For January 2000, our very first interview was with DJ Freya, who played at the SISTER SF 2 year anniversary and benefit for Breast Cancer Action in December of 1999 at Rico's in San Francisco (right). Freya went on to become a resident DJ with SISTER SF for one year, and has since gone on to pusue her own interests.

SISTER SF: Why and when did you begin DJing? Any classical music training?

Freya: Why - I simply could not resist not finding out more about this music that we call drum and bass. It was so powerful for me. I HAD to start spinning. There was no question; I had found my ideal music. Classical training - I had been taking upright bass lessons and playing in the school orchestra since I was ten. When I was twelve I started playing the electric bass as well.

SISTER SF: Freya - where' d you get the name?

Freya: A really good friend of mine, Bruce Krysiac, of technogenesis fame, found the name for me. He is also very tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. When we would hang out back in Texas, I'd call us the "Aryan poster children." And somehow he got the idea of a Norse mythology character, and went with that.

SISTER SF: Who inspired you to begin spinning?

Freya: It was just the music, not a person. Specifically, maybe I could say the Ram Records stable. When Ram trilogy one came out, I thought that was the best track I had ever heard. Ever. I had to spin it.

SISTER SF: How has drum and bass changed since you began?

Freya: Beats are more complex now more than ever. Things have always changed so quickly with drum and bass. And now the beat patterns are riding high on that wave of change.

SISTER SF: Where is drum and bass going?

Freya: Instead of a typical beat pattern, and changing sounds, now there are totally different beat patterns, as well as the different sounds. Also, I see drum and bass morphing into areas of galactic trance, breakbeat, and tribal drum breaks.

SISTER SF: Played any gigs abroad? Favorite cities?

Freya: Favorite cities - San Francisco has really been amazing so far. But the best crowd response that I have ever experienced was in Santa Fe, NM. The "cosmic goddess" party put on by the cosmic kidz was really a special event. Played with Reid Speed and Melanie Moore. Even the sound in the "round walled" main room was incredible.

SISTER SF: Female DJs vs. male - media fad or soon-to-be-equals?

Freya: Soon to be equals. More of us have got to step up to the plate..... and be strong enough to weather all of the bullshit.

SISTER SF: When you're not DJing, what do you do?

Freya: Record shopping, thinking about elements of track production, and taking baby steps towards becoming more of a computer geek. And lots of time with Mr. DJ poop, AKA Controlled Substance.

SISTER SF: Gig horror story?

Freya: Eww, none so far. But, I did once get booked for a gig that didn't happen, and it was before I had learned about DJ contracts. And I missed a gig for the one that didn't happen. I learned a lot from that.

SISTER SF: What equipment do you use? Any producing in the past/present/future?

Freya: At home I have 1200's Ortofon Concorde carts (the blue ones) and a Vestax PMC17a mixer. Before the 17a, I started with a little Numark DM 1002x. It was a great first mixer: inexpensive, three eq knobs per channel, user-replaceable cross fader (only $19 to replace yourself) and good sound quality for the price (and you do get what you pay for - a $700 mixer sounds much better than a $300 mixer, etc.) for being so darn small.
No producing that is available to hear, but I am working on tracks currently.

SISTER SF: The future of Freya - where does it lie?

Freya: More and more gigs, better and better music. And the occasional tag team with Controlled Substance as well.

Freya was interviewed by XJS.
Want to know more? Read the Freya bio in our Guest DJs section.