Shambhala music festival’s Christine Hunter, Brittany Robins and ricardO Hubbs caught up with Freddy J before his show with Funkanomics on Saturday night at Nelson’s Spiritbar.
1. I’ve heard you are committed to constant development. What does this mean to you?
To me, it simply means evolution. It implies getting better and better with time. This concept resonates on all levels of my life path. We as humans are meant to evolve and constantly grow. Without this, we become stale and stagnant. I strive for evolution in all aspects of my life. Body, mind, soul and music. As my personal life evolves and grows with positivity and change, the music reflects that and visa versa.
2. What creates the flavour of a must see DJ?
Attitude, stage presence, and the constant ability to get people dancing and smiling. If you constantly rock a dance floor a reputation for this will build and the rest will follow. Referring to question one, constant development also plays a big role in the flavour of a must see DJ. One who is always pushing barriers and boundaries will stand out among the crowd. I constantly try to play different sets all the time. You will never see the same show twice.
3. Some people say that electronic music isn’t music. How do you respond to that?
It doesn’t matter what the instrument your playing is, it all comes from the same place: Your heart. How the final product comes out shouldn’t really matter. Whether it be a guitar, key board, saxophone, electronic synthesizer, drum pad, computer, or a microphone. The fact that we are using electronic devices to play music now it a natural part of our evolution. Your mind is a beautiful thing, the means of expressing it musically should not be judged by any single person.
4. You have been working with the Fractal Forest for how many years? Tell us a bit about your experience and how things have evolved.
Ever since my first Shambhala in 2004 the Fractal Forest has always had a place in my heart. I didn’t know back then how big of a place it would actually have. Having my first opportunity to perform there in 2008 changed my life in ways that I never expected. I couldn’t think of anything else I would rather do than give back to what has given me so much over the years. Shambhala 2012 will mark the fourth year working with the Fractal family. Working with Rich and the team brings a lot of joy and happiness to thousands of people a year, and being a part of the their experience means the world to me.
5. Whats next for Freddy J?
Travel and music production are my two main focal points for 2012. I have been touring quite heavily for the past two years playing countless events and festivals. This will continue to grow through 2012 as I intend to take things to more of an international level. I have plans for Burning Man 2012 and tour of Germany and surrounding areas later on this year. If things keep going the way they are I hope to make the transition into full time DJing. On the other side of the art, I have started to work quite heavily in the studio on my first production album, which I hope to have released by Shambhala 2012.
6. Do you have any side projects you would like to share with us?
I am currently involved in a project with DJ/producer Vinyl Fixx. We call ourselves The Boogie Monsters. Its a multi genre project focusing on bass heavy party music. We have done a bit of touring, but mostly production so far. We expect to have our second album released by the summer. You can check out our first album Party Squish on our Soundcloud page. www.soundcloud.com/the-boogie-monsters
