INTERVIEW: FURIOUS FRANK

"Words can be restrictive, but music/art is limitless"

Furious Frank, originally from Adelaide, has been busy the last few years perfecting his unique take on acid house and outrageous beats, producing standouts like "Flamen Galah / Space Call" with DJ Fett Burger aka DJ Dogg, the Magic Mountain EP on Ken Oath Records or "Ahora Sí" on Butter Sessions. Now he lands in Kalahari Oyster Cult with the EP: "Trip 2 Fantasy", an intense EP, which leads us straight to dreams.

Read our interview below to learn more about Frank's broad influences, creative environment, and study methods.

Hey Tom! Where can we find you right now? How did you start off your day?

Hey Alejandro, thanks for having me man. I’m currently in a type of covid limbo back in my home town of Adelaide, Australia. It’s a sunny morning here, birds chirping, dogs playing, Raphael Top Secret Trushmix 166 cranking whilst sipping on a green tea. Life’s alright.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? Where are you from / how did you get into music?

I grew up in a small town in the Adelaide hills surrounded by fauna and flora. My dad’s a muso who introduced me to jazz and blues at an early age, while my mum took me to world music festivals, like Womadelaide, regularly. Though, it wasn’t until high school that my personal taste in music began to evolve, influenced by pot smoking, graffiti/drawing and some incredible humans. I have fond memories of skipping school to hang out, smoke, play hacky sack and listen to whatever hot new record we were obsessing over at the time. Hip hop, jazz, blues, psychedelic rock, reggae, dub, metal, funk, drum and bass, techno… It was, and still is, all good!

How was your first foray into dance music. What was it that got you going?

I was first introduced to dance music at the age of 14 via local vinyl only drum and bass/jungle parties, thrown in town halls and illegal tunnels across the hills. Though, being a huge J-Dilla fan, it wasn’t until I discovered Detroit house and techno that my strong connection with dance music was solidified. It had the soul, emotion, MPC grit and rawness of the Detroit hip hop I loved but at a bpm you could dance to. What more could you want?! I connected with it instantly and have been hooked since.

From there I sourced myself a fake ID and went dancing at Sugar nightclub and Cuckoo Bar every Friday and Saturday night to the likes of Dj HMC, The Carter Bros, Dj Driller and many other local legends. I lived and breathed music from the age of 14 until my late twenties, to this day I feel so blessed to have met and continue to meet so many beautiful humans through a shared love of music; it’s a very special and beautiful thing.

What does your studio look like right now? What type of hardware / software do you like to work with?

My studio’s pretty basic at the moment, I recently sold a whole bunch of gear which I do regularly. I like to shake it up a bit, this keeps my approach fresh because I’m sailing uncharted territory. So, my set up’s currently a tb303 (always), sh101, tr606 and a few other bits. Looking forward to getting my hands on some new gear real soon!

Who have been your main inspirations (Both musical and in ‘life’)? And how have they effected your sound?

Being exposed to multiple genres of music and surrounding myself with creative people has taught me that things don’t have to be perfect, it’s the idea, process and feeling that really matters (to me). A few artists who have inspired me are Frank Zappa, A Tribe Called Quest, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Prince, Moodymann, (the regulars) to name a few.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some incredibly talented artists and labels who have been another of my main sources of inspiration, without them I highly doubt I would have ever released any music. Shout out to the Untzz 12” crew (Mic, Babz, Bess, HVCK, Freddie), Cuckoo Music crew, Sugar, Ancient World, Butter Sessions, Ken Oath, Paper-Cuts, The Carter Bros, Rings Around Saturn, Dj Fett Burger, Phran & Ivy, Roza Terenzi, Ivan, Dogworld!, Club in Theory and anyone I’ve forgotten. <3'

How did you build your sound? What inspired you? What did you want to convey? What would you like to transmit on the dance floor? And in the listener who listens to you at home?

I guess like most art forms I’m trying to communicate an emotion, words can be restrictive, but music/art is limitless. The process of making music for me is similar to a form of meditation, it occupies all my mind and at times can take me to a different place. It brings me joy and clears my mind of all the bs in the world. Ultimately, I make music for me, but it’s a pretty special feeling knowing that something you’ve created is bringing others happiness. That’s what it’s all about!

The sound of Melbourne is spreading to more communities and places in world. What do you value most about this sound?

Personally, I wouldn’t say there’s a specific Melbourne sound because there’s such a wide variety of amazing music regularly releasing out of the city; even limited to the dance music community. Sure, there are niches, where artists influence and learn from one and other, which would drive a somewhat similar sound but if you think there’s just one Melbourne sound you should dig deeper (you won’t regret it J)!

The thing about Melbourne that really stands out to me, being new to the city, is the tremendous amount of community support. It really blew me away when I first moved over. People are aware and excited, there’s a positive creative energy in the air and it’s contagious! The sense of community is exhilarating, and drives you to perfect your art. Maybe a benefit of living on an isolated island perhaps?

What can you tell us about your latest album TRIP 2 FANTASY? What did you want to convey?

I never start a project with an intention in mind, for me this would take the fun out of it. No boundaries, just getting lost in the process. Who cares if the end result is rubbish!

Could you briefly tell us about the tracks from your latest EP?

All the tracks were recorded, produced and arranged in my Sydney Road, Brunswick, bedroom studio in 2019. I used a Korg EMX, tr606, tb303, jv1080, samples and Roland / Arturia soft-synths. The vocals were ripped from a Ted talk and from an acapella off YouTube, if I remember correctly.

What do you most admire about the Kalahari Oyster Cult label?

Colino’s (KOC) about as passionate about dance music as they come, he’s excited about creating something special and that’s reflected throughout the label. It’s been a pleasure working with him over the past year on the release and an honour to now be a part of the label.

It’s difficult for everyone in our industry during the crisis - what have you been doing to keep things going, both on the music and personal fronts?

Since the start of covid I’ve been quite creatively unmotivated, with all the social unrest it’s been hard for me to get my head in the right space. This has allowed me time to reflect on what I find important in life and what direction I want to take my music in the future.

Last night I made my first loop in six months which was a really nice.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

There’s a few Frank bits n bobs in the pipeline, a couple VA’s and an ep. I’m looking forward to working on some long-awaited projects with friends in 21! Quality over quantity this year. Stay tuned. J

Do you have any final words of wisdom?

‘Power and Equality’ – Ghost Dog

Peace,

Frank xx