The beginnings
DJ Adverse is Sydney DJ Adam Close. His experience spans intimate bars and clubs, major concert venues, international hip-hop support, festivals and street-dance battles. Raised in the Hornsby Shire, he began cutting records on bedroom turntables at 15, then developed through Triple H 100.1 FM and Sydney’s independent music communities, including Soul of Sydney, Groove Dealers and Syd Def Jam.
A connection to Soul of Sydney
His longstanding involvement with Soul of Sydney includes DJ performances and creative collaboration in filming and editing.
The story includes the Sarah Love block party on 27 January 2014, preserved in Soul of Sydney’s recording #174. The DJ Katch party followed that May. In 2015, the Larry Levan Birthday Tribute and Reunion Picnic brought further solo Adverse sets and billings. Sydney Festival in 2017, the Kensington Street Fringe party with MC Pep-C in 2018, and New Year’s Day 2020 carry that thread forward.
Groove Dealers
Adam co-founded Groove Dealers with MC and producer Noodlez, bringing DJs, MCs, producers and visual artists together. His work includes songwriting with Unison and LP and The Architects, organising Sydney parties and annual Falls Creek snow tours, and music production. At Soul Power in 2015, he performed with Groove Dealers, helped organise the event, and filmed and edited its highlight video. The crew’s history includes a J Dilla tribute with Juzzlikedat at Play Bar, booked by Grindin’, and a full-house Ramblin Rascal reunion in May 2026.
The four-turntable Soul of Sydney takeover was billed as Groove Dealers. Soul Power paired Adverse with Makoto and brought performance, organising and filmmaking together.
CutKlipz: sound and moving image
CutKlipz brings DJ Adverse and VJ Spook together for audiovisual sets. On 2 June 2018, they opened the joint Slick Rick and Raekwon concert at the Metro Theatre with a classic hip-hop video set.
The NSW DMC showcase at Foundry 616 in September 2019 was another CutKlipz appearance.
Music for the battle floor
Destructive Steps appearances span 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024. The roles range from breaking prelims and 3v3 battles to the online Breaking and B-girl edition and 4v4 breaking.
NSW DMC appearances include warm-up/support in 2014, Adverse billing in 2015, a solo showcase in 2016 and the CutKlipz showcase in 2019. Red Bull BC One’s Australia Cypher at the National Art School in May 2022 adds another event-DJ credit.
The current sound
70s and 80s funk and soul, 90s and 2000s R&B and hip-hop sit at the heart of his sets, shaped for the room, the dancers and the occasion.
The May 2026 Groove Dealers reunion at Ramblin Rascal connects that history to the present. Sydney bookings, including the Upper North Shore, remain the focus.