It’s Elementary

SOMA RASA by Gloria Lewis

Veteran Brisbane breakbeat act Soma Rasa have been plying their trade for the best part of ten years, but over the past 18 months the collective built around Dan and Bill Hazard has really started to gather momentum.

Their roll started with a fortuitous collaboration with US hip-hop legends Digital Underground in January last year, with one recording session with the trio producing the massive radio hit ‘Say What You Say’. That one track has opened more doors than the band could have possibly imagined, culminating in a successful trip to Los Angeles to perform at the recent Musexpo music conference.

“The trip was massive,” Dan Hazard confirms. “Leading into it we weren’t sure what we were getting ourselves into but we had a thirst to get the band overseas. We found out that Digital Underground were in LA at the same time and we were able to hook up and get all of them onstage for ‘Say What You Say’ at the Roxy show. The track has been getting a heap of airplay in LA at the moment as well so it all just worked out.”

Soma Rasa not only reunited with Digital Underground on stage, but also took the opportunity to rekindle their studio partnership as well.

“We spent most of our time with (DU’s MC) Metaphysical while we were in LA,” Dan says. “He came down from Reno with his producer and crashed at our hotel for a week. They brought a portable ProTools studio with them and we set up a vocal booth between the doors of our joining rooms and just recorded takes throughout the week whenever there was time. We got a lot out of it, and we’re currently ploughing through the takes to put something together.”

With almost six years elapsed since Soma Rasa dropped their debut long-player I Mix Therefore I Am, their fans could be forgiven for thinking another album has become something of an urban myth. Between running their own Freefall label, promoting events (most recently Grandmaster Flash) and releasing ‘Say What You Say’ and the On The Run EP, it’s a wonder they have had any time to hit the studio at all.

But with an album release secured for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Musexpo it looks like their fans will have a new platter for their collection by summer 2007.

“I guess when you are independent you have to branch out in order to set yourself up so you can continue to be independent and create your own opportunities,” Hazard explains of the band’s recent multi-tasking. “The album is coming but we have to release it in Europe to coincide with the tour in September and then we will release it in Australia when we get back over the summer.

“We know it has been a delay but we make sure we are still releasing something whether it be a single or an EP or a bit of vinyl as frequent as possible. Good albums don’t come every year.”