This Friday night (16th April) U.K breakbeat phenomenon "Freestylers" will perform for the very first time in Vietnam, at HCMC’s Hi Fi Club, along with popular Saigon-based DJs. These breakbeat banditios have been rocking clubs and parties for over a decade now and are still one of the most exciting names in dance music. The boys have had Top 20 chart hits, headlined major festivals, sold half a million albums, toured the US with Lenny Kravitz and for over a decade now they have continued to be one of the most exciting names in dance music. AnyArena caught up with one half of the duo – Matt Cantor – before he and long time friend and band member Aston Harvey set foot on stage.

What are your feelings about coming to Vietnam? Anything you really want to see/do when you’re here? What are your expectations of Saigon?

I went travelling in Vietnam five years ago and fell in love with the place. It has an amazing culture and history. I remember going into the Cu Chi tunnels and nearly having a panic attack they felt so enclosed.

You’ve known each other for a long time. You liked the same music but what where your first impressions of each other personally?

I thought Aston looked a bit like a Native American for some reason, I think it might have been the pony tail he had at the time as he's actually Jewish.

How about now? Are you friends or just colleagues?

We're both to be honest, if something goes wrong we're there for each other, we are a bit like an old married couple as we've been working together for a long time.

We know you’ve had spats with Oasis’ Noel Gallagher for allegedly lifting a sample from Wonderwall– tell us your side of the story. Have you ever come to blows with anyone else in the music industry?

I nearly got into a fight with Robbie Williams once in LA and the guitarist from Travis at the Fuji Rock festival, maybe it's me!

When you first met you were both creating decidedly different sounds. Though you both love hip-hop and electro, do you ever have creative differences?

If so, how do you work them out? We usually scrap an idea unless we both feel it's any good. Otherwise we arm wrestle to decide who has the best idea.

Your music doesn’t follow any particular genre. Is it possible to describe your sound in one word? Noisy.

You’ve achieved a great deal so far over the decade or so you’ve been in the industry. What are you most proud of so far in your career? Probably getting the Lenny Kravitz tour, or possibly one of the Glastonburys.

Your music has been used in various advertisements, including a Pringles campaign in the U.K. Ben Stiller is a big fan of yours too – he used your song Ruffneck in hit comedy Zoolander and your music has been featured in various other films too. Is this a measure of success for you?

Not really, I do love Zoolander though. We had a track on Dude Where's My Car which I'm not so proud of.

For a while you were recording under the alias Raw as F**k. Why the alter-ego?

The press were giving us a hard time; we thought maybe they'll like us without realising it's us which kind of worked.

Finally, what advice do you have for audiences in Vietnam to prepare for your shows?

Drink copious amounts of alcohol and do not attempt to breakdance!

More information about the event here:
http://anyarena.com/en/events/view/freestylers-uk-1002/on/16-04-2010
 

WORDS: BETH YOUNG

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