There’s been too many back to back sets that apply the simple ‘two records each’ approach to verses sets, but Canberra’s Jeff Drake and Mikah Freeman are here to change that. Separately, Jeff Drake’s known for his impeccable technical skills and ability to create a musical experience to cater any dancefloor, receiving praise from as high up as James Zabeila. Meanwhile Mikah Freeman’s the most booked DJ in Canberra for being the busiest DJ behind the decks and for his craft of transcending through any genre, all in his own cheeky fashion. Together, they perform under the guise Two Square to maximise their combined talents and to push the boundaries as a DJ. ITM’s Shunji managed to squeeze in a few questions to Canberra duo Jeff Drake and Mikah Freeman before they headed off to make their debut in Sydney in the breaks room of Halcyon.
ITM: Hey guys, what have you been up to recently?
JD & MF: Lately our main focus has been Friction with Paul (Azzopardi). The number of things Friction is doing at the moment and has planned for the rest of the year is pretty insane so this has meant we have both been really busy with this side of things.
On top of this we have, amidst pretty hectic local DJ schedules, both been getting our own studio’s up and running (which is pretty hard for guys like us who know shit all when it comes to technology)!
ITM: Jeff has been messing around in the studio with partner Ryan Papa for some time, and I now hear that Mikah is starting to produce tunes too. What kind of sound are you aiming for in your productions?
MF: At the moment, I can see my production (once I get my head around it all) heading in a similar direction to my DJing. I have a few projects in their infancy – a jackin’ house number; a main room tribal stomper as well as a deep and emotional break beat track. I don’t expect to be the next Andy Page any time soon, but you have to start somewhere and this is where my head is at the moment.
ITM: You’re both known for your diverse sets, so you’ve got to have a lot of different kinds of records in your box. What’s flicking your switch these days?
MF: At the moment there is tones of wicked house music around that has really been getting me excited -stuff like Wally Lopez & Dr Kucho; Joeski; Nick Dem &
Hess – basically that real raw percussive sound. Breaks wise, it’s really hard to look past what is going on in Australia at the moment. I mean guys like Andy Page; Nash T; Lo Step; Brewster B; Vance Musgrove and Jono Fernandez are all killing it at the moment.
JD: Like Mikah, I am really excited about what is going on locally. Nash and Vance in Canberra and guys like NuBreed, Andy Page and Colin Snape are making some fantastic music at the moment. Style wise, I am just really into stuff with melody and a strong musical element, whether its breaks, house, techno or progressive.
ITM: Many DJs and punters alike look up to you guys for inspiration here in Canberra. Where do you get your inspiration? Who do you look up to?
JD: That is a big call! Personally I am inspired by many different people for many different reasons. Although, DJ wise, it is really hard to look past James Zabiela. His performance recently in Canberra was nothing short of breathtaking, totally living up to and exceeding the hype.
MF: The DJs/producers who are inspiring me mostly include Phil K, PQM, Joeski as well as the names mentioned above. Oh and that shy 23 year old who Jeff mentioned – Zabiela.
ITM: You two have become known for your back-to-back sets, even being touted as the Sasha and Digweed of Canberra, but your individual styles are quite different. Why do you think you work so well together?
JD & MF: We are both very close friends and share a very similar passion for music. Behind the decks we communicate really well and trust each other’s judgement, as well as possessing a similar philosophy and sense of fun toward DJing. It was this that led us to come up with our collaboration – Two Square. Two Square is not just about mixing two records together. It is about incorporating something of a live experience; utilising every tool that we can get our hands on – live re-editing, accapella’s, on the spot mash-ups, loops and fx all manage to find their way into a Two Square set, while never interrupting the rhythm and dance-ability of the music. We play on two mixers and as many decks and CDJs as is physically possible. Essentially, Two Square is about doing with four hands and ears what simply can’t be done with two, if that makes sense.
ITM: You’ve played at both huge parties and small, backroom-type parties. What do you think you enjoy more?
JD&MF: There’s a time and a place for everything. Playing at big parties is always a buzz – supporting the acts you admire and playing on a sound system that feels like it could make your knees buckle is always wicked! That said, being able to share every moment with and making a personal connection with the crowd in an intimate environment is always a special experience. Set ups like Lot 33 are fantastic for that!
ITM: What kind of tunes can we expect you guys to play?
JD&MF: We have been booked primarily for a breaks set so I guess that will be the platform from which we will build things, although you can be sure that a wide range of other sounds will creep into the set on one way or another. We expect that a fair quantity of local Canberra and Aussie stuff will get a played.
ITM: You’ve played around Australia in a few places before, but are only now making your first trip to play in Sydney. What do you guys think of the Sydney crowd?
JD&MF: Sydney is a truly international city, so making our first break into that is really exciting. Because Sydney clubbers have quality acts club to club on a regular basis, providing something unique and exciting that people are going to remember is a challenge that we are really looking forward to.
ITM: Okay, now give the punters three reasons each why they should leave the mainroom and experience the Canberra sound in the backroom.
MF:
1. Canberra DJs don’t have much of a profile in Sydney so we reeeaally want to show them how its done – Canberra styleee.
2. The tunes are gonna do your f*ckin head in – they do mine.
3. Our girlfriends are hot and they will be dancing in the front row!
JD:
1. We try to bring a sense of fun and enthusiasm, regularly getting lost in the moment for hours at a time.
2. Mikah is an absolute freak when it comes to accapellas and fx and often does my head in mid set so this is reason enough.
3. Yep – they’re hot! ; )
Catch Jeff Drake & Mikah Freeman at Halcyon:Spaceinvaders this Friday, July 11th, at Gas nightclub in Sydney or any given week in Canberra.
