25 October 2023 - 0 Comments

In 2003, Fat Freddy’s Drop embarked on an auspicious debut European tour. Twenty years later, rare and glorious handycam footage of the tour is the base for Marauders, a slow-burn web series like no other.

Presented by RNZ Music and Transmit with Student Radio Network and made with support from NZ On Air, Marauders is an absorbing time machine with the now internationally acclaimed band.

Marauders premieres on Monday, 30 October, on rnz.co.nz/marauders and from 6 November, it will stream on SRN’s YouTube @studentradionetwork.

Spanning four seasons with six episodes apiece, Marauders roams from London and Berlin, to Vienna and Amsterdam. Each episode is under ten minutes, and viewers can binge-watch full seasons or dip in and out of the action at their leisure.

Marauders’ real-time linear delivery reveals Freddy's early grit, character and music-making process during the three-month European sojourn. The hustle and networking established Freddy's as an independent entity in Europe, while simultaneously, the beat-making and live performances fueled the creative fire that ultimately led to the acclaimed Based On A True Story.

Behind the handycam is Sarah Hunter (Transmit), a director and producer based in Wellington. She accompanied Fat Freddy's Drop as a photographer during their 2003 travels, but her documentation took an unexpected turn when she started filming on a borrowed handycam.

It wasn't until 2022 that the collection of mini DV tapes was meticulously digitized with the idea of making a 20th-anniversary celebration, a Transmit collaboration with sound editor and re-recording engineer Thomas Voyce, and editors Shyam Patel and Paul Wedel.

The creative team allowed the music itself to dictate the selection process from a pool of more than 35 hours of footage. 2003 was Freddy's era of live funk, electronic, and improvised soul. Songs such as Ernie, The Nod, Midnight Marauders, Roady, Hope and Bounce evolve at live shows while the likes of Wandering Eye, Flashback and Ray Ray begin to emerge.

The hair, the fashion, the dial-up internet and music software, aligned with the sights and sounds of Europe in the midst of a heatwave, all contribute to the time machine flavour. The evocative visual and sonic aesthetic of the handycam, glitches and all, further enhances the sense of time travel.

DJ Mu, Freddys’ beat maker and producer, is the anchor on the tour, an unofficial commentator and observer as the Marauders journey unfolds. The Freddys’ contingent on the road in 2003 with Mu is horn section Fulla Flash, Sugar 2 Tone and Hopepa, guitarist Jetlag Johnson, keyboardist Dobie Blaze, band manager Nicole Duckworth, and Sarah Hunter. They’re accompanied by Mia Faiumu, Mu and Nicole’s young daughter, while singer Lisa Tomlins appears as guest BVs on the road.

The first two Marauders seasons are spent hanging in London, where Freddy's take over a small semi-detached house in Tooting for six weeks. With an MPC 2000, G4 Powerbook, microphones, a studio in the lounge, Freddy's write beats and improvise rhythm tracks, in-between dropping shows across London venues such as Fabric and Cargo.

The tempo in the third and fourth seasons shifts as the band hit the road to Berlin, Vienna and Amsterdam. Berlin shapes as an important home away from home, the band having a following and connections from the earlier release of Midnight Marauders on vinyl with Jazzanova and Sonar Kollektiv.

In Amsterdam, the highlight is Three Piece Suit, a show with fellow Wellington bands Trinity Roots and Ebb at the famed Melkweg venue. It was part of a cultural exchange organized by Get Down Productions. The Dutch/Kiwi team has contributed additional video footage and audio from the 2003 visit featuring the South Pacific Tropical Surprise.

The Freddy's and Joe Dukie & DJ Fitchie heavy soundtrack also delves into tracks by other artists from the 2003 era along with some contemporary additions. Thomas Voyce of Rhombus fame contributes original compositions under his name and his Gaboodi alias. DJ Mu drops in Runnin - Run-Out Remix, Ernie Dread Remix, Roady Samoa Remix and Shiverman Samoa Remix reworking familiar tunes especially for Marauders.

Marauders: Presented by RNZ Music and Transmit with SRN, and made with support from NZ On Air. Premiere from Monday 30 October rnz.co.nz/marauders and streaming from Monday 6th November SRN’s YouTube @studentradionetwork

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