Freddy Fresh

Freddy Fresh

Freddy Fresh (born Frederick Schmid, 29 March 1963, Minneapolis, Minnesota)^[1] is among the most active and prolific American underground dance music musicians having released more than a hundred records on numerous record labels. He is often associated with the London, England hip-hop and dance scene having relocated to the United Kingdom in the late 1990s.

Biography

Fresh's first record label, Analog Recordings, was formed in late 1992. His label empire then grew to include a host of sub labels (Analog UK, Butterbeat, Electric Music Foundation, Socket and Boriqua). In addition to a growing Stateside audience, Fresh is also one of the few contemporary non-Detroit techno/electro musicians to have a strong European following. His records for Experimental, Harthouse, and Martin "Biochip C" Damm's Anodyne label have strengthened his international presence. Although Fresh's releases included tracks in hip hop and house and techno and trance, his roots and most consistently pursued affectation lay in electro and breaks.

Although Fresh grew up listening to gothic rock and new wave, a trip to the Bronx in 1984 introduced him to the hip hop scene. Fresh began collecting DJ tapes (Shep Pettibone and Marley Marl) and records from Jonzun Crew, Newcleus, Liquid Liquid, Cerrone, Shannon and Cat Stevens. His collection has since grown to thousands. Fresh's first work in the recording studio came via Boogie Down Productions, with Fresh remixing a track for The Man & His Music Dedication album for Scott La Rock and from there piecing together a studio, and collecting many of the analog and modular synthesizers that give his records their distinct feel. Fresh mixes all his tracks live and sequences with an MPC 2oooXL and an MPC 4000 and uses pre-midi analog synthesizers and modular systems. In 1992, after releasing debut singles on Nu Groove and Experimental, Fresh established his first label, Analog, to release his own tracks.

The label and its offshoots have since attracted Thomas Heckman, Tim Taylor, Cari Lekebusch, DJ Slip, the Bassbin Twins, and Biochip C. In 1995, Fresh inked a contract with noted German techno label Harthouse Records, and his second full-length, Accidentally Classic, was released by the label's UK arm in late 1996, with a Harthouse US reissue. His third album, The Last True Family Man, followed on Eye Q. It spawned two international chart hits, "Badder Badder Schwing" featuring Fat Boy Slim, and "What It Is". The recordings peaked at #34 and #63 respectively in the UK Singles Chart in 1999.^[2] Several singles and a mix album followed, until 2001's release, Music for Swingers. Fresh subsequently issued numerous albums on Howlin Records.

Fresh has released records through the Wisconsin based Drop Bass Network and the German label Electrecord. In 2000, Fresh also formed a collectors label specializing in vinyl 45 singles, Howlin' Record, and has since released over thirty five singles and four albums. These included "Have Records Will Travel", "Outstanding in His Field", "Diggin' Up Ghosts" and "Surrounded By Funk", as well as Howlin’ Greatest Hits.

In the late 1990s, Freddy continued to tour worldwide performing in more than 35 countries in such venues as Moscow, Russia's Olympic Stadium where he opened for The Orb. He also formed the record label, Against The Grain, with then-partner Krafty Kuts.

In 2004, Fresh released the reference book entitled Freddy Fresh Presents The Rap Records which covers the history of the early independent old school rap scene and provides an extensive catalog of rap releases issued from 1979 to 1989. The book was featured in The Source, Vibe, The New York Times, and Village Voice, and won journalism awards in the United States, and has been recognized as the only reference book on this subject. Fresh released the updated second edition, with over 740 pages and more than 2,500 color photographs.^[3]

In 2008, Fresh released the updated Freddy Fresh Presents The Rap Records Book Revised Edition with thousands of full-color photos from the independent rap scene.

Fresh's music has also enjoyed commercial success in films such as Austin Powers in Goldmember, Jackie Chan's The Tuxedo and television commercials by Adidas, Budweiser and Coors. Fresh tours regularly and has DJ'd in over thirty four countries and has performed on television for MTV Canada, Club TV, S2, House Viva TV and Club Spain. His radio appearances included two Peel sessions for the John Peel on BBC Radio 1.

Currently, Fresh is a teacher of deejay techniques at the McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, Minnesota, and serves as the resident deejay at Barrio Tequila Bar and Restaurant also located in St. Paul.

Personal life

Freddy Fresh married his wife Alexandra on 21 April 2005 in St Paul MN. They have two daughters, Arianna Isabella, born in December 2008, and Antonella Camille, born in May 2011.

Freddy Fresh also has two adult daughters, Alexandra Williams and Cassandra Krystal.

References

More information on Freddy Fresh can be found in The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (UK), The Rough Guide to Techno (Penguin Books UK), All Music Guide to Electronica (Backbeat Books USA), All Music Guide to Hip Hop (Backbeat Books USA) and Downloader’s Music Source Book 20,000 of the World’s Best Songs (Carlton Press)