ganjaboat js regular
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11 Jan 2008 15:16 xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
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Re: Las Vegas: World Of Drum'n'Bass Tour MARCH 20th
MC Tali
[North London, United Kingdom]
www.myspace.com/mc_tali
About TALI - The first lady!
"The worlds number one Female Drum and Bass MC and undisputed First Lady of the mic!" Whassup, Kia Ora and Wah blow people!!, Im originally from a dairy farm in Taranaki, New Zealand, growing up under the shadow of a beautiful mountain and the rugged west coast, I listened to everything from Rock and New Jack Swing, to Hiphop and Folk. I discovered my love for Drum and Bass back in 1996 in Christchurch, NZ, and from there progressed within the scene, working firstly for Scientific promotions and helping host their radio show (with DJ Mosus) before eventually trying out my love of lyrics on the mic. After working hard within the scene I felt I had gone as far as I could go, and I had bigger ambitions -to become an MC in the UK, and work with my biggest influences -The Full Cycle crew..but first stop was Australia. Fate brought Full Cycle and me together, and while at an after show party for Reprazent in Melbourne in 2001 I finally met my heroes, Roni Size and DJ Krust. I bust some lyrics in Ronis ear, and impressed, he invited me to the UK to work with them. Long story short, three months later I was on a plane, and ended up living and working in Bristol, writing and recording my first solo album 'Lyric on my Lip' with production from Roni, Krust, DJ Die, Clipz and featured vocals from Dynamite MC. I toured with my own live band, wrote and featured on many a Full Cycle release (including Size's 'Return to V' and Clipz's 'Living Drumz' albums) and after four years, moved to London in 2005. Since then I have released a limited edition compliation CD featuring my love of Hiphop and Soul -wth production largely from the brilliant First Man productions, and features from Dynamite MC, Blak Twang, Sincere and Mr Ti2bs.('DO IT FOR YOURSELF' LIMITED EDITION CD - avaliable to buy via ITunes, www.amplifier.co.nz www.awal.co.uk and from 'SistaRay' record store in London UK) I have rediscovered my passion for Drum and Bass and are currently working on an EP for Hype and Pascals label 'Playaz', As well as this I have guested on several DnB tunes and albums this year including The Ez Rollers album, 'Conductor', the forthcoming Subfocus album on Ram recordings, hosted the forthcoming 'Deep Sound LP' mixed by SS and Influx UK and have recently released a single from 'The Jungle Story' LP on Easy/Sativa Records, (telling my story of how I came to be the UKs First Lady). My passion for music is not limited to Hiphop and DnB however, and I have recently been working with Cntrl -Z and Screwface on their forthcoming Breaks LP, and will be working with the Equalizers in the near Future. I recently joined the 'Queens of the Jungle' Collective featuring DJ Shortee, Reid Speed and myself, an all female, American based, DnB collective - gaining fast popularity around the world for our unique setup and performance. I both Sing and MC, song write for other people, can work my way around Protools and Reason, are classically trained in Singing and Piano, and have a BA in English Literature, a Diploma in Performing Arts, and a Diploma in Secondary school teaching. But truth be told, the only thing I ever really gave a f**k about was smashing it up on the mic. PEACE x
Greenlaw
[Victoria B.C., Canada]
Formation Records
www.myspace.com/greenlawmusiz
EVEN THOUGH OUR SHAPES AND SHADES DIVIDE US THERE'S ONLY ONE HEART THAT BEATS INSIDE US AND THE RHYTHM OF LOVE WILL GUIDE US GUIDE OUR WAY HOME.( Lyric by Skyla J from Irrational ) Gracing stages from St Petersburgh, Russia to Toronto, Canada Greenlaw is paving the way for their much anticipated debut album with Formation Records due for International release April 2008. Greenlaw's earthy soul sound is a new direction for the UK based DnB label but is one that is definitely turning heads. Front woman Skyla J comes with powerful thought provoking lyrics presented with an angelic molasses like voice that is sweet enough to be compared to an early Jill Scott meets Indie Irie by UK's F magazine. Winners of the "most memorable show of 2004"( Monday Mag Victoria B.C) the band released their full length studio album in 2005 entitled Time and Energy that was quickly hailed by CBC Radio 1 as one of the "top albums of 2005". Recently the band has been nominated for an Indy Award in London England. Greenlaw has also been featured at top festivals, showcases and venues throughout North America, Europe and the UK.
Greenlaw recently arrived back in Victoria after touring and recording in the UK for two months. Now armed with two full Albums, one Down Tempo Soul and one DnB Remix Album, they are ready to launch their dub soul sound to the next level. Both albums are due for International Release April 2008 with the single titled Warrior being released in late Jan. Greenlaw was just as surprised as everyone to hear about Steamers shutting down when they got back. Steamers was the first Venue to give the Soul Jazz Dub project a chance in Vic when they rolled in from Toronto late 2003 and it was the beginning of beautiful loyal friendship. With a full 8 piece line up Greenlaw promises to rock the stage like never before and they are truly honoured to be one of the last bands to grace the Steamers stage. Available that night will be "The Raw Elements" a taste of what's to come from Greenlaw and Formation Records, a 15 track stripped down live studio session mix from Skyla J and Oz sampling the forthcoming releases.
DJ SS
[Leicester, United Kingdom ]
Formation Records, Founder of World of Drum & Bass
www.myspace.com/djayss
One of the UK's finest DJ/Producers and one of the founders of Formation Records, DJ SS aka Leroy Small is an original breakbeat pioneer who has made an immense contribution to today's drum & bass sound.
SS is one of the very select DJ / Producers who has been there right from the start, due to the hard work and dedication that he puts into his music. When the hardcore scene exploded SS was there and hasn't looked back. He and his partner Eidris started promoting their own parties called Total Kaos every Friday in their hometown of Leicester. They also put on one of the first large indoor parties at Donnington Park in the summer of 91. It was an amazing success and 6000 people danced till dawn.
DJ SS himself born and bred in Leicester is a self-taught scratch DJ and found fame scratching his way through the era along with break-dancing his way on the streets of Leicester. He progressed onto the “rave scene” and was one of the first on the worldwide scene to DJ his own produced tracks. Things moved quickly from there – SS taught himself how to produce a high calibre of music and also coached others to produce to equally high standards.
DJ SS has an enormous list of tracks and used various aliases. Over the years he’s had countless releases on Formation Records as well as doing remix work for other artists. He has released such tracks as 'The Psycho E.P', 'Rhythm For Reasons', 'Breakbeat Pressure', the Drum & Bass anthem 'Black', with the highlight being ' Lighter' which was Formation Records best seller, reaching the number 1 spot in the Music Week dance chart and reaching number 68 in the music charts. It is a track that has remained incredibly popular and still continues to be played years on.
Not only has his label Formation during the years had many big tunes released, they have also had many big DJ/producers release records on the label. The list is strong, big and endless including Carl Cox, Grooverider, Shy FX, Ray Keith, Bryan Gee, Frost, Roni Size, Krust, Kenny Ken, Ratty, Matrix, John B, Mickey Finn, Twisted Individual and Distorted Minds.
In between this huge success he has also been the driving force behind some of the finest talent now established within the scene, with his prime sensation arriving in the form of Twisted Individual, who has had made a huge impact on the scene with releases on Formation Records and sister labels Reformed and New Identity, as well as his debut album Tooled Up. SS also convinced Zen, old friend of Twisted Individual, to take the plunge and move from London to Leicester to join the Formation team, after several releases on 5HQ Recordings. By now you would think there was no more room at the camp, but he has made room and persuaded Geordie duo Generation Dub to leave their roots behind in Newcastle and head southbound for Leicester. Aside from the studio, SS’s reputation for throwing parties gets bigger and better. He has stepped up the events program by teaming up with some of the best promoters around to bring parties in Leicester, London, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and of course the legendary World of Drum & Bass Party Tour, which has taken Formation to the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, America, Canada, Estonia and many more.
After so many years in the game, 2003 saw the 100th release on Formation Records, and what a massive release he had lined up. The tracks included the huge track 'Warriors' by Distorted Minds and 'Heavy Metal' by Twisted Individual, which Grooverider was renowned to be championing. Other artists that featured, included Hazard, Influx Datum, DJ SS, Zen and new boys Generation Dub.
DJ SS has now finished putting the final touches on his hotly anticipated LP concept the S-Files. Released as a series of 12”s, followed by the triple pack vinyl, the series features varied and diverse styles of drum and bass that reflect SS’s own wide tastes. Tracks featured include Margarita (Full Vocal Mix), Hit The Switch, Russian Roulette, Recycle, Poison and Tarzan. The album, also out on CD, features all the tracks from the album, some DJ SS classics and some brand new unheard material. The added bonus being that it comes with a free DVD and features unseen footage from the last ten years he has spent travelling the world and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest dogs in the scene.
Today SS spends most of his time producing in the studio and travelling all over the world to DJ. His travels have taken him throughout Europe, Australia, Canada, the United States of America and Japan. When SS has any spare time he is dedicated to football and is an ardent Manchester United fan, travelling around the world to watch them play.
Prime Mover
[Las Vegas, Nevada]
www.myspace.com/primemoverdnb
DMC worldwide, Tribe Recordings, Playside records, Bootshake records, Bass rejects records, Konkrete Jungle
Prime Mover, consisting of UK native Dave Cridge and American DJ Tasha, are the Drum and Bass resident DJ and head of Drum and Bass tours for the legendary DMC organization.
Cridge got his start DJing regularly with the likes of Roni Size, Die, Jody(Way Out West), and has been recording withhis band “Up Bustle amp; Out”(best known for their Ninja Tune releases) for several years now. Tasha got his start being called ”Virginia’s King of Jungle” by URB mag(urb #74), and also becoming the first American to have a 12” on Bristol,UK label Tribe Recordings.
Since the inception of the multi-national force that is Prime Mover, they have focused on production of original dnb, remixes, and bootlegs. Combined, the discography of Prime Mover and affiliated projects include a plethora of releases distributed worldwide on a wide range of labels including majors like Tommy Boy, Studio !K7, and Ninja Tune. On the other side of the spectrum, Prime Mover records for DnB labels like Tribe Recordings(UK), Bootshake records(UK),Playside records(UK), Tribe Steppaz(UK), Bass Rejects(Norway), Ghetto Life records(USA), Humdruma records(USA), Humdrumz(USA), Hum Fi Drum(USA), Pound recordings(CAN), and Rid’em records(USA), to name a few.
Prime Mover have had support from many DJs worldwide such as Kenny Ken, Spikey Tee, Congo Natty, Reid Speed, Sappo, Nicky Blackmarket, RAW, Wally/Pish Posh, Roughcut, DJ Kalm, Psychofreud, ODG, I-CUE, ODI, dj Seen (Burner Bros), Curious amp; APX-1, Class of 98, and more.
Press on Prime Mover tunes includes charting of several singles including their “Star Wars” remix which claimed #3 on the DMC dnb chart in summer of 2005 (Ray Keith was rumored to open his set at Fabric,London with it). Other tunes to get charted include the more recent “Killa Army” on Pound recordings, which had its debut at #1 on the DMC dnb chart. “Knockin Muhf**kas” has been on DJ's top tens repeatedly and was originally sorted for Kenny Ken’s “Mix n Blen” records, however has since been moved to Tribe recordings.
Prime Mover is ready to blow up in 2007/2008 with numerous tunes sorted for release, as well as the upcoming DMC dnb world club tour, and hosting Konkrete Jungle Las Vegas with dj’s Ganjaboat and Twofish.
Ed Rush
[London, United Kingdom]
Virus
Ed Rush is one of the current leaders of the new school drum and bass. One of the originators to bring back the dark sounds of drum and bass and push it to new levels, Ed Rush continues to make waves with each new release.
Born in west London, Ed Rush originally started out into Hip Hop and electro but eventually found the growing underground rave scene. Fascinated by the breaks in the hardcore sounds at the time, Ed Rush convinced his neighbor, Nico Sykes, to let him produce tracks with him.
Eventually they released "Bludclot Artattack" in 1993 - a journey into the darkcore sounds. While most releases at the time had a certain momentum and feel, the track was like no other, and marked the shift of hardcore's split into drum and bass.
Ed Rush eventually released follow-ups nearly two years later, this time with DJ Trace, on "The Mutant" in 1995. "Guncheck" soon followed, another track developed in a recognizable Ed Rush style - gangsta attitude, and crunchy basslines.
Ed Rush soon found himself on the cusp of prominence, as his releases in 1996 on the Techsteppin' compilation, the Skylab EP on the Metalheadz label, and "Killimanjaro" on the Prototype label all helped to define the genres' direction towards techstep, a two-step style of drum and bass. He subsequently released more tracks on various labels, and his popularity as an artist grew, as did his sound as a producer.
The greatest collaboration was ahead of him though, when he teamed up with Optical. They created their own label, Virus, and their first release was "Medicine/Punchbag," Their eventual LP, Wormhole in 1998, was released to critical and underground success, and is regarded as a genre classic, as the sounds from that album again redefined the direction drum and bass was headed, and solidified their status as the forerunners of the new sound of drum and bass.
More recently, after a slew of other releases, Ed Rush and Optical have released another genre-defining LP, the Creeps. This was again met with critical and commercial success, as the album helped them to win Knowledge drum and bass award for producers of the year.
Look out for the eagerly anticipated forth coming album Chameleon.
Optical
[London, United Kingdom]
Virus
Matt Quinn's recordings as Optical skirt the atmospheric side of neuro-funk drum'n'bass, the paranoid musings of a handful of industrial-strength British producers like Ed Rush, Source Direct and Quinn's brother Jamie, who records as Matrix. Jamie and Matt began releasing singles on their own Metro Records from a West London base, with Matrix's "Double Vision" alongside Optical's "Shining" as the label's opening shots. Optical recorded for a half-dozen other imprints as well, including Goldie's Metalheadz and Grooverider's Prototype. The producer's two contributions to those labels (respectively, "To Shape the Future" and "Grey Odyssey") raised his profile considerably after gaining re-release on CD compilations -- Goldie's Platinum Breakz II and Grooverider's The Prototype Years. He had already earned a reputation as one of the most hotly tipped producers of 1997 when another classic single for Prototype, "Moving 808s," hit big late that year.
By 1998, Quinn had been tapped to contribute his engineering expertise to two of the most hyped jungle LPs of the year -- Goldie's SaturnzReturn (replacing Rob Playford) and Grooverider's Mysteries of Funk. He also earned co-production credits on Dom & Roland's Industry, and continued to release single after single of intense, Predator-styled drum'n'bass. After forming his own label, Virus, with No-U-Turn Records don Ed Rush, he was co-billed with Rush on a five-LP set titled Wormhole, the first full-length to actually carry Optical's name
Simon Bassline Smith
[United Kingdom]
Technique Recordings, Worldwide Audio Recordings
www.myspace.com/basslinesmith
Being a major player in the drum ‘n’ bass movement is one thing, but continuing to push boundaries through an ever-changing sonic versatility is quite another. In a career spanning almost two decades, Simon Bassline Smith has been at the forefront of it all, setting new standards with his Technique Recordings label and rinsing dancefloors with ruthless, stealth-like precision. Together with razor-sharp duo Drumsound, the group have slam-dunked drum ‘n’ bass into the 21st century releasing some of the genre’s most pivotal club killers, whilst maintaining a DJ cred second-to-none.
Wind it back to the beginning and Simon Smith (who later adopted the middle name of ‘Bassline’ after destroying his fair share of speakers) fell in love with music as a 16 year old, visiting record stores every Saturday to buy up big on electro, jazz, funk, soul and house records. The Derby-born youngster would also spend his weekends travelling up and down the country with mates to attend ‘all dayer parties’ where they’d put their breakdancing skills on full display. It was during one of these ritualistic missions that Bassline got his Djing big-break, by getting the chance to take command of the dex at Nottingham’s Rock City club.
As the rave scene grew throughout the 90s, Smith was right there at the forefront, winning over crowds and promoters alike with his ball-tearing brand of hardcore and jungle. As his reputation swelled, he began being booked by some of the UK’s biggest dance organisations including Perception, Mythology, Raindance, Dance '91 and World Dance & AWOL to play slots alongside fellow contemporary jungle stars Grooverider, Fabio, Mikey Finn & Jack Frost.
In 1991 Bassline Smith launched his own record label Absolute 2 – one of the early pioneering d’n’b imprints. So astute was the man’s ear for a quality tune, that the label birthed future stars Doc Scott, Nookie, Ray Keith and Danny C (Twisted Anger/Primary Motive), releasing Doc’s seminal ‘Surgery EP’, Nookie’s ‘Give a Little Love EP’ and Keith’s controversial ‘News at Ten’.
In 1998 Smith’s career took a massive turn skywards, when he met the Drumsound duo of Andy and Benn G. The trio’s chemistry was instantaneous, with the decision being made to launch a combined imprint in which to showcase their shared musical vision – it was then that Technique Recordings was born.
Since its inception the label has gone from strength to strength, with Bassline and Drumsound utilizing their knowledge and enthusiasm to build an imprint of global proportions. Over the past 10 years the label has released over 40 high quality dancefloor killers and sold 150,000 units globally from some of the world’s most respected d’n’b artists including Roni Size, DJ Fresh, MC Tali, DJ Friction, Teebee and many others. The label is also involved in nurturing the talents of up and coming artists of the calibre of Phetsta, Skyver & D Jon, Youngman, Terravita.
Amongst all of this, it’s been Bassline’s stunning production work that’s shined the brightest. Having first ventured into the studio in the early 90s to knock out a couple of early d’n’b anthems ‘Music and Life EP’, ‘Palomino’ and ‘Midnight’, the Brit’s career has continued to build with each new year. Together with the Drumsound lads, Bassline has dropped two critically acclaimed LPs ‘Nature of the Beast’ and last year’s ‘Street Technique’ that ripped up the drum ‘n’ bass rulebook with contributions from Roni Size, DJ Friction, J-Magik & Wickaman, DJ Fresh and many others.
When it comes to dishing up a red-hot anthem, the trio have plenty of experience under their belt too. In 2004, they dropped the all-time classic ‘Odyssey’, with the track reaching no.1 in the UK dance charts and Mixmag judged it the ‘10th biggest all-round dance anthem’ for that year. No surprise Grooverider snapped it up for his legendary Prototype label. Recently, their form has shown no sign of subsiding, with a blazing ‘Street Technique’ re-rub of their ‘Skumbag/Booty Call’ bombs going straight into the drum ‘n’ bass charts at no.4. Their ‘Cold Turkey/Stories of the Future’ cuts are also shining brightly, receiving big support from Hype, Roni Size, Grooverider and Zane Lowe & Annie Mac on Radio 1.
Along with a string of club bangers on Technique, Bassline remains one of the most versatile men in the d’n’b game, with releases on virtually every major label in the genre including Protoype, Full Cycle, BreakBeat Koas, V Recordings, Good Looking, Creative Source and Trouble on Viny /Flex.
As a DJ, Smith is prolific as ever, spinning the Technique sound over virtually every continent, including appearances in America, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Iceland, Spain, Holland, Sweden, Ireland, Czech Republic, Brazil, Poland, Switzerland, Uruguay, Norway, Italy as well representing for some of the biggest UK organisations such as Slammin Vinyl, Accelerated Culture, One Nation, Detonate, Movement – the list goes on.
Currently Smith is hard at work playing out every weekend in the UK and abroad, whilst spending his weekdays locked away in the studio with Drumsound focussing on producing tracks for their next album out in 2008.
With so much going on, it’s almost unbelievable to think Simon has time to run his famed Interface club night in Derby, yet true to form, the multi-talented man throws some of the finest d’n’b shindigs in the country. With so many strings to his bow, there’s little doubt this pioneer will continue to set the standard for years to come.
__________________
Bryan G
[United Kingdom]
V Records, Liquid V, Chronic, Philly Blunt
www.myspace.com/thebryangee
Going through Bryan Gees life story is like opening the bible of dance music. Bryan has been at the cutting edge of new musics and a crucial link in the logical evolution of the sound, that has now led to drum and bass: no one better than him can explain that this sound is the result of a long and very natural progression, and is deeply rooted. Born in Gloucester, DJing at Reggae sound systems from the age of 13, Bryan moved to London at 18. Settling in Brixton, Bryan started listening to all kinds of music; jazz, soul, funk, rare groove and hip-hop which reached the UK in the mid-eighties. But the major element in the equation had to be the emergence of acid house in 1987, that Bryan followed, going to Spectrum and The Beat Route. His friendship with Jumping Jack Frost, met while DJing, blossomed. They both set up Passion, a pirate radio station in Balham and acquired quickly a huge following. Highly respected by cutting edge record labels and artists, he always managed to get high profile guests like Frankie Bones and Louie Vega, and was one of the first British DJ to play French Kiss on air. Bryans daytime jobs at Republic and Rhythm Kings subsidiary Outta Rhythm, where he was promoting Warps LFO, Leftfield, Baby Ford, Dave Angel, Joey Beltram and Moby (one of his tips for the top by then !) earning Bryan respect across the board. Around the time Rhythm King disintegrated, Bryan came across a demo tape and loved its combination of soulful, reggae vibe and sharp breakbeats. Bryan went to Bristol and met the people behind the tape; two guys called Roni Size and DJ Krust. Dismissed by the A&R people he approached who did not believe in this new, explosive sound, Bryan set up V Recordings (www.vrecordings.com) with Frost and released the tracks on the tape. It sold very little but the units increased quickly and steadily. Bryan found a great opportunity to showcase his new releases in London with weekly club Movement at Bar Rumba on Thursdays, started with Emotif Records and promoters Bulldozer. The club nights have proven to be the most versatile drum and bass showcase in London (www.movement.co.uk) With constant touring as well as mixing an album retracing 3 years of Movement residency, Bryan Gee is kept busy and happy. Bryan has now also taken command of the airwaves with the biggest show on Ministry of Sound radio, attracting a worldwide audience.
Teebee
[Norway]
Metalheadz, Prototype, Subtitles
www.myspace.com/teebeesubtitles
DJ/producer Teebee spent ten years making his mark on the Norwegian drum 'n' bass scene, but it only took one album and a handful of singles (on labels like Rugged Vinyl and Moving Shadow) to establish him as a major player in the elitist UK drum 'n' bass scene. The 2000 release of his debut album, Black Science Labs, showed the world that Teebee could both play by jungle's rules and f**k with them. The record was an unpredictable mix of sounds that twisted traditional drum 'n' bass formulas but retained a sleek, noirish sound. It was a departure from the UK's traditional pantheon of hip-hop and reggae influence, and it took lots of scenesters by surprise.
His follow-up album, Through the Eyes of a Scorpion, was a dark dancefloor rager that retained the painstaking beat structures of his debut while fine-tuning his hard edge. Teebee has become known for a style that doesn't so much straight-out pummel you but sneaks up quietly from behind and f**ks with you. He has often credited this approach as an outcropping of his devotion to martial arts. (He practices Hung Gar kung fu.)
Fast forward to the present, and Teebee now needs no introduction. He's become one of the major successes of the UK's forward-thinking Certificate 18 label, as well as winning the "Best International Producer" award from Knowledge Magazine in 2001. He's gotten raves from all the major players in D&B, including Grooverider and Fabio, Andy C, Ed Rush and Optical and Bad Company. He's had releases on numerous labels, including Prototype, Juice, Creative Source, Moving Shadow, and many more, as well as releasing several mysteriously haunting R&B-flavored drum 'n' bass bootlegs.
Additionally, he plays DJ gigs around the world, creating a stir with head-banging sets that run the gamut between dark and melodic sounds. More so than most DJs, he really gets involved in his sets, dancing about, pumping his fists, and transmitting an intense energy to the crowd.
Writer : Vivian Host
SPECTR
[Los Angeles]
Creator of Drumz
www.myspace.com/spectrumega
If there is a grandfather, Godfather, or straight O.G. of west coast Drum n Bass culture this is the man. We are happy he has jumped on board to do some installations for us to create the better vibe and atmosphere in the place to be!!
[ ganjaboat - 12 Feb 2008 18:02 ]
[ ganjaboat - 11 Feb 2008 10:35 ]
[ ganjaboat - 18 Jan 2008 11:06 ]
[ ganjaboat - 15 Jan 2008 18:56 ]
[ ganjaboat - 15 Jan 2008 09:15 ] |
presales were $15 
