Headtronics - 21st Century Supergroup
Funktronica supergroup Headtronics will be continuing their debut tour this August, treating fans to some of the best the blossoming genre of improv/dance/funk has to offer. Cincinnati’s own Freekbass, who has collaborated with the likes of Bootsy Collins and Buckethead, has joined forces with highly acclaimed turntablist DJ Logic and keyboardist Steve Moltitz, of Particle and Phil Lesh and Friends.
Headtronics, who received their namesake from Collins himself, got their start at last summer’s Church of Universal Love and Music Festival. Freekbass and Molitz sat in during DJ Logic’s set, causing quite a stir among spectators and musicians alike. “It turned out to be one of those magical musical moments, so we decided to play some full shows together,” said Freekbass.
Molitz, of course, is no stranger to Wisconsin music fans, the Fox Valley area in particular, participating in several shows organized by the production company, Organik Entertainment, over the past couple years. As recently as early June, Molitz performed at Cranky Pat's in Neenah, WI as part of the Willie Waldman Project, with Appleton, WI band Ifdakar opening. Crowds seem to stir whenever this master collaborator is involved and with the quality accompaniment found in Headtronics, this project will be no different.
Recently, Live Music News & Review caught up with Molitz and Freekbass to discuss their new project, Headtronics.
LMN+R: Before last summer’s Universal Church of Love and Music Festival, had any of you collaborated with each other before?
Molitz: Logic and I have played together quite a bit over the years in various projects. Most notably, he performed on Particle's 2006 live concert DVD 'Particle:Transformations', along with Joe Satriani, Blackalicious, and Robby Krieger.
LMN+R: Give me a sense of what Headtronics music will be like. Will it be mostly centered around improvisation?
Molitz: Since we're such a new band, part of the fun is that we're not exactly sure what the music will sound like! Definitely a lot of improvisation, and I think audiences will be able to tell that we all love funk, hip-hop, jazz, and dance music...
LMN+R: Obviously all three of you have had extensive careers, playing with a lot of big-time musicians from different genres. Why do you feel that now is the right time to launch a project like this?
Molitz: As musicians, we each like to try new things and break boundaries, and I think this band gives us an opportunity to really push ourselves outside the comfort zone we might have in our other projects. I guess now is just the right time for each of us to explore new musical territory...
Freekbass: The timing in the air feels right. The way the jam/funk/electronic/jazz/rave world has cross-pollinated in the last few years is very exciting and new. All three of us have walked a bit in each of those worlds, so it seems (excuse the pun) logical.
LMN+R: From a musical standpoint, how does this band operate? Does one individual focus more on melody? Does Logic carry this ensemble rhythmically?
Molitz: Logic should probably answer this one, but I'll just say that for the most part, Logic will hold the beats down while Freek and I will cover the more melodic stuff. But the truth is, I like to drop beats too, and Logic has an amazing sense of melody, so you never know what might happen! I think that's part of the beauty of this band...we can all cover a lot of different ground. Sometimes Freek plays his bass like a lead instrument, and when he does, I'll make sure I'm backing him up. It's an exciting and infinite blend of tonal options...
Freekbass: As Steve mentioned, with our individual styles, we will all be bouncing around on each of those roles.
LMN+R: The legendary Bootsy Collins gave you guys the name Headtronics. Can you guys describe your relationship with Collins and how he has shaped your respective careers?
Freekbass: Besides all of the obvious reasons, Bootsy has always been an innovator in groove and experimental music. From the stuff he did a few years ago with Praxis, to the Science Faxtion record he was a part of last year. When I told him about this project, I thought he might really get where it was coming from. I actually met Steve because of Bootsy. Boot and I went to see Buckethead a few years ago, and he was opening for Particle...between sets, Steve and I rapped for the first time.
LMN+R: You guys will be touring in April, although you have yet to release any recorded material. Any plans on recording together in the near future?
Molitz: Absolutely. Fans can expect to hear both studio and live recordings very soon...
LMN+R: Stylistically and genre-wise, what can fans expect from the new group? How is it similar and/or different from past music you guys have created in your respective careers?
Molitz: I'm sure we'll each bring a little bit of what we've done in the past to Headtronics, but I think there's also gonna be a lot of room for trying new stuff. If I had to guess, I'd say we'll play a mix of funk, jazz, hip-hop, and dance music...
LMN+R: What are the plans for this group going forward? Do you think it will be a long term project or more of a short term affair?
Molitz: This is definitely something that we all want to keep rolling. We're all pretty busy with other projects, but we're definitely gonna make time in 2010 and beyond to make sure we share the Headtronics sound with our fans from coast to coast...
LMN+R: How do the three of you plan to balance Headtronics with your current projects? Steve, I noticed that you will be touring with Particle as well in April. What kind of challenges does that present?
Molitz: We all love the road, and we all love playing with so many diverse projects, so playing with all these different bands really isn't much of a challenge for us at all. It might be a challenge for our agents trying to play all these dates with different bands, but as the musicians, we love it!!
LMN+R: You guys come from different places with diverse musical backgrounds, what has the dynamic been like working together thus far?
Molitz: Inspired, Inspiring, and Inspirational...
Freekbass: Funky,funked, and funkdified...
Check out Headtronics live during their late summer run!
8-05-10 Nelson Ledges Quarry Shamy Bash Garretsville, OH
8-06-10 Triumph Brewing Co. New Hope, PA
8-07-10 The Big Up @ Sunnyview Farm Ghent, NY
8-08-10 River Street Jazz Cafe Wilkes Barre, PA
8-13-2010 Muddy River Jam Festival Woodstown, NJ
9-10-10 Catskill Chill Music Festival Hancock, NY
Headtronics, who received their namesake from Collins himself, got their start at last summer’s Church of Universal Love and Music Festival. Freekbass and Molitz sat in during DJ Logic’s set, causing quite a stir among spectators and musicians alike. “It turned out to be one of those magical musical moments, so we decided to play some full shows together,” said Freekbass.
Molitz, of course, is no stranger to Wisconsin music fans, the Fox Valley area in particular, participating in several shows organized by the production company, Organik Entertainment, over the past couple years. As recently as early June, Molitz performed at Cranky Pat's in Neenah, WI as part of the Willie Waldman Project, with Appleton, WI band Ifdakar opening. Crowds seem to stir whenever this master collaborator is involved and with the quality accompaniment found in Headtronics, this project will be no different.
Recently, Live Music News & Review caught up with Molitz and Freekbass to discuss their new project, Headtronics.
LMN+R: Before last summer’s Universal Church of Love and Music Festival, had any of you collaborated with each other before?
Molitz: Logic and I have played together quite a bit over the years in various projects. Most notably, he performed on Particle's 2006 live concert DVD 'Particle:Transformations', along with Joe Satriani, Blackalicious, and Robby Krieger.
LMN+R: Give me a sense of what Headtronics music will be like. Will it be mostly centered around improvisation?
Molitz: Since we're such a new band, part of the fun is that we're not exactly sure what the music will sound like! Definitely a lot of improvisation, and I think audiences will be able to tell that we all love funk, hip-hop, jazz, and dance music...
LMN+R: Obviously all three of you have had extensive careers, playing with a lot of big-time musicians from different genres. Why do you feel that now is the right time to launch a project like this?
Molitz: As musicians, we each like to try new things and break boundaries, and I think this band gives us an opportunity to really push ourselves outside the comfort zone we might have in our other projects. I guess now is just the right time for each of us to explore new musical territory...
Freekbass: The timing in the air feels right. The way the jam/funk/electronic/jazz/rave world has cross-pollinated in the last few years is very exciting and new. All three of us have walked a bit in each of those worlds, so it seems (excuse the pun) logical.
LMN+R: From a musical standpoint, how does this band operate? Does one individual focus more on melody? Does Logic carry this ensemble rhythmically?
Molitz: Logic should probably answer this one, but I'll just say that for the most part, Logic will hold the beats down while Freek and I will cover the more melodic stuff. But the truth is, I like to drop beats too, and Logic has an amazing sense of melody, so you never know what might happen! I think that's part of the beauty of this band...we can all cover a lot of different ground. Sometimes Freek plays his bass like a lead instrument, and when he does, I'll make sure I'm backing him up. It's an exciting and infinite blend of tonal options...
Freekbass: As Steve mentioned, with our individual styles, we will all be bouncing around on each of those roles.
LMN+R: The legendary Bootsy Collins gave you guys the name Headtronics. Can you guys describe your relationship with Collins and how he has shaped your respective careers?
Freekbass: Besides all of the obvious reasons, Bootsy has always been an innovator in groove and experimental music. From the stuff he did a few years ago with Praxis, to the Science Faxtion record he was a part of last year. When I told him about this project, I thought he might really get where it was coming from. I actually met Steve because of Bootsy. Boot and I went to see Buckethead a few years ago, and he was opening for Particle...between sets, Steve and I rapped for the first time.
LMN+R: You guys will be touring in April, although you have yet to release any recorded material. Any plans on recording together in the near future?
Molitz: Absolutely. Fans can expect to hear both studio and live recordings very soon...
LMN+R: Stylistically and genre-wise, what can fans expect from the new group? How is it similar and/or different from past music you guys have created in your respective careers?
Molitz: I'm sure we'll each bring a little bit of what we've done in the past to Headtronics, but I think there's also gonna be a lot of room for trying new stuff. If I had to guess, I'd say we'll play a mix of funk, jazz, hip-hop, and dance music...
LMN+R: What are the plans for this group going forward? Do you think it will be a long term project or more of a short term affair?
Molitz: This is definitely something that we all want to keep rolling. We're all pretty busy with other projects, but we're definitely gonna make time in 2010 and beyond to make sure we share the Headtronics sound with our fans from coast to coast...
LMN+R: How do the three of you plan to balance Headtronics with your current projects? Steve, I noticed that you will be touring with Particle as well in April. What kind of challenges does that present?
Molitz: We all love the road, and we all love playing with so many diverse projects, so playing with all these different bands really isn't much of a challenge for us at all. It might be a challenge for our agents trying to play all these dates with different bands, but as the musicians, we love it!!
LMN+R: You guys come from different places with diverse musical backgrounds, what has the dynamic been like working together thus far?
Molitz: Inspired, Inspiring, and Inspirational...
Freekbass: Funky,funked, and funkdified...
Check out Headtronics live during their late summer run!
8-05-10 Nelson Ledges Quarry Shamy Bash Garretsville, OH
8-06-10 Triumph Brewing Co. New Hope, PA
8-07-10 The Big Up @ Sunnyview Farm Ghent, NY
8-08-10 River Street Jazz Cafe Wilkes Barre, PA
8-13-2010 Muddy River Jam Festival Woodstown, NJ
9-10-10 Catskill Chill Music Festival Hancock, NY
