Tempa T‘s “Next Hype” was literally a next hype when the tune dropped in clubs up and down the country and came at a time when grime music was at its peak in the UK. The producer behind the track, South London spitter turned beatmaker Darq E Freaker was little known then – but his head banger of a beat put him in good stead to become one of the UK’s freshest producers.
With Freaker’s beginnings in grime, spitting as part of grime collective Nu Band Flexxx and producing one of their better known tracks “The Anthem,” he went on to provide beats for Afrikan Boy on “Hard Times.”
He more recently collaborated with grime godfather Wiley on the epic sounding “Jagermeister 35% Vol.” Bringing his trademark production that encompasses a mix of funk and grime and his Hip Hop influences – with Wiley commenting, “These type of grime beats are the ones I never used to like but I attacked the beat anyway.”
Freaker took it to the next level when LA based DJ Sinden laid the acappella vocal for Waka Flocka Flame‘s “Hard In The Paint” over one of his instrumental beats, “Cherryade.” The instrumental that earned a spot on the Year-End-Lists 50 best tracks of 2011.
Darq E Freaker’s signature dark sound and marriage of grime and a dash of dub step, peppered with organ stabs dubbed as ‘chronic grime’ by veteran BBC DJ Giles Peterson, soon spread to the ears of Detroit rapper and noted grime fan Danny Brown.
Of their psychedelic concoction, aptly titled “Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine), Freaker says: “I heard that he spoke about me in an interview on Pitchfork, he hollered at me on twitter, sent me the vocal, I did the beat and sent it back and we mixed it here.”
I recently heard the making of Freaker’s official remix for Scissors Sisters’ “Baby Come Home”, an unexpected link up but sure enough Freaker brings his flavour and unique sound to the table; something he promises to do on every production. Whether it’s a re-fix of Adele “Rolling In The Deep” or getting in the mix on his Monday afternoon Nasty FM radio show with Nu Brand affiliate Peigh, Freaker lends his signature menacingly distinct sound with no compromise.
Darq E Freaker online: darqefreaker.com / youtube / soundcloud / twitter / facebook
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