The two friends better known as the Funk Hunters – Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith – have no trouble finding something new and exciting in old-school sounds. Whether the duo is recording and remixing in their studio, or using four turntables to make crowds move, they're pushing far beyond more predictable peers with a signature brand of dance music that fuses contemporary EDM with classic elements of soul, funk, and hip-hop – amassing over 10 million track streams for their span of original productions, remixes, and collaborations, Having played over 750 performances in 16 countries, these results show how far the Funk Hunters have already come.

Middleton and Smith first discovered their musical kinship while attending film school in British Columbia, the Canadian province from which they hail. Their rise to prominence on the West Coast began after their first show at a house party in Victoria in 2008. The Funk Hunters were soon getting bigger chances to demonstrate a love of funky music across all kinds and vantages with sets that included everything from hip-hop and future bass, Pink Floyd, and Mungo Jerry. Their rising profile at home in B.C. led to appearances on bigger stages in clubs across the U.S. and Canada, and at festivals like Coachella, Bass Coast, and Osheaga.

A label founded in 2013 by Middleton, Westwood Recordings became another outlet for the Funk Hunters' creativity via their own original tracks and collaborations, plus releases by friends like Moontricks, K-Lab, Stickybuds, and Grid Division. There was also a steady flow of remixes for Imagine Dragons, Selena Gomez, Big Gigantic, Chali 2na, and more.

It all comes together on ‘Typecast,' a debut full-length release that strikes an eminently funky balance between technologic anthems ("Hands Up [Raise Your Fist]" with Leo Napier), shimmering avant-R&B ("Say Something," a collaboration with Victoria-based duo and Westwood artist Liinks), and ‘90s-style hip-hop party-starters steeped in the lessons of Zapp and the Gap Band ("Revolution," featuring WANZ, Def3, & SugarBeats).