Possessing the power to summon the atoms of giant stars and the cosmic dust of all of existence, SpekrFreks are the shamans of the modern machine world, healing you with the magic of science and sound. They call on humanity to wake up, heralding the shift of ages with the electronic trumpets of the upcoming Golden Age, and beckoning you to get freaky by the speaker.
They come from the golden gates of the U.S. West Coast. they had radio hits on Satellite and FM Radio. they charted on Beatport’s and Dubstep Top 10 and Electro top 100. They like to DJ the occasional event and they have recently been asked to remix popular artists for Universal. They are speaker freaks to the core with that four on the floor.
SUM: Hi guys, glad to have you here with us. Let’s begin with your age and where are you from?
SF : 33 and we are both from the Bay Area in California.
SUM: Who were you individually, before you even met, before Spekrfreks?
SF: Well we both met in High School but didn’t become good friends till college. Edwin had spent his youth learning piano and guitar while being part of a synth pop band and an indie rock band throughout High School and college. Bryan was a theatre major and studied piano as well. He then went on to study Sound Design and Psychology at SF State. Edwin also studied Psychology and Music Therapy at SF State. This was our common bond.
SUM: Tell us how “Spekrfreks” came to be? How would you define your style and who/what are your musical influences?
SF: While both working on degrees in psychology we met through mutual friends at a party. After talking about music we decided to join forces and make experimental Nu-Disco for fun. It was mostly comedy music but then we started making serious tunes as well. After releasing our first Nu-Disco hit “San Frandisco” we realized we had something good going and we decided to run with it.
At the time our musical influences were Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Daft Punk, Heiroglyphics, Michael Jackson and Prince which melded into this genre blending sound we have today. Our very first release on Beatport was through Bugeyed Records, and Beatport couldn’t figure out what genre to put us in so they places us in a new genre called “Electro House” and that’s the genre we helped pioneer in 2003.
SUM: How many hours a day do you see yourself doing your magic in your studio?
SF: We each put in about 5 hours a day. Sometimes more. Our goal is always 200 hours per track minimum.
SUM: “Atoms”, now that is one crazy track that’s it’s been played like crazy around the world, charting at Beatport.com and getting faved at social networks!. Do you want to tell us about the track? Also, Please describe shortly the creative process of that single , what inspired you and what tools you use Software/Hardware that helped you to do this original production a reality.
SF: This track was an interesting journey. Originally I wrote it on the piano after reading Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck and books by Carl Sagan. I was sad about humanity and the destruction of our compassion. I felt like humanity needed a love song for itself. A song about how we are all made up of the same memories, emotions, and atoms. So a piano song was born. Then one day we decided to deconstruct it and run it though our machines. So we opened up Logic 9 and twisted this pretty piano song to fit the modern chaos, destruction, technology and love that encompasses planet Earth today.
SUM: Do you get along all the time, or are there times where you can’t see each other in the studio?
SF: Haha in the beginning we use to fight a lot. But for some reason we always stuck by each other. It’s not often you find 2 piano playing psychology degree having music producers. These common bonds held us together. Nowadays we know each other so well that we are able to communicate without fighting. It’s very nice.
SUM: If you had the opportunity to collaborate with one artist, who would it be and why?
SF: Pet Shop Boys. We both love them to death and sometimes we feel like the PSB of the EDM world.
SUM: What is coming next?
SF: We got a couple of short films we are working on as well as our music being the theme song to a feature blockbuster movie coming out next year called Silent Rhythm.
SUM: How do you see Bass Music evolving the next coming 5 years?
SF: It’s hard to say because Bass Music is relatively new and it’s evolution has been quite linear. But what I hope for Bass Music is a little more soul. Less noise and more feeling.
SUM: What is your biggest passion apart from music, tell us a bit more about you as a person.
SF: Psychology is our second biggest passion. We both have Psychology degrees and sometimes we like to discuss theories, research, and concepts with each other. Edwin also has a new passion for film and cinema. Edwin will be directing his first short film due out in January 2014 as well as acting in a short film as the lead role.
4 Random Questions about “Superheroes”
SUM: If you lived in a superhero universe, would you be a super hero or a super villain? why?
SF: We would be one of those anti-heros. We would be heroes but would also have a dark psychologically twisted sense of humor.
SUM: If you met “The Joker” being just common guys? what would you do?
SF: We would try to get out of it alive.
SUM: If Electronic Dance Music was a super hero universe, what artist or act besides you, would be the super hero and who the super villain. I.e in my case “Airbase” would be the super hero, and “Tiesto” the super villain.
SF: Superhero – Lifelike , Villain – Mr. Oizo
SUM: Miley Cyrus rumored to play “Wonder Woman” in Justice League in 2015. Thoughts?
SF: Sounds like something we would never watch.
SUM: Message for your fans
SF: Be kind, be humble, and be weird.
