From its start 15 years ago, Rifflandia has grown into Victoria’s “can’t miss” party of the year. Featuring more than 70 incredible, chart-topping talents it's become famous for its multi-genre approach.
That brings us to one of the acts on this year’s stage – The Funk Hunters. They’re the Canadian DJ duo of Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith, and their shows – a feast of sound, colour and spectacle – have launched the pair to DJ stardom.
Now, let’s be honest, there are folks of a certain age who hear that one of the shows at the festival features DJs and they may be a bit confused. It’s a musical genre, after all, that arrived on the scene to rewrite what it means to be a DJ. And for those music lovers whose idea of what it means to be a disc jockey was formed back in the days of Wolfman Jack, well, it's time to enter the 21st century.
The Funk Hunters are artists in their own right, and their mixing and blending of different songs to create a seamless flow of musical energy is both fun and fantastic. Add in the visual effects and live musical elements and there’s no doubt that this is an exciting musical genre that's ever evolving and always entertaining.
“Today, although our sound has evolved, we’re still hunting for different styles,” Middleton says. “What we do is a marriage of different styles and genres. In the past, DJs might get stuck in a single musical silo, back in the day when you’d have to go out and physically source the music. We don’t do that.”
The Funk Hunters are wizards in the world of electronic music and their signature style has seen them tour globally and perform at festivals that include Coachella, Bonnaroo, Life Is Beautiful, Lightning in a Bottle, Electric Forest, Osheaga, Outside Lands, Burning Man, Red Rocks and Shambhala.
In addition, they've produced music that's amassed more than 50 million track streams across their catalogue of original productions, remixes and collaborations.
Middleton has also started his own record label, Westwood Recordings, and has published work by artists including A Skillz, Delhi 2 Dublin, ill-esha, K Theory, Krafty Kuts, LIINKS, Smalltown DJs and So Sus.
“What we do is always a mixture of production and performance and at Rifflandia we’re bringing along Chali 2na and Jurassic 5,” Middleton says. “He’ll be performing with us during the set, and we can’t wait. We’ve been making music with him for a while and he’s an amazing talent. Live music is often a part of our performances, and, at times, we’ve scaled up to having a full band on stage.”
Middleton says the demographic of The Funk Hunters fans has expanded over time as more people of all ages appreciate The Funk Hunter’s artistry.
“Our goal is to make people move. Anyone can experience it and get up and dance,” Middleton says.
In a musical genre that's been shaped by technological advances, Middleton is thoughtful about what he does.
“It’s hard to say where it’s going. The barriers to entry into this genre have been removed and there are so many more people who can now access it (the technology) and that’s exciting,” Middleton says. “Still, people still want a story and a person they can connect to, and authentic ideas will always rise to the top. After all, a good song is a good song.”
Rifflandia is happening Sept. 11 to 14. Find a full schedule of artists and ticket information rifflandia.com.
