Freaky Flow
Encyclopedia
Freaky Flow is the stage name of Stephen Grey a drum and bass
and hip hop
DJ, who started his career in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but now resides in Los Angeles, California
, USA. He has dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
Grey has also been known to include music from other genres in his DJ sets, ranging from Fleetwood Mac
to Don Henley
. He is the owner of Freaky Flow Recordings (a division of Freaky Flow Entertainment Group), the record label that released the Canadian electronic music group, The Heavy Petters (often billed as "Freaky Flow Presents: The Heavy Petters").
Globally, having released six mix CDs in total, Freaky Flow has sold more drum and bass mix albums than any other Canadian DJ. Within Canada, Freaky Flow has sold more drum and bass mix albums than any other DJ from anywhere in the world, including the best-selling drum and bass mix album ever released in Canada, Obscene Underground – Volume 1: Freaky Flow (often referred to as “Tits”, due to the album artwork, which bares this word on the front of it), which has sold over 20,000 units in Canada (and was not widely released outside of Canada).
Freaky Flow has performed in over ten countries, including Canada, the United States, Japan, Slovenia, and others. He is also currently sponsored by gsus sindustries, a clothing company, and represented by Circle Management, a DJ booking agency.
, USA in 1977. With his parents, he relocated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1979. While attending high school, he began to DJ as a hobby, and eventually, as a career, even while earning a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Toronto. In 2009, he moved to Los Angeles, California, USA.
Now this was six, seven years ago, when hip-hop and jungle blending together was just an unheard of thing. The two scenes were separate and segregated, and people didn't want to mix the two crowds. Hip-hop purists were just as bad as jungle purists. Hip-hop purists didn't want drum and bass invading their territory, and junglists had this misconception that all hip-hop jams are violent, and all hip-hop lyrics were violent.
But I like the energy of hip-hop and I started mixing that into drum and bass, and the crowd took really well to it. But other key figures didn't. They didn't like the fact that I was doing this.
So my flow was different. And I was labled [sic] a freak. Hence, Freaky Flow. Additionally, there was also that Jeru the Damaga [sic] song "Come Clean," where he happens to say those two words together, back-to-back and I thought, ‘Oh, that's great, I can scratch with that.’”
In 1995, Freaky Flow was “introduced” at the very first Liquid Adrenaline event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In 1995, Freaky Flow released his first DJ mix tape, entitled Music To Make You Freak – Volume 1. In the years that followed, Freaky Flow released seven additional mixes, in audio cassette form, prior to releasing his first CD in 1999.
In 1997, Freaky Flow launched Placebo Recordings (a subsidiary of Stickman Records) with MC Flipside, and The Stickmen. The label produced three vinyl records.
In 1999, Freaky Flow released his first DJ mix CD, entitled Obscene Underground – Volume 1: Freaky Flow (often referred to as “Tits”, due to the album artwork, which bares this word on the front of it), which has sold over 20,000 units in Canada (and was not widely released outside of Canada). To date, this is the highest-selling drum and bass mix album ever released in Canada.
In 2001, Freaky Flow was signed to Moonshine Music
(which had also released mix albums by DJ Keoki
, D:Fuse
, DJ Micro
, AK1200
, DJ Baby Anne
, DJ Dara
, Cirrus
, Anabolic Frolic
, Ferry Corsten
, and others). That same year, on Moonshine Music, he released his first mix CD outside of Canada, entitled World Domination.
In 2002, Freaky Flow released another album on Moonshine Music, entitled Keep It Live, his first ever commercially released live recording. The album is hosted by MC Flipside, and was recorded at an event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In 2004, Freaky Flow released the album The Envy, on New York label, Topaz Records.
In 2005, Freaky Flow independently released another mix CD, entitled Flashback, featuring only songs that he had written, co-written, or remixed since the start of his career.
In 2007, Freaky Flow launched a new record label, Freaky Flow Recordings. That same year, the label released the debut album of the Canadian electronic music group, The Heavy Petters (often billed as Freaky Flow Presents: The Heavy Petters). The album was entitled Smell The Glove. Freaky Flow served as Executive Producer.
In 2009, Freaky Flow released the mix album The Furious Factor on New York’s Moist Music
, as a joint-venture with Furious Records. This album was a retrospective mix compilation made up entirely of notable releases on Toronto-based drum and bass label, Furious Records.
In 2011, Freaky Flow continued his Volume mix series (the last of which was Volume 008, several years earlier), with two new mixes, Volume 009 and Volume 010, both given away free online.
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
DJ, who started his career in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but now resides in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, USA. He has dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
Grey has also been known to include music from other genres in his DJ sets, ranging from Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
to Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
. He is the owner of Freaky Flow Recordings (a division of Freaky Flow Entertainment Group), the record label that released the Canadian electronic music group, The Heavy Petters (often billed as "Freaky Flow Presents: The Heavy Petters").
Globally, having released six mix CDs in total, Freaky Flow has sold more drum and bass mix albums than any other Canadian DJ. Within Canada, Freaky Flow has sold more drum and bass mix albums than any other DJ from anywhere in the world, including the best-selling drum and bass mix album ever released in Canada, Obscene Underground – Volume 1: Freaky Flow (often referred to as “Tits”, due to the album artwork, which bares this word on the front of it), which has sold over 20,000 units in Canada (and was not widely released outside of Canada).
Freaky Flow has performed in over ten countries, including Canada, the United States, Japan, Slovenia, and others. He is also currently sponsored by gsus sindustries, a clothing company, and represented by Circle Management, a DJ booking agency.
History
Freaky Flow was born Stephen Grey, in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, USA in 1977. With his parents, he relocated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1979. While attending high school, he began to DJ as a hobby, and eventually, as a career, even while earning a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Toronto. In 2009, he moved to Los Angeles, California, USA.
Name Origin
“...The way I got Freaky Flow was when I first started spinning anything, it was hip-hop. Then drum and bass caught my attention and I started getting into that. I heard drum and bass, but even as I heard it for the first time, I was still feeling like hip-hop could be incorporated into it.Now this was six, seven years ago, when hip-hop and jungle blending together was just an unheard of thing. The two scenes were separate and segregated, and people didn't want to mix the two crowds. Hip-hop purists were just as bad as jungle purists. Hip-hop purists didn't want drum and bass invading their territory, and junglists had this misconception that all hip-hop jams are violent, and all hip-hop lyrics were violent.
But I like the energy of hip-hop and I started mixing that into drum and bass, and the crowd took really well to it. But other key figures didn't. They didn't like the fact that I was doing this.
So my flow was different. And I was labled [sic] a freak. Hence, Freaky Flow. Additionally, there was also that Jeru the Damaga [sic] song "Come Clean," where he happens to say those two words together, back-to-back and I thought, ‘Oh, that's great, I can scratch with that.’”
Career
In 1993, Freaky Flow first began DJing mainly at house parties and small events.In 1995, Freaky Flow was “introduced” at the very first Liquid Adrenaline event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In 1995, Freaky Flow released his first DJ mix tape, entitled Music To Make You Freak – Volume 1. In the years that followed, Freaky Flow released seven additional mixes, in audio cassette form, prior to releasing his first CD in 1999.
In 1997, Freaky Flow launched Placebo Recordings (a subsidiary of Stickman Records) with MC Flipside, and The Stickmen. The label produced three vinyl records.
In 1999, Freaky Flow released his first DJ mix CD, entitled Obscene Underground – Volume 1: Freaky Flow (often referred to as “Tits”, due to the album artwork, which bares this word on the front of it), which has sold over 20,000 units in Canada (and was not widely released outside of Canada). To date, this is the highest-selling drum and bass mix album ever released in Canada.
In 2001, Freaky Flow was signed to Moonshine Music
Moonshine Music
Moonshine Music was an electronic music record label founded by Steve Levy in Los Angeles in 1992, and later headquartered in West Hollywood, California. Moonshine released over 250 compilations albums, many of which were DJ mixed. Moonshine helped to launch the career of DJ Keoki and his side-kick...
(which had also released mix albums by DJ Keoki
DJ Keoki
Superstar DJ Keoki is an Electronic music,among other genres DJ. Born in El Salvador and raised in Hawaii, Keoki reached 'Superstar' status shortly after moving to New York City.-Bio:...
, D:Fuse
D:Fuse
D:Fuse is an American producer, remixer and DJ based out of Los Angeles, California.He is the co-owner of Lost Angeles Recordings, along with fellow DJ/producer Mike Hiratzka. The duo’s first release on their label was the D:Fuse & Hiratzka album ‘Skyline Lounge’, which was initially released on...
, DJ Micro
DJ Micro
DJ Micro is an American trance DJ and producer.-History:DJ Micro began on the East Coast, where in 1991 he helped form the Caffeine Records collective in Deer Park, NY. Caffeine began as a weekly club night, and started building a brand. Micro spun at many of Caffeine's parties, specializing in...
, AK1200
AK1200
AK1200 is the stage name of a Florida-based musician Dave Minner working in the jungle and drum and bass genres.He started DJing in 1989 playing mainly Electro, and in 1990 he opened a record store in Orlando, Florida called The Hottie Shop. His early working relationships were with record labels...
, DJ Baby Anne
DJ Baby Anne
DJ Baby Anne , who refers to herself as "The Bass Queen", is an Orlando-based DJ and producer who works with live sets and original mixes that fuse Electro with Miami Bass and funky breaks.-Discography:...
, DJ Dara
DJ Dara
DJ Dara is an Irish drum and bass DJ operating mainly in North America. He is a member in the D'n'B group known as the Planet of the Drums...
, Cirrus
Cirrus
Cirrus may refer to:In science:*Cirrus cloud, a type of cloud*Cirrus , a German research rocket*Cirrus, a fleshy, downward extension of the upper lip in salamanders or fish*Cirrus, a thoracic limb of an adult barnacle...
, Anabolic Frolic
Anabolic Frolic
Anabolic Frolic is a happy hardcore DJ from Canada who is known for the Happy 2b Hardcore CD series and the Hullabaloo! promotion he threw in Toronto, Ontario. His real name is Chris Samojlenko...
, Ferry Corsten
Ferry Corsten
Ferry Corsten, also known under the alias System F, is a Dutch producer of trance music, in addition to being a DJ and remixer. He also hosts his own weekly radio show, Corsten's Countdown. He routinely plays at events all over the world with crowds in excess of tens of thousands. In 2009 Ferry...
, and others). That same year, on Moonshine Music, he released his first mix CD outside of Canada, entitled World Domination.
In 2002, Freaky Flow released another album on Moonshine Music, entitled Keep It Live, his first ever commercially released live recording. The album is hosted by MC Flipside, and was recorded at an event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In 2004, Freaky Flow released the album The Envy, on New York label, Topaz Records.
In 2005, Freaky Flow independently released another mix CD, entitled Flashback, featuring only songs that he had written, co-written, or remixed since the start of his career.
In 2007, Freaky Flow launched a new record label, Freaky Flow Recordings. That same year, the label released the debut album of the Canadian electronic music group, The Heavy Petters (often billed as Freaky Flow Presents: The Heavy Petters). The album was entitled Smell The Glove. Freaky Flow served as Executive Producer.
In 2009, Freaky Flow released the mix album The Furious Factor on New York’s Moist Music
Moist Music
Moist Music is a New York City based electronic dance music record label that is a subsidiary of Phase One Communications. Victor Ortiz, aka Vicious Vic established Moist Music in 2004. Victor was previously part of the founding crew members of the early Caffeine movement in New York City,...
, as a joint-venture with Furious Records. This album was a retrospective mix compilation made up entirely of notable releases on Toronto-based drum and bass label, Furious Records.
In 2011, Freaky Flow continued his Volume mix series (the last of which was Volume 008, several years earlier), with two new mixes, Volume 009 and Volume 010, both given away free online.
Mix Compilations
- Obscene Underground – Volume 1: Freaky Flow (CD) – Stickman Records (1999)
- World Domination (CD) – Moonshine Music (2001)
- Keep It Live (CD) – Moonshine Music (2002)
- The Envy (CD) – Topaz Records (2004)
- Flashback (CD) – Freaky Flow Productions (2005)
- The Furious Factor (CD) – Moist Music (2009)
Singles
- On The Down Low / Mist (12”) – Placebo Recordings (1997)
- The Swinger / Here We Go (12”) – Wikkid Records (2005)
Remixes
- What It Takes (Remix) / Just A Second (Remix) (12”) – Placebo Recordings (1997)
- Compare / Compare (Remix) (12”) – Second Generation (2001)
- Doubt Love / Doubt Love (Remix) (12”) – Sound Gizmo Audio (2003)