Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Essential Freaks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Essential, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Essential Freaks is a duo between FACTORe and Zak Davis. We crossed paths in the EDM world many years ago and decided why not team up and trying and bring forth some of our creative visions. Our biggest and most ambitious risk thus far has been establishing our annual music festival that is hosted at hotel in Venice, FL. This idea originally started as a single day birthday party for Jonathon (FACTORe) and some friends -which blossomed into a full fledged weekend long music festival. While we’ve had a blast over the years, we have also had to overcome some major financial challenges – including some hefty losses, bad and undeserving partners and feelings of jealousy and slight by our peers. We have kept our focus on providing an incredible experience for our patrons and we have been able to push through these problems and are gearing up for our best year yet!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Essential Freaks is the production and performance duo of FACTORe & Zak Davis
FACTORe:
Born from Chicago’s legendary house music scene, FACTORe’s evolution has resonated across the globe, captivating audiences with unyielding momentum. Commanding legendary stages worldwide – from The Guvernment Toronto to Paradiso Amsterdam, Ultra Miami to Amsterdam Dance Event, and electrifying arenas like EDC and Sunset Music Festival – FACTORe continues to voyage across the world with an unyielding momentum.
As a revered producer on Black Hole Recordings, Avanti, Dissident Music, and the visionary Co-owner of 20K Freaks, FACTORe has curated a label journey defined by excellence. A procession of top 10 hits, crowned by a Billboard number one, and chart-dominating releases on Beatport underscore his indelible impact. Each set FACTORe crafts is a symphony of world-renowned selections, punctuated by electrifying originals that transcend genre boundaries, igniting audiences across the globe.
Zak Davis:
Florida’s own Zak Davis stands as a veteran DJ whose legacy within the dance music landscape continues to flourish. With a unique musical journey that began in Memphis, Zak’s roots in blues – growing up in Al Green’s studio – and RnB enriched his style, enabling him to seamlessly adapt to the crowd’s vibe.
Zak Davis’ vibrant DJ sets have ignited renowned venues such as The End (London), Mansion (Miami), Groove Cruise, Ampitheater (Tampa) has electrified international festivals like Sunset Music Festival, Ultra Miami, and Starscape.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
It really is all about collaboration, diversity and inclusion. We work with people we like and have a true connection with. We try and lift other artists and creatives up when we can.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
When we visit new events, venues or parties and people introduce themselves to us and treat us like they already know us. We work hard behind the scenes to stay grounded and having people discover our music organically is such a humbling experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://essentialfreaks.com
- Instagram: @essentialfreaks
- Facebook: /essentialfreaks
- Youtube: @20KFreaks
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/20kfreaks
- Other: https://www.ticketfairy.com/event/s4
Image Credits
Sebastian Callahan
Christian Nieuwenhuis
Sonia Tiger
Bob Thompson