Land Of The Free

Adam Freeland is about to head out for a surf at Angourie, northern New South Wales, but not before indulging The Music in his latest endeavours. “I've been rehearsing all day with the new band project,” he says, “which, frustratingly, I can't tell you about other than it's [up there with] the best work I've ever done. It's a real collaboration of talent and it's nothing like what you'd expect. In the next week or so we will go live with it, so check my networks.”

Much guessing could be done regarding Freeland's forthcoming band project as his back catalogue is incredibly diverse and extensive when it comes to genres, collabs, remixes and originals. Championed as a breaks DJ since the mid-'90s, Freeland is also known for bringing hip hop, drum'n'bass, rock, house and electro together to create well-known remixes and bootlegs Smells Like Freeland and Seven Nation Freeland. His last record COPE, followed by COPE Remixed, was done under his guise 'Freeland', a full band collaboration which saw him working alongside Tommy Lee, Alex Metric, Joey Santiago and more. “It was great to collaborate and work with many of my heroes,” he says.

“I was living in LA and surprised by how accessible they were. Tommy has long been a good friend and has been a great influence in showing me how to be led astray like a pro over the years, so the whole experience of making the record was in quite a rock'n'roll era of my life.”

Aside from a “tiny few” shows, Freeland has taken the last two years off from touring Although a celebration package was planned last year to mark the ten-year anniversary since the release of 2003 hit We Want Your Soul, Freeland “didn't do anything”. “It currently feels right to focus on the new stuff than look back,” he says.

Indeed, Freeland is already Down Under ahead of his upcoming national tour. “[I'm] rehearsing up near Byron, eating your fine mangoes and basking on your glorious beaches,” he says. “I've got a handful of DJ gigs and then [I'm] focusing the rest of the year on releasing and touring the new project. Check my SoundCloud for the latest DJ mixes of what I'm into these days. It's deeper than you may expect; I'll be playing a lot of that stuff mixed up with the odd classic you may know from my past. This is likely one of only ten DJ shows I'll do this year worldwide. I just wanted to do 'em down here.”

And, although Freeland isn't revealing anything specifically about what he's got in store for his Perth show at Villa, he's excited for it. “[I'm] really looking forward to reconnecting with the Perth crowd,” he says. “I've always found a great connection with the people there.”