Adam Sombionx Nelson
Chicago, IL
Q Studios | Sombionx Sound Systems (SSS)
Adam Sombionx Nelson has pursued the future-sound of the electronic underground for more than three decades. Part DJ and producer, part label and studio owner (Q Studios and SSS), the Chicago-based artist and entrepreneur has let the music and its scene shape and inspire his creative fires. Influences of tech- house, new wave, and punk punctuate a production style that defies evolutionary borders.
Sombionx’s artistic evolution began when he launched his production career in 1986 and founded Q Studios, a 2,000-square-foot loft space and artistic hub. Releases on labels such as Doubledown and Moody garnered global buzz, and by the early 2000’s he had partnered with vocalist Lindsay Frkovich to form “Sombionx and Lindsay.”
On the decks, Sombionx asserted a mastery of the crossfader, using old-school techniques to conjure an organically mechanical house sound, while Frkovich’s melodic vocals hugged the groove. Fueled by their hit single, “Breath in My Fire,” the duo toured more than 50 international cities, including Istanbul, Turkey, with Boy George and Kazakhstan, where they were the first American musicians to perform for a live audience.
The addition of a bass player marked the formation of FFM, where Sombionx used his beats to shape a more electro-heavy vibe. Their breakout hit, “Timebomb,”—along with a remix by Portugal’s Mastiksoul—sparked a second international tour and inspired a breakthrough music video shot and produced by Sombionx at Q Studios. Soon artists including Green Velvet and Johnny Fiasco were vying to collaborate with him on their own videos.
In 2013, Sombionx ushered in a new sonic era with creation of Sombionx Sound Systems (SSS), an audio design and production company, after- hours venue, and culmination of his creative endeavors. On a given weekend, his custom-built system pumps swells of hot sound at underground crowds inside the 5,000-square-foot studio/nightclub dubbed. Working in partnership with Paradigm Presents, SSS hosts exclusive that feature some of the world’s top DJs, which have included Dixon, Visionquest, Kolumbo, Danny Howels, and PillowTalk.
As for Sombionx—he has more than a dozen multi-genre releases to debut on the Q Studios imprint in the next year.
“I continue to stay firmly positioned in the scene, where I find most of my inspiration,” he says. “I’m always focused on what’s next rather than what is now.”

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