ADE13: Special Report III - Reflections from @NileRodgers

One of the highlights of ADE 2013 was meeting some of the world's best song writers, artists and DJ's. ADE ran a series of "Game Changers" keynote panels.
These artists have used innovation, imagination, instinct and through shere hard work and application have created bodies of works that 30 years later still sound as fresh as when they were first written. Specifically inspiring to me were Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder. 
Here Nile and Giorgio share some of their stories. Giorgio has worked with everyone from Donna Summer to Phil Oakey and written epic film title music including Top Gun and Electric Dreams, but his biggest project of recent years has been Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories". A prolific studio producer, Giorgio never went to the clubs but spent hours creating these hits. Now a great lover of Digital, Giorgio has loved working with Daft Punk integrating old and new styles to create something new for the dance world.

Sally and Giorgio

Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder shared some of their stories about what they did it and what separates them from the rest of their peers. Nile has worked with the best from Diana Ross, Chic, Sister Sledge on to David Bowie with Let's Dance and Duran Duran's Notorious.

"I could have retired financially after Good Times" says Niles, however his creativity has driven him to create a fresh body of work. In the past couple of years his huge hit "Get Lucky" with Daft Punk and his recent world wide number one with Avicii and new work with Disclosure have opened up a whole new audience to the talent that is Nile Rodgers. Nile commented  "Despite my battle with cancer in the past, I have written more in the past two years than ever before, I am 61 and I am writing with Disclosure & Avicii. The truth is, I feel like I am 19. I haven't been this happy in a long time"

Nile sees the need to be able to write hits and tells a story of his personal music hero - Miles Davis. "Even Miles, whose Jazz influence is far reaching needed a hit or as Miles put it to me - "Nile write me a f@cking hit like Good Times"....".

Here is Nile talking about Miles. It reminds me that all artists need a great hit, a number one hit, the holy grail, even Jazz legends.

"Write me a million seller Nile" said Miles, but Nile found it difficult to hear that from his Jazz hero. Nile reflects that Miles Davis wanted what we all want, to communictate to the masses and to do that, you need to learn how to think about the consumers and the fans and what they want. Nile Rodgers is on fire right now, he knows his audience and he is giving them what they want by the spade load. What a privilege to hear Nile's story and I can't help but feel the story has only just begun again.

Sally Jackson Freeman

Report from Amsterdam Dance Event 2013