A staple of the BrisVegas electronic diet for over two years, Soma Rasa have been hard at work building a reputation as Queensland's definitive cross over act. Dan Hazard, along with brother Bill and turntablist Shannon, have successfully turned local and interstate audiences on with their constantly evolving mixture of live and sampled drums, keyboards, sound bites and turntables. A group dedicated to touring, Soma Rasa have been fortunate enough o score some influential support slots, from last years Big Day Out tour, to the upcoming national tour with Moby. Not bad for a couple of blokes who are still an independent act, currently signed to local label Valve. While doing his media rounds, Dan and cohorts are busy putting the finishing touches onto their latest single. That's rock'n'roll for you.

"Being independent," explains Dan, down the line from the Consume office, "We have to put the covers in ourselves,"
Not that Dan's complaining, mind you, as Soma Rasa have always been a hands on kind of band. The current single Future Of the Funk is a limited edition teaser, sure to keep the groups legion of fan's happy while they wait for the full length album due out early next year. Why a single and not an EP?
"it's been really quickly put together," admits Dan "We were trying to put an EP out, but money and stuff, being independent, things like that stop you. We just decided to run with it and do whatever we could to get it out, so instead of an EP, it's turned into a single."
A single that's only available at Soma Rasa's live shows, but that should still leave the market place wide open as Soma Rasa have a large and loyal following.

What has changed with the groups music over the past 18 months of heavy touring?

"We've been touring the hell out of that first EP we had. Over that period of time our sets have been changing, our songs have been changing, it was more important for our listeners to have a single out, People come to our gigs and buy our first EP and ask 'Oh was that last song on the EP?" and we're like "No". It's good to be up-to-date with what you've got available and what your playing live".

And rest assured Soma Rasians, this latest recording is down and dirty ass shakin' delight of squelching 303's and frantic drum action, a far cry for the slower dubbier vibe of early sets. "we're still working with that kind of mentality," concurs Dan. "That dub and hip-hop mentality of using whatever's around us to make our tracks. We've definitely gone for a more up beat, faster kind of vibe.

Perhaps this is merely a reflection of their intensive touring schedule, fast paced music to match their lifestyles, but Dan feels that it's less cerebral than that.

"It's probably just a reaction to people dancing to our music and being so live, it's all an energy thing. We just love playing full-on tracks."

And they're definitely in demand nationwide, their previous EP is onto its second pressing with consistent sales across Australia. And a new direction in groove that's bound to win the hearts of more fans.
Where musically is "Future of the Funk" situated?

"We have been playing a remix of it live for a while now at the end of our sets, a real doofy number," explains Dan. "We kinda remixed it for this single and it came out a lot more acidy and chemical. We're really happy with it." And so they should be. Possibly one of the hardest working groups in town, Soma Rasa barely have time to scratch themselves amid the hub bub of touring.

Is it any wonder that a city famous for producing some of the most innovative and successful artists Australia has to offer, continues to provide a platform for independent music in the crossover arena?
I think not. Soma Rasa, you bloody deserve it.
Gimmie some of dat funk action.

Emma Jane