The Freestylers: A Legacy of Innovation in Electronic Dance Music
With a career spanning 28 years, the Freestylers have come full circle in the electronic dance music world. From dominating the biggest festivals and most talked-about nightclubs worldwide to appearing on the quintessentially British music show Top of the Pops, they’ve achieved the kind of success most artists can only dream of—yet they’ve never rested on their laurels.
The duo, consisting of Aston Harvey and Matt Cantor, came together through their shared love of hip-hop, electro, and breakbeats.
Origins & Early Success
Aston Harvey began his career as a producer and engineer in the early ‘90s, working with Rebel MC / Congo Natty and forming the legendary Blapps Posse, which found chart success with Don’t Hold Back. Even renowned reggae producer Prince Fatty credits Aston for teaching him how to mix and engineer. He later collaborated with DJ Rap, co-producing the seminal jungle classic Spiritual Aura—one of DJ Recordings/Lucky Spin’s best-selling releases to this day.
Meanwhile, Matt Cantor was one half of Strike, co-producing the hit single U Sure Do, released on Fresh Records. The two met at Fresh’s studio, bonding over their passion for beats, which led to the birth of the Freestylers.
Their debut album, We Rock Hard, was a global hit, with B-Boy Stance and Ruffneck both breaking into the UK, Dutch, and German Top 20. The follow-up, Pressure Point, secured them a major record deal with Mammoth Records (USA). Their growing reputation caught the attention of Lenny Kravitz, who invited them on his American Woman tour. They also played MTV’s Millennium New Year’s Eve party in Times Square and delivered a legendary performance at Glastonbury 1999, drawing over 30,000 people.
Breaking New Ground
The Freestylers continued their momentum with two albums on Against the Grain Records. Their 2004 release, Raw As Fk**, opened doors in Australia, with Push Up reaching #21 in the UK and topping the charts in Australia, Holland, and Belgium, winning multiple awards. They headlined major festivals, including Big Day Out (Australia), Fuji Rock (Japan), and a residency at London’s Fabric. Boom Blast from the same album remains a club anthem in Spain.
Their next album, Adventures in Freestyle, saw them collaborate with Pendulum on the genre- blending drum & bass/rock crossover Pain Killer. They also featured on Pendulum’s album Hold Your Colour with the breakbeat behemoth Fasten Your Seatbelts.
Expanding Their Influence
In 2010, they launched their own label, Mama’s Pie, and released the single Cracks, which caught the attention of Flux Pavilion, who remixed it when it was licensed to Never Say Die Records. The remix became a dubstep anthem, amassing 80+ million streams and being featured in numerous TV shows, films, and video games. Their independent streak continued with new music releases, including their 2021 album Other Worlds, featuring Happiness, which was playlisted on BBC Radio 6 and became a lockdown anthem for streaming DJs. Another track, Fabulous, was licensed for UK and US television.
Still Going Strong in 2025
This year, the Freestylers have dropped a remixed version of Other Worlds and are gearing up to release Enter the Sound, a collaboration with the Dub Pistols, featuring reggae royalty such as General Levy, Tippa Irie, MC Spyda, Johnny Osbourne, and Horseman. Due out this summer, the album promises to be another milestone in their career. With a packed schedule of remixes, festivals, and live shows, the Freestylers remain as ambitious and in-demand as ever. In the words of LL Cool J: “Don’t call it a comeback—they’ve been here for years!”