Soma Rasa’s latest EP Say What You Say was released recently to nationwide acclaim, a deserved success for the Brisbane breakbeat duo. Incorporating the talents of US hip hop outfit Digital Underground, the track is a heavyweight concoction of breakbeat, and irresistible lyrical work from the Digital crew. According to Dan, one half of the Soma Rasa duo, the collaboration was a fortunate occurrence.

‘Basically Digital Underground were out touring a while ago, they had some time off, and we hooked up and had some drinks. They dug our stuff and so we got together in the studio. The result was Say What You Say. It went so well that we’ll definitely work together in the future. They were great to work with, and are keen to do more tracks with us.’

It’s a deserved success for the Soma Rasa boys, who since 1997, according to Dan, have been ‘Cranking it up’. ‘We’ve released an album in that time, I mix therefore I am, and the On The Run EP’. Both productions defined the breakbeat sounds of the duo, the result of some lengthy studio time and shared production.
‘Both of us write ands produce the tracks’ relates Dan. ‘Basically our stuff is always an extension of the vibe of the gigs we do. I play drums and Bill plays the electronic side of things, it’s an uptempo vibe, always based on something you’d hear in a club.’

Studio time is equally as important to Soma Rasa as their label Freefall, the inception of which occurred due to the frustrations of releasing on others’ labels. ‘We set up the label for the obvious reasons, total control over what and how we write, when we tour, that kind of thing, We learnt a lot from releasing on other people’s labels, and now we’re experiencing what’s on the other side of the fence.’

The label has had five releases to date, comprised predominantly of remixes and local talent. Despite the geographical isolation of the label’s base, Soma Rasa are finding it relatively smooth sailing. ‘It’s awesome – our distribution is Brisbane based also, so we have a really close relationship with them. Our plan is to head over seas to try and get the label released over there.’
In the meantime, a nationwide tour is in the near future for the duo, for the purposes of launching their latest EP. The boys anticipate their Melbourne visit. ‘It’s the best crowd in Australia, next to Brisbane. The people are great, we love it there.’

By Daisy Darvall