Scratching the Surface

Heavily dreadlocked and impossible to pigeonhole, New Zealand nu-breaks pioneer Freq Nasty (Darin McFadyen) helped set the stage for dance music’s genre-bending resurrection in the new decade. His music also helped yank electronic music out of the creative mire it was — and arguably still is — in. In Freq Nasty’s world, sticking to any single genre or scene is a creative dead end, not to mention not much fun: Just when you think you’ve got him figured out, he’ll jump from a bass-heavy breakbeat dance-floor stormer to an electro-funk experience that would make Kraftwerk proud. The DJ’s career began fourteen years ago, when he found himself immersed in London’s hyperkinetic jungle scene following a move from his homeland. His musical vision took off from there, incorporating elements of breakbeat, garage, techno and jungle to create a sound that can rock any party. Let him rock yours this Saturday, September 10, at Vinyl.