a member of the band ADULT. with her husband Adam Lee Miller (formerly of Le Ca ...
and Nicola Kuperus
Nicola Kuperus is an American musician and artist. She is a member of the band ADULT. with her husband Adam Lee Miller (formerly of Le Car). ADULT. owns and manages Ersatz Audio, a record label based out of Detroit, Michigan. In 2003 she sang ...
. Miller and Kuperus are also the founders of the Ersatz Audio
Ersatz Audio is an independent record label based in Detroit, Michigan, specializing in electropunk.
The label was started, and continues to be run by, Adam Lee Miller and Nicola Kuperus, who founded the label in part to release records for their ...
record label. When launching their tour in support of the D.U.M.E. EP, Adult announced that they had become a trio with the addition of guitarist Samuel Consiglio. The trio was short-lived – Consiglio left the band at the start of 2006. While popular in their home city of Detroit, they also enjoy a cult following throughout the rest of the US and are also very popular in Germany and the United Kingdom.[Sands, Ryan. "ADULT. steals show at Noise Pop." ''The Stanford Daily'' March 8, 2002 ] They toured with Trans Am
Trans Am may refer to:
* Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, an automobile model
* Trans Am (band), an American post-rock band
** ''Trans Am'' (album), their 1996 debut album
*** ''Trans Am'' (1996 song), their eponymous song from the eponymous album, see ...
in 2002, and in May 2003, the band made its first headlining tour in the United States; gigs across Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
followed soon after.
Adult have remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
ed other artists, most notably Felix da Housecat
Felix da Housecat (born Felix Stallings Jr., August 25, 1971) is an American DJ and record producer, mostly known for house music and electro. Felix is regarded as a member of the second wave of Chicago house
Musical career Early life
Stall ...
, Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner were an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in Chicago after meeting in school. The name is a combination of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner.
Career
Originally a duo formed by classi ...
, Ladytron
Ladytron are a largely British electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999. The group consists of Helen Marnie (lead vocals, synthesizers), Mira Aroyo (vocals, synthesizers), Daniel Hunt (synthesizers, guitar, vocals), and Reuben Wu (synthesize ...
, A Number of Names, The Faint
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes, with whom T ...
, Erase Errata
Erase Errata was a band from San Francisco, California. The group favored improvisation as a compositional tool and each of their performances were a unique manifestation of established songs.
History
Erase Errata formed in Oakland, California ...
and Bis. Kuperus (who is also responsible for Adult's album artwork and photography) has sung on the recordings of other electronic acts including Death in Vegas
Death in Vegas are an English electronic music group, for which Richard Fearless serves as frontman. The band was formed in 1994 by Fearless and Steve Hellier and signed to Concrete Records under the name of Dead Elvis. Owing to an Irish record ...
, Swayzak
Swayzak were a tech house duo from the United Kingdom that consisted of James S. Taylor and David Brown. They released their first 12" single "Bueno" / "Fukumachi" in February 1997 to much acclaim. It was followed up by the 12" "Speedboat" / "L ...
and Chicks On Speed
Chicks on Speed is a feminist music and fine art ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, after members Australian Alex Murray-Leslie and American Melissa Logan met at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.
Though Chicks on Speed reached cult status th ...
. Kuperus has also showcased her photography at museums around the United States and Europe. Between 2008 and 2010, Adult produced the film "thee Three Graces tryptic: Decampment, Traditions & Possession(s)," which was only shown with Adult performing the score live. It was screened at Anthology Film Archives
Anthology Film Archives is an international center for the preservation, study, and exhibition of film and video, with a particular focus on independent, experimental, and avant-garde cinema.[Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the list of largest art museums, largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation a ...]
(Detroit), Distrital y Cineteca National: Mexico City Film Festival amongst other theaters. In 2010, Adult wrote and recorded the original score to the film OPEN by Jake Yuzna
Jake Yuzna is an American film director, screenwriter, and curator. His debut feature Open was the first American film to win the Teddy Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival and in 2005 Yuzna become the youngest recipient of funding from the Na ...
. In 2013, the art museum Mattress Factory
The Mattress Factory is a contemporary art museum located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was a pioneer of site-specific installation art and features permanent installations by artists Yayoi Kusama, James Turrell, and Greer Lankton. The museum' ...
in Pittsburgh invited Adult to contribute an installation; the result was called ''Diptyching'' which included audio, video, and the re-creation of a life size façade of a house. In conjunction with the piece, Adult released a limited edition 12" Work/Wreck which included the music from the installation.
Adult's eighth studio album, ''Perception is/as/of Deception'', was released in April 2020 on Dais
A dais or daïs ( or , American English also but sometimes considered nonstandard)[dais]
in the Random House Dictionary< ...
.
Discography
Albums
*2001 ''Resuscitation
Resuscitation is the process of correcting physiological disorders (such as lack of breathing or heartbeat) in an acutely ill patient. It is an important part of intensive care medicine, anesthesiology, trauma surgery and emergency medicine. W ...
'' – Ersatz Audio
*2003 '' Anxiety Always'' – Ersatz Audio
*2005 '' Gimmie Trouble'' – Thrill Jockey
*2007 '' Why Bother?'' – Thrill Jockey
*2012 ''Resuscitation'' (Vinyl reissue) – Ghostly International
*2013 ''The Way Things Fall'' – Ghostly International
*2017 ''Live at Third Man'' – Third Man Records
*2017 ''Detroit House Guests'' – Mute
*2018 ''This Behavior'' – Dais
A dais or daïs ( or , American English also but sometimes considered nonstandard)[dais]
in the Random House Dictionary< ...
*2020 ''Perception is/as/of Deception'' – Dais
A dais or daïs ( or , American English also but sometimes considered nonstandard)[dais]
in the Random House Dictionary< ...
*2022 ''Becoming Undone'' - Dais
A dais or daïs ( or , American English also but sometimes considered nonstandard)[dais]
in the Random House Dictionary< ...
Singles and EPs
*1998 ''Modern Romantics'' 12" ''(as Plasma Co.)'' – Electrecord
*1998 ''Dispassionate Furniture'' 12" – Ersatz Audio
*1999 ''Entertainment'' 12" – Ersatz Audio
*2000 ''New-Phonies'' 12" – Clone Records
*2000 ''Nausea'' 12" – Ersatz Audio
*2001 ''Hand To Phone'' 12" – Clone Records
*2002 ''Misinterpreted'' 12" – Ersatz Audio
*2002 ''Limited Edition'' 7" – Ersatz Audio
*2002 ''Hand To Phone Remixed'' 12" – Clone Records
*2003 ''Controlled Edition'' 7" – Ersatz Audio
*2004 ''T & A.'' 7" – Ersatz Audio
*2004 ''Split/Split/Split'' 7" – Ersatz Audio/Cass Records
*2005 ''D.U.M.E.'' 12"/CD – Thrill Jockey
*2005 ''Numbers + ADULT. = This Seven Inch'' 7" – Kill Rock Stars
*2008 ''The Decampment Trilogy'' (3 7"s imited to 100 copies eachwith photographic prints taken by Nicola Kuperus) – Ersatz Audio
*2008 ''Let's Feel Bad Together'' CD-R – Ersatz Audio
*2012 ''Shari Vari / 122 Hours of Fear'' (covers of songs originally by The Screamers
The Screamers were an American electropunk group founded in 1975. They were among the first wave of the L.A. punk rock scene. The Los Angeles Times applied the label "techno-punk" to the band in 1978. In the documentary '' Punk: Attitude'' ( ...
and A Number of Names) – Ghostly International
*2013 ''Work/Wreck'' 12" – Ersatz Audio
*2017 ''Detroit House Guests: Variations'' (Digital only) – Mute
*2017 ''Detroit House Guests: The Remixes'' 12" – Mute
*2019 ''Subsurface/Coming Apart'' 7" – Dais
Remixes
*1998 D.I.E. "The Man You Never See" – Clone Records
*1999 Ganymed "Music Takes Me Higher" – Sabotage Communications
*1999 Ectomorph "The Haunting" – Intuit-Solar
*1999 Michiko Kusaki "Let's Rock" – Angelika Köhlermann
*2000 Mat101 "Arcade" – Nature Records
* 2000 Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner were an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in Chicago after meeting in school. The name is a combination of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner.
Career
Originally a duo formed by classi ...
– (" Emerge")
*2000 Tuxedomoon "No Tears" – Gigolo Records
*2001 Solvent "Flexidisc" – Suction Records
*2001 Kitbuilders "Girls on Stage" – Vertical Records
*2001 K-Rock "Hardedged Industry" – Breakin' Records
*2001 Solenoid "Narcissistic"- Haio Haio Haio Records
*2001 G.D.Luxxe "I'm Always Busy" – Interdemsional Transmissions
*2001 The Faint "Agenda Suicide" – City Slang/Labels
*2001 Phoenecia "Rhythm Box" – Schematic Music Co.
*2002 A Number of Names "Shari Vari" – Puzzlebox Records
*2002 Bobby Conn "Winners" – Thrill Jockey
*2002 Jackass & Mule "1-2-3 Miami" – xylpohone jones
*2002 Jolly Music "Radio Jolly" – Illustrious Records / Sony
*2002 Bis "Robotic" – SpinArt Records
*2002 Felix da Housecat
Felix da Housecat (born Felix Stallings Jr., August 25, 1971) is an American DJ and record producer, mostly known for house music and electro. Felix is regarded as a member of the second wave of Chicago house
Musical career Early life
Stall ...
featuring Miss Kittin
Caroline Hervé (born 1973), known professionally as Miss Kittin, is a French electronic music producer, DJ, singer, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles " 1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked ...
– ("Silver Screen Shower Scene
"Silver Screen Shower Scene" is the first single from Felix da Housecat's album '' Kittenz and Thee Glitz''. Co-written with Dave Jenefsky a.k.a. The Hustler, T. Lorello a.k.a. Tommie Sunshine, and Felix himself, it features French electronic ...
")Felix Da Housecat – MDM Hollywood Remixes (Vinyl)
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
. Retrieved 2010-07-15. – City Rockers
*2002
Death in Vegas
Death in Vegas are an English electronic music group, for which Richard Fearless serves as frontman. The band was formed in 1994 by Fearless and Steve Hellier and signed to Concrete Records under the name of Dead Elvis. Owing to an Irish record ...
– ("Hands Around My Throat") – BMG International
* 2003 Erase Errata "Marathon" – TroubleMan Unlimited
*2004 Electronicat "I Wanna Know Now" – Angelika Köhlermann
*2008 Ladytron "Runaway" -Nettwerk2008 Tussle "Night of the Hunter" – FrequeNC
*2009 Trisomie21 "Hear Me Now" – Le Maquis
*2016 Pet Shop Boys "Shopping" – Moogfest Sampler
*2016 John Foxx "The Shadow of His Former Self" – Metamatic Records
*2017 Barry Adamson “One Hot Mess“ – Central Control International
*2018 LIARS “Staring at Zero (ADULT. ‘Y Can’t U’ Remix)” – Mute
Contributing vocals from Nicola Kuperus
*2002 Death in Vegas "Hands Around My Throat" – BMG International
*2002 Swayzak "I Dance Alone" – Stud!o K7
*2003 Chicks on Speed "Wordyrappinghood" – ChicksonSpeed Records
*2009 Tyrell Corporation "Lose the Hero" – Clone Records
References
External links
*
Interview with Adam Lee Millerby Alexander Laurence
{{Authority control
1998 establishments in Michigan
American musical duos
American synth-pop groups
American techno music groups
American electronic music duos
Electronic music groups from Michigan
Male–female musical duos
Married couples
Musical groups established in 1998
Musical groups from Detroit
Remixers
Thrill Jockey artists
Third Man Records artists
Mute Records artists
Electropunk musical groups
Dais Records artists