Tuka and Big Village records present a now polished collection of songs which you may have seen pop up on my Tuka’s soundcloud page, youtube channel or heard on various radio appearances over the last 12 months. These have been fleshed out, re-recorded, mixed, mastered and spliced together with brand new unreleased songs to form The Messtape.
The Messtape features 13 tracks including the Let’s Do It (Remix) feat. Billie McCarthy. The Messtape is available as a free download. Mixed by Simon Cohen. Additional vocals on Don’t Fall In Love & Lets Do It (Remix) by Inés. Lets Do It (Remix) Produced by P Major. Design & Layout by NMBR19.
Big Village is very proud to welcome production duo Suburban Dark to the fold. Suburban Dark is the first act to be officially signed to the label outside its founding members since the label began 3 years ago and adds more depth to an already diverse roster.
Suburban Dark’s analog infused sound is deep, minimal and razor sharp, built with the intent to be played loud, from spine chilling noise to straight up bass assaulting bangers.
They have already released 2 tunes through Big Village Records, Straight Edge feat Jeswon, and Vertigo feat. Tuka, Ellesquire and Rapaport on Big Things Vol One and Two respectively. Suburban Dark released their debut EP Expeditions Digitally and on 12’ vinyl in 2010, through Sydney electronic label The Frequency Lab.
With the inclination to keep things analogue, SD are focusing their attention on writing Hip Hop in a technically limited capacity. Using dated drum machines, prehistoric synthesis and dusty reel to reel tape players SD have managed to create a sound that is both sci fi infused and dangerously heavy with enough RMS to make the neighbours complain.
It’s been a huge 2012 over at Big Village HQ with some killer releases, and tours (including packing the entire label into a bus) and to celebrate the entire label joined forces once again for the Big Village Xmas Party at Goodgod Small Club on Dec 22nd.
Featuring perfromances from Daily Meds, True Vibenation, Loose Change (Ellesquire + Rapaport), Mute + Kit Complete, Suburban Dark, Tenth Dan & Grub and DJs Klue, Roleo and Migz, it was a fitting way to end such a special year for the roster. The This is That official video is taken from Big Things Volume Two and features the entire aforementioned Big Village roster, with a killer beat produced by Roleo.
Big Village – Big Things Volume Two is available now.
Rapaport is one the most creatively diverse MCs in Australia and co-label manager of Big Village. For the last 8 years Rapaport has contributed extensively to the Sydney hip hop/ arts scene in various groups and artistic projects as an MC, manager, musician and producer.
Rapaport is a founding member of Loose Change with Ellesquire and P Major, and guitarist and front man of live band The Phonies, who released their debut EP Keeping It Fake in 2007. He is also creator and director of Hip Hop theatre, game show Sketch The Rhyme, which is a 12 piece live show of MCs, visual artists and band, who have performed at Edinburgh Fringe Fest 2011, Woodford Folk Fest 2010 & 2011 and Melbourne Fringe fest 2010.
“This is a live radio session I did at FBi Radio on ‘The Drop’ with ‘Joyride’ in August. The radio session is very much on the style of UK radio sessions where I’be thrown in a whole bunch of material, old and new over some new beats that in really feeling. The first beat is ‘Buggn’ from the TNGHT EP by Hudson Mohawke and Lunar C, the second beat is Lighter by Champion. I really like the buzz of doing raps on live radio, I really enjoy challenging myself technically and seeing how polished I can make the overall performance“. – Rapaport
Most of these verses are taken from the Patterns mixtape which is available for free download from here.
Time & Space is taken from Tuka’s sophomore album Feedback Loop out Oct 26th through Big Village Records.Feedback Loop features guest vocalists: Jeswon, Jane Tyrrell, Ellesquire, Tenth Dan, Solo & Maples.
Feedback Loop will feature production by: Sleepers Awake, DJ Morgs, Roleo, Grub & Suburban Dark.Time & Space, produced by Roleo. Recorded at Two Toes Studios by Caustic. Additional vocals by Maples, recorded at Studios 301 by Simon Cohen. Stay tuned for the premier of Tuka’s next single featuring Elefant Traks beauty Jayne Tyrrell titled Die A Happy Man.
Big Village Records is proud to present the official Launch for Rapaport’s Patterns mixtape, an unrelenting dose of left field grime raps, over an assortment of original and bootlegged bass beats from UK and Australia.
This collection of tracks showcases Rapaport as a unique MC in the Australian hip hop landscape, pursuing a defiantly UK sound, while still retaining a self effacing honesty and oddball sense of humour in his lyricism.
August 17 will see Rapaport take over GoodGod Small Club with a night of banging hip-hop and sophisticated grime, with Live support from Swarmy, Julez & DJ Sizzle (from Melbourne), Tenth Dan & Grub and DJ’s Klue, Max Gosford and Juzlo. Rapaport has been a constant contributor in the Sydney music scene for a number of years, most recently as Label Manager of Big Village Records. He independently released his debut Rapaport album Laughing on the Inside in 2009 before forming Loose Change with Ellesquire and P Major in 2010 and releasing their self-titled debut album through Big Village.
Rapaport is one the most creatively diverse MCs in Australia and co-label manager of Big Village. For the last 8 years Rapaport has contributed extensively to the Sydney hip hop/ arts scene in various groups and artistic projects as an MC, manager, musician and producer.
Rapaport is a founding member of Loose Change with Ellesquire and P Major, and guitarist and front man of live band The Phonies, who released their debut EP Keeping It Fake in 2007. He is also creator and director of Hip Hop theatre, game show Sketch The Rhyme, which is a 12 piece live show of MCs, visual artists and band, who have performed at Edinburgh Fringe Fest 2011, Woodford Folk Fest 2010 & 2011 and Melbourne Fringe fest 2010.
Rapaport released his One Take Mixtape back in 2010 and in now 2012 brings you his Patterns Mixtape. A banging 6 track release featuring production from Juzlo, Untold, Z. Dot and more. You can grab the Patterns Mixtape from below, or over at Rapaport’s Bandcamp page for free.
You can catch Rapaport live at Grey Ghost’s Mixtape Launch in Sydney this Saturday, July 28th at the Oxford Arts Factory. Rapaport will be holding his own mixtape launch for Patterns on Friday August 17, feat. Swarmy, Julex & DJ Sizzle, Tenth Dan & Grub and DJ’s Klue, Max Gosford and Juzlo. Tickets available from Moshtix.
Big Village Records are genuinely thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of Big Things Vol Two. Dropping August 10th, Big Things Vol Two is the labels latest compilation and features all exclusive new tunes from Big Village founding members Tuka (Thundamentals), Ellesquire, Daily Meds, True Vibenation and Loose Change, as well as collab tracks and solo tunes from Reverse Polarities, Suburban Dark, Rapaport, Klue and Tenth Dan.
In what can only be described as a gargantuan undertaking by anyone’s standards, to celebrate, they’re taking the whole damn label on the road for a national tour to launch said album– that’s nearly 20 of Sydney’s finest MCs, DJs and Producers.
Big Label: Since its beginnings in 2010, Big Village has been a collectively run and forward thinking label that has focused on raising the standard of quality and diversity in the Australian hip hop landscape. Big Village was originally created by 13 predominantly Sydney based hip hop artists, MCs, DJs and Producers (namely Daily Meds, Loose Change, True Vibenation and members of Thundamentals, Tuka and Jeswon), many of whom had already been working together for years. Hence, all seeking a platform to release high quality hip hop music, they combined their networks, skills and support to create their own record label, owned and run by the artists it represents.
Big Things Volume Two will be Big Village’s 8th official release and the list of achievements across those releases has been exceptional. Suffice to say that for starters, between all Big Village Acts, main projects and side projects inclusive, there’s been about 10 tracks on triple j rotation since the labels inception.
Here’s a taste test of the Big Village posse’s live video Be My Guest. All audio and video was recorded live from one single take on a rooftop and illustrates the diversity and skills of the various artists, as well as the joy and natural chemistry between them as label mates.
Big Album: Big Things Vol Two is as creatively adventurous as it is maturely executed, a darkly tinged buffet of bass heavy tunes that range in style and content but share a no bullshit attitude to making hip hop music. Released in May last year, Big Village’s first label compilation Big Things Vol 1 was both the triple j hip hop show ‘s and FBI ‘s Album Of The Week. The label itself was nominated for a 2011 SMAC award for Best Collective (FBI radio).
Big Tour: Big Village has undertaken the audacious task of taking their entire label on the road for the Big Things tour across September / October. The tour will feature the full roster of current label acts including Tuka and Ellesquire performing a dual headline set, Daily Meds fresh from their Happy Daze album release and tour and True Vibenation who also recently completed their own national tour. Coming along for the ride are Loose Change, Reverse Polarities and speed-draw-freestyle-rap-gameshow Sketch The Rhyme, featuring Big Village members Rapaport, P.Smurf and Jeswon.
That’s a lot of people, but then that’s why it’s called the Big Things tour folks. The tour also represents the first time proper that the Sydney based label will truly unfurl itself at a national level, so look out. From the Annandale to The Oxford Arts Factory, the last 4 Big Village presents shows in Sydney have all sold out.
The Big Village fam invites you to come and experience this travelling party and get a sense of the groups undeniable passion and respect for both each other and the wider hip hop community.
Tour Dates: Sept 14th @ OAF – Sydney Sept 22nd @ Northcote Social – Melbourne Sept 28th @ Connistan Lane – Brisbane Oct 5th @ The Cambridge – Newcastle Oct 6th @ Gearins – Blue Mountains
An audio visual collaboration between Kit Complete (Sydney hip hop producer) and 2Rise (Wandering graffiti artist). Kit Complete is one quarter of Reverse Polarities and often works with other acts on the same record label, Big Village.
To check out more music from Kit and the Big Village Crew check out their site here.2Rise is a vandal so don’t pay any attention to his works that are featured here and here. All camera work by 303DB.
Big Village Records label boss Rapaport has dropped a banging new vid of 100 bars of grimey badness over the biggest grime beat of 2011, Faze Miyake’s Take Off. The video is the first piece of media to promote the forthcoming solo Rapaport mixtape Patterns, which will be out in the month of July.
The release is a bossy step into the grime and Bass music sound with all the beats sitting on the 140 bpm mark. Rapaport has had a curiously diverse musical output since he released his debut solo album Laughing On The Inside independently in 2009.
From laid back hip hop group Loose Change with Ellesquire and producer extraordinaire P Major, to being guitarist and vocalist in left field live band The Phonies, and creator and director of Hip Hop pictionary game show Sketch the Rhyme. Rapaport – Patterns Mixtape dropping July 2012.
