Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg Make Long-Awaited Return to Miami

The last time the Swedish duo of Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg played together in Miami was during Ultra 2015. They were DJing during the sunset at the Carl Cox Megastructure, and a brief torrential downpour forced most stages — but not the Megastructure — to momentarily shutdown and wait out the weather. Whether or not some benevolent techno deity was at work shaping this turn of events, the ensuing track selection was all Adam and Ida's own: The pair readily switched it up, incorporating everything from Dirtybird tracks and a techno remix of St. Germain’s “Rose Rouge” to a remix of Josh Wink’s classic “Don’t Laugh.” This was all done under the cover a blue tarp hastily set up to thwart rain from hitting the mixers and CDJs.

Half a decade later, the two are heading back to Miami to play in a venue that has a little more in the way of cover. Beyer and Engberg will be spinning alongside one another on Saturday, December 28 at Club Space. Fortunately for Miami clubgoers, they'll be tending to the decks for much longer than the usual hour-and-a-half festival time-slot. When they're sharing DJ duties, the wedded couple play in excitable and infectious harmony; Beyer, the founder of Drumcode Records, tends to play things fast and dark, and has cultivated a wide fanbase among techno newcomers and veterans alike. The rolling bass and stampeding techno that's come to be associated with the “Drumcode Sound” has influenced a generation of aspiring producers. Engberg, on the other hand, leans more toward the tech-house side of things; she's keen on incorporating spoken word elements into her mixes, and often curates a more gentle and groove-driven sound than her romantic counterpart. However, don’t be fooled; she can get austere and dark with the best of them as well.
Beyer and Engberg met each other while DJ’ing in Sweden. In a 2014 video interview, Beyer said it took a while for the two to realize that they shared something more than just a deeply intense love of music.

“We met in various clubs as friends," he said. "I was looking for people to expand my Drumcode parties and I think I booked her to open the night and things like that. I think some feelings started after a couple of years.”

Ida added: “I think its rare to have that connection on a personal level and on a music level, it’s difficult to play back-to-back and not have that musical taste.” The couple has made numerous dance floor hits along the way, including tracks like “Unanswered Question” and “You Know." Asides from touring separately, the couple has played back-to-back in cities such as Miami, Ibiza, and London. In recent years, Engberg, has limited her touring and stayed back at the couples' animal-filled villa in Ibiza to to take care of their three children.

Club Space has a special place in Beyer’s heart following the Drumcode takeover of the club during the 2019 Winter Music Conference. After sharing his early-morning set from the event on Drumcode Radio, Beyer stated “[Space], I think, in my personal, humble opinion is maybe the best club in North America right now.”

Given the influx of light that pours in around Space's Terrace around 7 a.m. and the heavier sounds of Beyer and Engberg's mixes, club attendees are set for a night of contrasting moods and unlikely juxtapositions. Go book a babysitter for that night (Beyer and Engberg sure did) and start prepping to experience the expansive sound of techno's foremost power couple.

Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg. With Andres Line and Ms. Mada. 11 p.m. Saturday, December 28, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $33.75 to $67.50 via residentadvisor.com.