With a career spanning close to two decades, Freq Nasty has achieved a lot since bursting onto the scene in 1998 via seminal UK label Botchit & Scraper.
Forged in the dance music revolution of the late ‘90s London underground, the Fijian-born, now Los Angeles resident continues to travel the globe bringing his unique brand of bass-rattling electronic music to the masses.
Is it good to be back in Australia?
Amazing... I'm always so happy to set foot on Aussie soil. The land, the sea the people and the music scene are stellar here!
You have a run of dates around the country... is Oz a great place to tour, despite the large distances between the major cities?
I live in the US now so the distances between the east and west coast are somewhat similar, so I'm used to the longer commutes. But generally I have been doing the east side of [Australia] only on my past couple of visits so the big trip out to WA hasn't happened as much, but I am keen to go . Maybe we can lock Perth in next year and really cover the country. I have had so many good gigs out there it does feel a little odd not seeing the Perth crew.
Your new video for latest single ‘Why’ depicts graphic images of war; what sort of reaction/ dialogue are you hoping the song/ video draws?
As the title suggests it's about questioning how the world seems to be working and looking beyond appearances. The [cover] image is one that has now become as iconic as the little Vietnamese girl running from the Agent Orange attack in the ‘60s, but now we have access to so much more information than they did then. We have whistleblowers reaching the globe through the internet and we can dig deeper into why the terrible things on the news happen, and look for ways we can counter them, even if that’s just between us and the people we love, our neighbours or the people we encounter everyday. So it is about being aware of the difficult issues that are raised by the media, and those about the media itself, and hopefully a little conversation opens up around it that can continue on out into the world in some small way and help build positive energy with all those other forces of positive change out there like avaaz.org change.org etc.
The artwork for ‘Why’ depicts a real person being tortured... again, was this a move to create 'why' conversations?
As above. Yes it's all about making conversation and debate the norm rather than cynicism and apathy, which it is so easy to fall prey to. When we just consume the imagery we're fed from the media and those aspects of governance that are caught between their job and those whose interests they have to protect in order top get the campaign money they need to get reelected.
What other collaborations, musical projects are you currently working on?
More FreQ material which will probably come out as a series of singles and EPs rather than an album. Next month I'll drop the first EP from my new downtempo project 'Atmaspheric' on FreQ Nasty Recordings. Lush melodic bass-driven music that started out as the sound I would DJ for the Yoga Of Bass sessions, but I got all excited about it and made some music. You can download the Dead Can Dance Atmaspheric remix here. Also there is a Dub Kirtan All Stars album about to drop too... grab the DJ mix here which has some of the unreleased material that will be on the album here.
Last time we chatted with you last year, you were discussing the intersection between neuroscience and meditation — how have your readings further developed your workshop The Yoga Of Bass with teacher Claire Thompson?
We've done a few Yoga Of Bass workshops already... a couple at Rainbow Serpent Festival and one in Melbourne last night at the very awesome Reubix Funhouse warehouse in Brunswick. The Yoga Of Bass sessions are about using music and dance as a spiritual practice (yoga is a sanskrit word that means practice or discipline). This tour, the Yoga Of Bass workshop is more based around the dance experience — why we are so attracted to dancing and the parallels between the heightened experience of dancing 'in the zone', and the spiritual paths of yoga and buddhism. We look at what dancing does to us physically and mentally... the happiness, the sense of presentistic awareness, and the connection we feel with everyone around us, and we discuss how how we can replicate this flow state in our everyday life.
How fulfilling is it personally to bring these meditative ideas to others, and see them embrace the teachings?
It's very fulfilling to be able to help people find what they are looking for at the club and in festivals in a way that is sustainable and reachable in daily life. Playing and making music is the passion of my life but to be able to combine that with something that speaks to the rest of people’s life is a great pleasure and honor for us both.
Looking back at the start of your career with Botchit & Scarper; does it all seem a blur what you've managed to achieve/ record/ tour etc.?
Much less of a blur these days. Many a year went by in a green haze of flights, hotels, clubs, beautiful people and amazing music, but to be honest I just appreciate it more and more these days and I try and notice all the people that put in time and effort to create the great experiences that I am able to participate in. A great music event is so much more than the DJ or the producer on the stage — least of all because the audience is what really makes it pop.
Can you pick out two or three absolute career highlights across the journey?
1. UK underground music in the late ‘90s — my spiritual homeland and still amazing. 2. Burning Man Festival in Nevada, US — changed everything for me... a new way of looking at what it is to have a music community that shares values beyond just the music. 3. Getting to come out to Oz every year — really one of the most enjoyable aspect of being a touring DJ.
With the rapid onset of social technology/ online interaction, has that altered drastically the way you approach the creation of music, particularly given the numerous different avenues artists have to distribute their music?
Sure, we now spend much more time promoting our music online and for some or maybe many of us it takes time away from what we'd rather be doing which is making music and being hermits in the studio, so maybe it's good thing in that it forces us to interact with the world a bit more. I like the way the barrier between the artist and fan flattened the pyramid a little. But it's all about a balance.
Have you blown any bass bins/ speakers of late?
The ones at Brown Alley upstairs sounded like they’d taken a pasting already :)
What is left for Freq Nasty to achieve in the musical landscape?
Onwards to wherever it is that others don’t see as useful or important is the space I like to inhabit. But trying to make it interesting and fun at the same time.
Freq Nasty plays the following shows:
Feb 07 - Chinese Laundry, Sydney
Feb 08 - Arthouse, Cairns
Feb 09 - Machans Beach Hall, Cairns (Yoga of Bass workshop)
Feb 14 - Earth Frequency Festival w/ Yoga of Bass
