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Freestyling for the masses

UK breakbeat duo The Freestylers strive to keep sound fresh
1612freestylers
Fresh freestyle DJs Aston Harvey and Matt Cantor are the masterminds behind the breakbeat sensation, The Freestylers.

Who: The Freestylers

When: Thursday, March 19, 9 p.m.

Where: Maxx Fish

Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door

Aston Harvey and Matt Cantor have been rocking dance floors for well over 13 years.

Better known as The Freestylers, this UK breakbeat duo is dedicated to pleasing the music-loving public, whether they're into house, electro, drum 'n' bass, or anything in between.

Aston Harvey was taking a bit of downtime in a hotel room on Monday before heading out to another gig in Cranbrook the following morning.

"We've only had three shows so far, but they've actually been really good," Harvey said. "We're actually doing a new kind of style DJ set where me and Matt are using three CDJs, and we've got samples and effects and a capellas, chopping them over the top of tracks, basically."

The approach is quite a change for the pair, who normally take hour-long turns in the booth. Now, both Harvey and Cantor are making music simultaneously, which adds a whole new visual element to the performance.

"It seems to be working out; people seem to be really enjoying it."

Change is the name of the game for these iconic DJs. You see, The Freestylers have been making their mark on the industry for 13 years with their genre-defying sound. But over that time, their sound has definitely evolved and changed.

"When we first started out, there were no expectations, so it's a lot easier," Harvey said with a laugh. "Technology has changed, music has changed... a lot has changed in the last 10 to 12 years."

They've been around for the changeover from vinyl to CD, and then from CD to digital technology, like Serato.

Today, their sound is very much rooted in old school hip hop, but it's gradually grown to incorporate everything from dancehall, reggae, and electro to soul, breakbeat and drum 'n' bass.

"Over the years, I've made drum 'n' bass music, I've made house music, I was involved in making music in the early rave scene in the UK. I think the whole break scene sort of brought all of those elements together, and I liked that, even with a DJ set, because I could play different styles and I wasn't stuck with one thing."

Incorporating a wide range of genres into their music also means that the duo appeals to an eclectic audience.

"That's the maddest thing - we play to so many different types of people and we've done shows in Europe where we're playing to 15-, 16-year-old kids at a festival... and we might be sandwiched between a couple of drum 'n' bass DJs."

Harvey first got hooked on DJing at the tender age of 16.

"I was just inspired by the music I was listening to at the time - the early days of hip hop, hearing all these DJs scratching and cutting records together."

Cantor and Harvey were signed to the same record label as individual artists, but soon realized they shared a love for the music of the original innovators, like Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jeff and Public Enemy, and decided to try their hand at making a track together. That track was the electro hit, Drop The Bomb, and thus, The Freestylers were born.

"It was the worst mistake we ever made," Harvey said with a laugh.

All joking aside, Harvey said working together forces artists to keep an open mind and allows them a sounding board.

"Otherwise, I think it could be really hard work just doing something totally off your own back," he added.

Making all of those sounds and genres work together in a cohesive way, while putting a unique slant and distinct twist on the final product, is actually quite a challenge. More often than not, the combinations they play with don't end up sounding quite as they had imagined, or hoped.

"When it does work, it gives you such a good feeling," Harvey reflected.

But sometimes, something just clicks.

"On our third album, the Raw As Fuck album, we had Boom Blast, which we had an old school kind of electro beat and it had reggae kind of hip hop chat on it, which I don't think anyone had ever done before, really."

The duo is currently working on another new album, which is the first since Adventures in Freestyle was released almost three years ago.

"We've got loads of backing tracks and are just waiting for a load of vocalists to come in to get working on it, really," Harvey explained.

When it comes to their own projects as The Freestylers, these boys don't like to settle for second best, so they have to wait a bit to get what they really want to create that distinct Freestylers sound.

In between the two albums, Harvey and Cantor have been busy touring, playing live gigs, and working on projects with their live band. They've also released a few underground tracks under the alias of S.C.A.M. to make sure that audiences have a chance to listen to their music with fresh ears, and judge it without preconceptions.

The duo has come to Whistler many times before to entertain with their unbelievably energetic show.

"It's great - when you're playing in smaller venues, its more intense than a bigger festival."

So what's the secret to rocking a dance floor?

"I suppose its fueled by drink," Harvey reflected. "But actually since we've been doing this new style of DJ set, because we have to concentrate a bit more, I don't think there's as much drinking, but it seems to be rocking as much!"