700 Feel
700 Feel are a Sydney-based electronic duo comprised of Jonny Hawkins and Juan Villamor who bring together UK garage, hip hop, dub, Broken Beat, Chopped and Screwed with subtle shadings of footwork and jazz interspersed throughout. Together, they channel the organic electronica of Four Tet, the shuffling production of Jamie xx and Nicolás Jaar’s ability to move from ambient soundscapes to bass-heavy club beats and back again. Enveloping a diverse range of influences, the sound is united by the duo’s appreciation for genres and styles which are deeply rooted in the places and communities which birthed them. Threading together London, Chicago, Kingston, Bristol and Sydney, these musical threads all come together in the meeting point of 700 Feel.
Despite possessing a sound pieced together from around the globe, 700 Feel ground their project very firmly in their Australian roots of Sydney. Energised by community and collectivism, they find inspiration in their surroundings and the people and stories that populate the city, with their debut AA-side ‘T1 Western / Back 2 The Area’ centred on that feeling of coming home. Their self-titled debut album went on to land FBi Radio’s coveted Album of the Week feature, as well as praise from Kaltblut and a mix for Dublab, the duo kicked on with a remix of Perth band No Nomad’s ‘I Get Scared’. Filtered through the perspectives of two migrant kids growing up on the outskirts of Sydney, 700 Feel is an authentic, affectionate homage to the melting pot of the area, the kind of exchange of ideas and culture that could’ve only happened there. Their next double single “4 Ya Kiss / 4 Ya Bliss” arrived to rave reviews including playlisting on FBi Radio and mix features with Radio Alhara and Amok Radio.
Releasing their most triumphant work yet in November 2023’s double EP ‘Muscle Memories’, marked a significant homecoming and significant new musical ground for the underground two-piece, pivoting to a more nuanced version of their music with collaborations from Western Sydney’s Archie Mike and Pei (Joji Malani) cementing that they were ready to push their sound the next level, with praise from from The Guardian, Vice, NTS, Acclaim, Pilerats, FBi Radio, PBS and 3RRR. The release followed a year of steady activity: faces of Roland’s unprecedented collaboration with Pseushi and Above The Clouds to launch their AIRA Compact, recipients of the Powerhouse Museum‘s Generations Fellowship in partnership with Create NSW and Astral People, to the talk of a packed out set at Oxford Art Factory for FBi Radio’s SMAC Fest and the Art Gallery Of NSW alongside sets to packed rooms at the inaugural Sydney SXSW. 700 Feel are truly presenting themselves as one of the most innovative acts in electronic music.