Attention all Krafty Kuts fans, or basically anyone with an appreciation for all things funky. Krafty is on the launch pad and about to delight us yet again! His exploits and achievements are already well documented, suffice to say his collaborative artist album with A Skillz late in ’03 was outstanding, followed by a mix CD and extensive touring, remixing and winning tons of awards. I had the pleasure of speaking to Krafty (aka Martin Reeves) and got a terrific insight into his hotly anticipated new artist album, how he’ll be spoiling us on his current Australian tour, and a whole bunch more. The man can talk the leg off a chair and I was lucky to be listening!

SD. Let’s start with the big one, tell us about your new album Freakshow?

Basically it’s not what people expect. It’s all about taking people to this place they haven’t been to before. From the title track Freakshow, through the entire album, it’s all about people letting go of their inhibitions. It’s got everything from funky disco, latin jazz, and breaks. Basically, it’s a breaks album but done with a lot more time. I was super conscious of quality control, a bit like Mylo’s album. I got to work with some really great vocalists and the final cut I feel is a great album coming from two years of really intense and hard work.

SD. The release date has been pushed back several times, why?

Yeah, it’s to do with licensing. There were four tracks where we had issues and it just took that much time to get clearance, we wanted to do things absolutely properly. In some ways I feel it’s a blessing in disguise, as the anticipation and tension has built up and there some real excitement!

SD. How did the video clip for the 2nd single, Tell Me How You Feel, come about?

Basically I knew as soon as I wrote that record, it’d be really suited to a house mix. It’s because of the disco loop, making it ideal. The Radio Mix is done by The Young Punx, who have been super successful with artist like the Scissor Sisters, and they did it perfectly for that kind of house vibe. For the video shoot I wanted something simple, a girl on a beach in a nice location. Something really professional, maybe not that kind of cheeky Krafty feel. I wanted to come across a bit more mature. It’s actually quite an emotional song, really well sung and well put together. I wanted a nice video to go with it… it’s a bit of a love song really.

SD. Were there people you really wanted to collaborate with? Did you have a wish list?

I did have Method Man, and wanted a Jocelyn Brown kinda female sound. Not that I was out of my league or anything, but I really did want to get the right thing out of the collaborators. I ended up working with Dynamite on the rap tracks, Tim Duluxe bringing that kinda electro breaks, hip hoppy vibe. Also Ashley Slater who I’d work on Trick Technology with. Latin people, all styles.

SD. And what about the sleeve artwork? It looks like a cross between funky and hippy!

I agree. It was actually a lot of hard work. Based on the title track, I wanted something like that freakshow circus thing, bright colours, and an old school hip hop image. But to mix it in with urban and more modern styles and concepts such as CDJs. I really pushed the designers, a lot, but I’ve had awesome feedback on my MySpace site and everyone seems to think it’s incredible.

SD. A. Skillz, he’s contributed to 2 tracks on your album. Will you do the same with his?

Well I think he wants me to. He knows I’m extremely busy but when time is right I’m sure he’ll ask me and I’ll be happy to help. He’s a genius on Pro Tools whereas I work on Cubase. He gets that amazingly fat sound. His album will be in a different direction to mine, more hip hop, but we will collaborate as we share a love of funky breaks. For a 23 year old he’s one of the most talented people I’ve come across and has got the world at his feet. I feel lucky to have met him when I did.

SD. I see your album is coming out on your label, Against the Grain. What about The Freestylers? They have a new single, when’s the album (Adventures in Freestyle) due?

That’s exactly right, one month. It’s more band oriented, some fantastic tracks and mostly song based. I tell you, the album is polished man, kind of commercial but also quite gritty.

SD. I read they were planning a fairly commercial album, but with Pendulum?

They’ve done Painkiller and another track Fast Love. Quite heavy, grungy tracks. They’re just good friends. Whatever Pendulum do it sounds good. I think adding these different tracks brings a bit of attitude, ideal when you’ve got an album full of classy, smooth, polished tracks.

SD. You’re touring Australia again with Parklife. What can we expect, any hidden gems?

Oh my god, believe me, I’ve got more monsters than a Stephen Spielberg film! Basically, everyone thrusts stuff at me. For example, Mason and Exceeder, no one’s got them. I’ve got loads of tunes of that caliber. I’ve got a remix of Bass Phenomenon and an entirely new intro. It won’t be a planned out set but I have heaps of tunes and it’s going to be a really big tour!

SD. When doing festivals, do you socialse much with the other acts, or prefer privacy?

No, I’m all about socialising. I’m the first person to walk into someone’s dressing room… and for to say ‘who the f*%k are you?’ It’s all about the whole vibe. I try to bring them out of their shell but also respect some are more private. I’m probably the biggest party animal and will have a few drinks have a good time. These big shows need to be special, I feel you need to experience the whole vibe. Fuzzy are one of the best promoters in Australia, possibly the best, with Parklife, Harborlife, etc. They’ve previously brought out everyone from Fat Boy Slim, Basement Jaxx, Groove Armada, the Plump DJs. These quality acts time and time again, and at really good locations. It’s not just the DJs, you need everything to make it complete. They have it down pat.

SD. Will there be any radio mix sets to accompany the tour?

Yeah, I’ve got another Annie Mac 5 minute mini mix coming out and we’ve just won an award for best mix again. I’m really behind DJ polls and think they inspire acts who want to be there. All of these things are really important to making our job what it is, they all add up.

SD. Now tell me about this bright blue vinyl jacket? Where on earth did you find it?

Yeah that! The people who shot the video, they brought make up and clothing, a heap of wardrobe. I saw this old school vinyl blue jacket and said WOW! In fact, my ex used to moan cos my Dad used to have a jacket like that, so I thought that’d be good for a laugh. I had a few comments on MySpace and the response has actually been great. People seem to love it. Really, you need to stand out when you make a video, not just blend into the background.

SD. What do in your downtime, and what music do you listen to?

Fishing, soccer on TV, take away, watch porn… just joking, really! Movies, and like doing usual. Music wise, I listen to a lot breaks actually cos I get sent so much. People expect me to be on the top of my game so I really need to get on top of it. For variety, I also listen to funk and disco.

SD. Krafty, thanks for the chat and it’s great to see you heading down under again!

My pleasure man, really looking forward to it!

Krafty continues his Freakshow tour over the coming weeks:

Click here to check out the film clip for ‘Tell Me How You Feel’ in ITM-TV!