Anthony Devine, son of Melbourne jazz musician Gary Devine, was almost inevitably set to pursue a career in music. Having taken up piano at the age of eight and studying primarily under Andy Cowan, he progressed to studying bass guitar at age twelve with notable figures such as Dan West, Wylie J. Miller, Tim Pryde, and Drew Deadman.
Now, having worked for some years across a diverse range of musical styles including Hip-Hop, Reggae, Metal, Funk, Jazz, and Afrobeat, he has honed his skills as a progressive musician and had the privilege of playing with prominent artists such as King Kapisi, M-Phazes, Mista Savona, Mantra, Jess Harlen, and Candice Monique to mention just a few.
Via his experience playing and networking, Devine has had the opportunity to further immerse himself in the professional music scene through the organisation and promotion of events, presenting shows Australia-wide that include Jurassic 5, Katchafire, Che-Fu, Bus Driver, Louis Logic, Sage Francis, and the Looptroop Rockers. He has also had the opportunity to present popular urban dance and reggae events such as Noisefest and DNBBQ, giving him further experience and proficiency in stage management and group organisation. Devine has also had a hand in the creation of groups such as Funk In Public, and The High Society, and acted as a booking agent for Mista Savona, K-Oscillate, Jess Harlen.
Recently, Devine has taken an interest in the Australian rap battling community and helped organise venues, artists, and international talent for both the 1Outs and GotBeef? communities. In addition, Devine has been DJ’ing at various venues in Melbourne and around Australia, and has also assembled a live group to tour his album Contest US featuring artists Vida Synshyne, Elf Transporter, One Sixth & N’Fa Jones. Given these skills and extensive experience, Devine has arguably established himself as a capable and versatile proponent of the Australian music industry.
“Having worked extensively in the music industry since 2005 both playing in bands and booking artists, I decided to leave my current band (The High Society) in December of 2009 to give me the space to embark on a fresh project. Starting in January of 2010, using some of the music I had written over the years I felt would otherwise be discarded, and using the network of touring artists and music professionals I had built thus far, I began to construct a compilation album for the purpose of creating a permanent record of my experience in the industry. Not simply to show that unsigned locals can match it with the international best, but also to hopefully encourage more people across the world to recognise the significance of Australian Hip-Hop complete with its intelligent lyrics blended over a vast range of musical genres.” – Anthony Devine.
Australian artists featured on the compilation include: 1/6, M-Phazes, Ozi Balta, Nfa Jones, Mantra, Jess Harlen, Mista Savona, Candice Monique, Choi, Mikey Chan, Dylan Smith, Jeremedy (aka. Grey Ghost), Kurt Kokane, MC Kye, Mech MC, Lady Lash aka Crystal Mercy, Lotek, Simon Wright, and Vida-Sunshyne.
International artists featured on the album include Akil The MC (Jurassic 5), Stic.Man (Dead Presidents), Che Fu, King Kapisi, Jean Grae, Louis Logic, Logan Bell (Katchafire), Promoe (Looptroop Rockers), Prince Alla, The Nomad, Jornick, and Teremoana Rapley.
Track listing:
1. King Kapisi, Teremoana Raply and Mantra – Contest Us
2. Jess Harlen, Che- Fu and Jeremedy aka Grey Ghost – City lights
3. Louis Logic & Candice Monique – Warts and All
4. Lotek & MC Kye – Free Yourself
5. Jornick, Lady Lash and Simon Wright – Cries of Freedom
6. Akil The MC (Jurassic 5), Elf Tranzporter & 1/6 – Lock in
7. Nfa Jones, Dylan Smith & Ozi Batla – Let It Reign
8.Logan Bell (Katchafire), Prince Alla, Jean Grae & Stic.man (Dead Prez) – The Truth
9. Promoe (Looptroop Rockers) & Vida Sunshyne – Heatwave
10. The Nomad – Contest Us (Remix)
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