Fusing future-world electronic beats with esoteric rap and spoken word, Melbourne’s Hugo & Treats traverse the full spectrum of sound — from all-out revolutionary bass mosh to deep and introspective ambient meditation.
Treats – the DJ – opens with some history about the duo. “Hugo and I met about six years ago at a gig where a band called Barons Of Tang were playing. I came out after hearing this crazy long set and sat down beside this guy from the UK with long blonde dreads — and within two months we were making music.”
It so happened that this unknown entity was Hugo Farrant — fast forward some time and they’re bona-fide musical partners in crime. “It was a bit of a default choice for me,” says Hugo, chiming in. “I tried other music but just couldn’t get my head around instruments and things. I even tried singing, which I was terrible at! Hip hop was an obvious choice for me, and meeting Treats was really a great opportunity. It allowed me to go outside of just hip hop and talk about rhyming and so on. As long as it was around a good melody and beat.”
Able to bring a range of different skills to the table, the duo loosely describes themselves as a hip hop outfit; the reality is that their music is a unique fusion of genres from across the board. “I suppose I’m somewhere between a DJ and producer,” Treats says. “I take bits and pieces from an incredibly wide range of eclectic and esoteric sounds, really from all around the world ... It’s [then] a process of weaving them together into a congruent whole, and doing it in a way that creates a flow, beats and rhymes that keep people engaged.
“I’m about aiming to create a balance between the familiar and unfamiliar,” he continues. “That way, people are pushed to explore new things – kind of in an inclusive way that allows people to experience music that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Likewise, Hugo shares the view. “Lyrics for me are about the crowd. You might have a crowd that’s dancing and operating physically; though it’s all about the musical journey that the music takes and we both play a part in that.”
Hugo also mentions he likes to switch up the lyrics and vibe for particular crowds. “We aim for a crowd that’s dancing with us and operating physically, really getting into it, moving with us across the musical journey that Treats makes. I also try to add to that feeling to encourage people to expand their horizons and move them beyond where they’re actually physically standing.”
Physical interaction with fans is also encouraged by the duo. “Whoever joins the set can join in, it’s that sort of process.” Treats interrupts with this: “It’s important to have a balance of depth and fun, to create an experience better than anything. I know that I will be weaving some fresh and new music with some great melodies and samples from all over the place — and [turn it] into something that is beautiful and butt shaking at the same time. Hugo will do a combination of freestyles that are completely in the moment. The poems and verses he creates are designed to bring people into a greater awareness of not only themselves but also their surroundings. We’re about moving the mindset into a sort of an altered state beyond where people are standing to arrive at this point of effortless awareness.”
The lads are on the bill for the Earth Frequency, which takes place next month. “We really want to solidify people’s experiences,” Hugo says. “If the people that come can get that moment of connection, we’ll know we’ve done what we set out to do.”
Written by RK
Hugo & Treats play Earth Frequency Festival at Ivory’s Rock February 14.
