Building upon Sleeping On Your Style’s outstanding production, eclectic musical influences and compelling rhymes, Foreverlution is, as the title would suggest, a deliberate blend of timeless organic tones interspersed with more contemporary sounding influences.
Producing almost the entire record, DJ Morgs has really stepped up-to the plate. In the words of Tuka: “the content itself reflects our growth as a band and also the knowledge/skills we’ve managed to gather since our self-titled debut was released in 2008. In this life, it appears that change is the only constant. The one thing you can truly be sure of is that everything will eventually change. The ideology behind Foreverlution casts a positive spin on this concept. Rather than watching the world go by or letting yourself fall into a state of complacency, involve yourself within it. Learn from your past with the intention of moving forward and growing into a better version of yourself. As the world evolves, evolve with it.” From the ominously dulcet foghorn that intro’s opening track Holla through the big band enthused bombasticism of Calm In The Chaos, lead single Paint The Town Red and the Parisian swell of Check My Fresh (feat. Vida-Sunshyne), the first half of Foreverlution drips with 1920′s speakeasy soul.
But though this and an old school RnB flavor permeate the record right through to the laid back Sunday afternoon slide of closing track Easy, contemporary influences also ride high throughout, from the future beat and blip electro splice of Dimension 3 through the rolling dubstep bass of Thunda Cats feat. Dysphemic. All in All Foreverlution is, as best described by Jeswon: “a contrast between elements that will remain classic “Forever”, and elements that suggest an “Evolution” into something greater and as yet undefined”.
For the cover art for the album the band worked closely with their artist (Pencil Rebellion) to develop strong imagery that would further emphasise this Foreverlution concept. Namely, a thematic continuation of the young boy portrayed on the Sleeping On Your Style cover art who has now grown into a pioneer space traveler equipped with advanced technologies, armour and space craft, a visual metaphor for the growth in the music. The band were presented with two cover possibilities from the artist but as they couldn’t decide, asked Facebook fans & Twitter followers to vote on which the preferred should be. The vote again went straight down the middle and hence the decision was made to run with a dual cover.
Just over a week ago, Blue Mountains Crew Thundamentals dropped the highly anticipated follow-up to their 2009 Sleeping On Your Style release with the stunning LP Foreverlution. aahh catches up with Jeswon to talk all things album related, the recent KON Design comp and what’s shooting Thudamentals latest LP in to the CD players of thousands country-wide. Strap yourself in…blast off!!
aahh:Fans of Thundamentals have been waiting since 2009 for a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Sleeping On Your Style LP release. What’s been the biggest change for you as a group since that release and how will Foreverlution build on that last album? Jeswon: I would have to say that the biggest changes from Sleeping On Your Style to Forverlution, would be that we have all grown as artists. I feel like as an emcee I am constantly working hard to improve at what I do. I know the same goes for Tuka and Morgs as well. I feel like the quality of our raps and the beats on Foreverlution are the best they have ever been. Another big change for us is we are now a 3 piece as Tommy Fiasko who was a part of Thundamentals for our last two releases has ventured out to embark on his solo career under ‘The Silent Titan’ moniker. DJ Morgs has produced all the beats on the album this time around (with a sneaky helping hands from some musician friends!). Tommy is a brother to us and one hell of a producer. We wish him the best in all his future endeavours.
aahh: The title of the album Foreverlution is a great play on words, what was the main concept behind this title and how did you carry on this idea over to your music? Jeswon: Thanks! We had been trying to come up with a title that would best reflect the content of Foreverlution. The album is an intriguing mix of sounds that are classic boom bap Hip Hop and more contemporary/futuristic tones. A mix of elements that will sound good to Hip Hop fans ‘Forever’ and elements that suggest an ‘Evolution’ into more contemporary bass heavy genres. I feel like the word ‘Foreverlution’ is the perfect reflection of the mix of styles that can be found on the record.
aahh: Now the covers, yes we said covers for this release come in two different versions. We hear you worked closely with Pencil Rebellion to develop strong imagery that would further emphasise this Foreverlution concept, tell us a little more about this and the character featured? Jeswon: On all of our releases to date, our covers have been original pieces of art which we have had a big hand in developing along with the actual artists who come up with the finished piece. I would much rather see an album with a sick piece of art on the cover than just a photo of our ugly mugs for example! Our faces on the cover would definitely equate to less sales haha! The art on Foreverlution is a continuation from the art we developed on Sleeping On Your Style. The young boy who is looking off into space with his rickety looking rocket ship on SOYS has grown into a man on the cover of Foreverlution and is now decked out in a state of the art space craft. I was into comic books growing up so to have this aesthetic associated with our releases is something I am always excited about. Pencil Rebellion hit us up with two potential covers and we liked them so much that we decided to ask our facebook fans which one they prefered, as they were so ill we literally couldn’t decide which one to run with. The response from the fans was interesting. There didn’t seem to be a clear favorite as different people liked each cover for different reasons. So, because we respect and value our fans immensely, we decided to print the album with both covers so that fans could pick the artwork that they liked the best. We are always looking at ways that we can further connect with our fans and we thought this was a great way for fans to have their opinions heard and valued. Pencil Rebellion smashed the art for Foreverlution! Very stoked to have his talents on board.
aahh: Early on this year, when promotion first started for the album the Thundamentals crew teamed up with King Of Nothing apparel, to give artists and designers around Australia the chance to design the new Thundamentals shirt. What was the reaction to this and did you find it a great way to interact with some of your fans? Jeswon: Definitely. Forging a partnership with King Of Nothing apparel has been a fantastic development for us. They are an up and coming Bondi based clothing company who are super motivated and have a great understanding of street and youth culture. It has been great working with them on this competition. We actually found out about Pencil Rebellion who did Foreverlution’s art work via KON as he does designs for them. We have had some great entries from fans! We will be announcing the winner of the comp within the next week. The winner receives $500, a signed copy of Foreverlution and tickets to our album launch gig in the city of their choice. But most importantly, their design will be one of our featured shirts in our next line of merchandise. Everyone around Australia (and the world!) will be wearing the winner’s design! Pretty cool I reckon. Shit, if I could draw I would have entered haha!
aahh: Across the whole album there seems to be such a diverse range of music beats and instrument wise, how do you guys as a three-piece make such a full and rich sound? Jeswon: Growing up in the Blue Mountains, there isn’t that much for young people to do. The weather is pretty bleak and consequently kids spend a lot of time in doors coming up with their own entertainment. This has been a blessing for Thundamentals, as a lot of our friends we grew up with became really good (as in world-class) musicians. Morgs will come up with rough versions of beats and when we decide we are going to write a song to the beat, we will invariably shift the beat along to a friend who we would like to contribute to the song. If the beat needs some horns we send it to one friend, if the beat needs a guitar section we send it to another friend. Morgs will also play live instrumentation on some beats but if we feel like the song would benefit by having a professional musician on it then we don’t hesitate to hit someone up. Although there are only three of us in Thundamentals, there is an extended network of musician friends who we call upon to make a Thundas album. We are definitely in a lucky position.
aahh: Busy With It, an amazing track that raises questions of spirituality vs technology, the importance of the environment and whether BP should really be fucking up the world like it has been. Do you find hip hop is the perfect medium to raise questions like this and engage an audience? Jeswon: Yeah for sure. Hip Hop is the perfect medium for raising questions and expressing opinions. Hip Hop started as a form of protest music by Afro-American and Latino kids against the poverty and violence they were struggling against in their communities. But it was also a celebration, a way for people to go out to block parties and forget their worries for an evening. This is the fine line that Thundamentals are attempting to tread. We are trying to make music which incorporates our feelings and opinions on contentious and controversial issues, but at the same time we don’t want to bring people down. We want people to put on a Thundas album and be stimulated to think about important issues in the world but to also forget about their own worries for an hour or so.
aahh: The three of you have all had extensive musically backgrounds, was this something that brought you together way back when you first started as Thundamentals? Jeswon: We all pretty much came together as Thundamentals because we were all in love with Hip Hop culture in its varying elements. Tommy started out graffing as a kid and eventually got his hands on a set of turntables and started Djing and delving into beat making. Morgs and Tuka were friends through skating (though I think they first became mates cause they would play Time Crisis 2 at Katoomba arcade when it still existed haha!) and Tuka was into rapping. I came into the fold a bit later on after my family moved to the mountains from Sydney and we eventually all gravitated to one another because we were all seeking the same thing : friends with similar interests who were into Hip Hop. We didn’t really start out thinking of forming Thundamentals it was just something that kind of evolved out of our love for Hip Hop.
aahh: The track Paint The Town Red is a classic party type drinking track but after listening to the next track to follow on the album How You Been? We felt like you’ve gone further than that with these themes though, looking at them from a (hate to use the word but) a more mature angle maybe? Jeswon: Yeah, when you actually break down ‘Paint The Town Red’, it is a party/drinking song but not in the classic sense. This song isn’t really saying ‘Drinking is awesome, yeeeeeiw let’s get pissed!’ it is more saying that ‘Look, drinking is a vice that we all suffer from and for us drinking is a form of self medication (a bad one). One day I will clean up my act, but for now I am going to enjoy myself while I still can’ We are by no means advocating drinking in this song, more just recognizing binge drinking as a problem we suffer from, but not getting too hung up about it. We decided to put ‘How You Been?’ straight after ‘Paint The Town Red’ because content wise and also emotionally, they are at polar extremes. the first is kind of self-deprecating and care free while the second is probably one of the deepest tunes on the record. We wanted to flip it on the listener like ‘Yeah we know how to take the piss out of ourselves and have a good time, but at the same time our music isn’t all party and bullshit, we do actually have some real emotions and true thoughts that we want to share with you’.
aahh: Check My Fresh feat. Vida Sunshyne blew us away, such a beautiful track for a hip hop album, yep we said beautiful. I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard an Australian rap with such a perfect, was it French accent? How did you guys prepare or even approach a track like this? Guessing someone in the group spoke a bit of French on the side? Jeswon: Cheers man! Yeah I studied French at high school for a while cause the French teacher’s daughter was smoking and I wanted to impress her so bad haha! But in regards to the track, Morgs slung us the beat and it had the french vocal samples through it and I thought to myself ‘Has anyone in Australian Hip Hop ever done a half French tune before?’ I wasn’t aware of it having been done before so I thought it was a good excuse to do something original. Special mention to Tuka for nailing a frenchified verse despite knowing no French whatsoever haha!
aahh: Tell us a little about what it’s like working with Vida Sunshyne. We have heard her on heap of albums lately and everything she does is amazing, she seems to be one talented lady? Jeswon: Yeah working with Vida was great. We have been fans of each others music for quite a while and when this beat popped up I immediately thought of her for the chorus. I don’t think she actually speaks any French really but she pulled the accent off well. We showed it to a native French speaker and they reckon they couldn’t notice a dodgy accent or anything. Vida is a very talented artist and someone I always keep an eye out for with whatever she is doing.
aahh: Ray Mann of The Ray Mann Three chips in on the track Burn It Down. How did you hook up with Ray? We hear he is based in Berlin is that correct? Jeswon: We hooked up with Ray Mann originally because we did a track with him on ‘Sleeping On Your Style’ called ‘My Lady’. We had seen him playing all over Sydney as part of The Ray Mann Three and were keen to have him bless a track with his soulful voice. He actually hit us up to do a remix of one of his tunes but after we made Burn It Down, he felt that it had grown beyond a remix into a Thundas song that he was featuring on so he gave us the go ahead to include it on Foreverlution. Thanks Ray! I’m not sure if he is in Berlin now. It wouldn’t surprise me. I hear Berlin is an awesome city.
aahh: Wanna Be has this vibe that seems like this one enjoyable track to write and record. Do you guys try to cut lose a bit in the studio or is it a bit more of a concentrated effort? Jeswon: ’Wanna Be’ was an enjoyable track to write and record. It was one of the first songs we recorded vocals for and I think it encapsulates the excitement of starting the whole recording process. We are pretty focused on doing the best job we possibly can in the studio, because we want to be happy with the final result and also, studio time aint cheap so you don’t wanna be in there fucking around. Not to say that we wouldn’t have a little something something towards the end of each days session, but our attitude throughout was pretty professional surprisingly. If I am too pissed or smoked out or whatever when I record then I am not critical enough with my performance. I might think a take is awesome because I am a little faded. I prefer to have my wits about me.
aahh: Dimension 3 and the heavy heavy Thunda Cats feat. Dysphemic are tracks that really emphasise the futuristic/evolutionary theme. Are you guys fans of a bit of the Sci Fi action? Jeswon: Yeah I dig all fiction. sci-fi or otherwise. ‘Dimension 3′ was actually based on the character on the front cover of ‘Foreverlution’ so thats where the inspiration for that song came from.
aahh: Plans for a national tour? We hope to see you with this new album in Adelaide sometime soon? Jeswon: Yeah we are locking in a national tour as we speak and I am hoping that Adelaide will be on it. We are definitely playing Saturday 24 September at The Thebarton Theatre as part of Drapht’s Party, Party, Party Tour. So will hopefully catch you Thunda Cats there!
aahh: Fianl comments and thoughts? Jeswon: Yeah I just want to thank everyone who has picked up Foreverlution already and shown us love for it, good lookin out!
Upcoming Tour Dates Big Boi (Outkast) w/ Full Live Band + Thelophious London Fri 26 Aug @ The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD Sat 27 Aug @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW Fri 2 Sep @ The Palace Theatre, Melbourne VIC Head over to Niche Productions Website for Ticketing details.
Drapht’s Party Party Party Tour w/ Muph & Plutonic + Layla and Dazastah: Wed 14 Sep @ Station Hotel, Jindabyne NSW Thu 15 Sep @ Penrith Panthers, Penrith NSW Fri 16 Sep @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW (All Ages) Wed 21 Sep @ Bluestone, Ballarat VIC Thu 22 Sep @ Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights VIC Fri 23 Sep @ Palace Theatre, Melbourne VIC Sat 24 Sep @ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide SA (All Ages) Sun 25 Sep @ Mildura Settlers Tavern, VIC Thu 6 oct @ October Players Mandurah, WA Fri 7 Oct @ Metro City, Perth WA Sun 9 Oct @ Prince of Wales, Bunbury WA Wed 12 Oct @ Armidale Uni, Armidale NSW Thu 13 Oct @ Coff’s Ex-Sericeman’s Club, Coff’s Harbour NSW Fri 14 Oct @ Yamba Bowling Club, Yamba NSW Sun 16 Oct @ Sugarland Tavern, Bundaberg QLD Head to Drapht’s website for all ticketing info!
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Newtown hip hop 3 piece Thundamentals have announced the impending release of their sophomore album Foreverlution, the eagerly anticipated follow up to their 2009 longplayer Sleeping On Your Style. With their own national album launch shows TBA and lead single Paint The Town Red already on Triple j rotation, The Thunda’s are back in force.
Building upon Sleeping On Your Style’s outstanding production, eclectic musical influences and compelling rhymes, Foreverlution is, as the title would suggest, a deliberate blend of timeless organic tones interspersed with more contemporary sounding influences. Producing almost the entire record, DJ Morgs has really stepped up-to the plate.
In the words of Tuka: “the content itself reflects our growth as a band and also the knowledge/skills we’ve managed to gather since our self-titled debut was released in 2008. In this life, it appears that change is the only constant. The one thing you can truly be sure of is that everything will eventually change. The ideology behind Foreverlution casts a positive spin on this concept. Rather than watching the world go by or letting yourself fall into a state of complacency, involve yourself within it. Learn from your past with the intention of moving forward and growing into a better version of yourself. As the world evolves, evolve with it.”
From the ominously dulcet foghorn that intro’s opening track Holla through the big band enthused bombasticism of Calm In The Chaos, lead single Paint The Town Red and the Parisian swell of Check My Fresh feat. Vida-Sunshyne, the first half of Foreverlution drips with 1920’s speakeasy soul. But though this and an old school RnB flavor permeate the record right through to the laid back Sunday afternoon slide of closing track Easy, contemporary influences also ride high throughout, from the future beat and blip electro splice of Dimension 3 through the rolling dubstep bass of Thunda Cats feat. Dysphemic.
All in All Foreverlution is, as best described by Jeswon: “a contrast between elements that will remain classic “Forever”, and elements that suggest an “Evolution” into something greater and as yet undefined”.
For the cover art for the album the band worked closely with their artist Pencil Rebellion to develop strong imagery that would further emphasise this Foreverlution concept. Namely, a thematic continuation of the young boy portrayed on the Sleeping On Your Style cover art who has now grown into a pioneer space traveler equipped with advanced technologies, armour and space craft, a visual metaphor for the growth in the music. The band were presented with two cover possibilities from the artist but as they couldn’t decide, asked Facebook fans & Twitter followers to vote on which the preferred should be. The vote again went straight down the middle and hence the decision was made to run with a dual cover.
Shows - Post Album Release:Thundamentals will be heading out with a new set-list and new album in-tow on tour with Outkast’s Big Boi playing: August 26th @ The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD August 27th @ The Enmore, Sydney NSW September 2nd @ The Palace, Melbourne VIC Thundamentals – Foreverlution drops July 29 through Obese Records.
Big Village is an independent record label representing the new wave of Sydney’s finest hip hop artists. Tired of jostling for recognition as individual groups, Big Village artists came together to forge a joint identity and carve out new opportunities on their own terms.
Consisting of Daily Meds, Loose Change, True Vibenation, Reverse Polarities, Tuka, Ellesquire and Jeswon, Big Village artists are dedicated to producing thought provoking and open-minded music that challenges the status quo.
2010 was a huge first year for Big Village, firmly establishing itself with strong releases by Tuka, Daily Meds and a free album from Loose Change. Big Village kicked off 2011 with the label compilation Big Things Volume One. Now, the lead single, and title track from Ellesquire’s debut solo album Ready is available for free download below (out today) with the album slated for release on August 5.
The single Ready is produced by: P Major with additional vocals from Joyride.
3things, an initiative of Oxfam Australia, is back and joining forces with some of Australia’s best rappers, beat boxers, DJs, VJs and graphic artists, to create a hard-hitting hip hop event with a huge social conscience.
It’s the Hip Hop Approach – a 3things event that gets Australian hip hop acts talking about their opinions and solutions to global poverty and injustice. Artists will jam on the 3things they can do to help change the world for the better, demonstrating the 3things philosophy – that we can change the world, 3things at a time. Across two cities, 3things’ Hip Hop Approach will feature over 20 Aussie artists and acts. Both shows will be hosted by Kween G (of the KillaQueenz), and will feature visual jams by VJ Spook (VJ for the likes of Bliss N Eso and Snob Scrilla).
Sydney’s bill features OziBatla, Dialectrix with Joe New and Plutonic Lab, Tuka, The Last Kinection, DJ Gabriel Clouston, plus beatboxers Rivals and LC Beats. Melbourne’s bill includes The Tongue, Thundamentals, Joelistics, DJ Wasabi, plus more local MCs to be announced. On the night, hip hop heads can leave their mark on the live mural or drop 3things they can do to help change the world on the 3things handy cam. By the end of the event, hundreds of ideas on tackling global issues will accumulate – highlighting that our small actions combined can have a significant impact on bringing about a world without poverty. It’s an all-in jam, where anyone can have a say.
Tickets to 3things’ Hip Hop Approach are $5 on the door at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory, and at St Kilda’s Prince Bandroom. All proceeds will go to Oxfam Australia. 3things’ Hip Hop Approach coincides with the launch of the new look 3things website, 3things.org.au.3things aims to build a generation of Australians who are aware of and taking action on global issues, by offering simple, personal and practical ways for young Australians to get involved and bring about positive change.
3things’ Hip Hop Approach Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW | Thursday 30 June | Doors open 8pm | $5 on the door Prince Bandroom, St Kilda, VIC | Thursday 7 July | Doors open at 8pm | $5 on the door This is an 18+ event. MORE INFORMATION at http://www.3things.org.au/hiphopapproach
This time rocking over Madvillain’s, ‘Meat Grinder’ instrumental from their album, ‘Madvillainy Instrumentals’. Purchase here. See us perform… Tuned In. Also performing: Briggs, Tuka, The Last Kinection & Stunna Set. The Oxford Arts Factory, Oxford Street, Sydney. Friday, June 3rd
Big Village is an independent record label representing the new wave of Sydney’s finest Hip Hop artists. Tired of jostling for recognition as individual bands. Big Village artists came together to forge a joint identity and carve out new opportunitties on their own terms. Consisting of Daily Meds, Loose Change, True Vibenation, Reverse Polarities, Tuka, Ellequire and Jeswon, Big Village artists are dedicated to producing thought provoking and open-minded music that challenges the status quo.
The label was founded by the artists it represents: all members contribute their expertise to the running of the organisation. Wheather it’s event promotions, web design, social networking or gig bookings. Big Village is run by the artists for the people. 2010 was a huge first yeaer for Big Village, firmly establishing itself with strong releases by Tuka, Daily Meds and a free album from Loose Change. now, Big Village are kicking off 2011 with the label coompilation Big Things Volume One. The album is a collection of new and exclusive tracks from the label’s extensive roster. It is a sonic journey that showcases the lyrical prowss of the BV crew spitting over a collection of beats encompassing a wide range of genres, from traditional hip hop through to grime and dub. Big Village are proud to announce the release of our debut compilation album Big Things Volume One, featuring new and exclusive tracks from the entire BV line up: Daily Meds, Loose Change, True Vibenation, Tuka, Jeswon and Reverse Polarities.
Big Things Volume One is a brilliant introduction to the eclectic tastes and sounds that you can expect to hear from the Big Village camp, and shows a lot of promise and talent from what is a relatively young label. Ranging from classic 90’s inspired boom bap to future beat grime and dub-step textures, the release is a testament to the diversity and innovative thinking which characterises the BV roster. Big Village artists are fast gaining a strong reputation for their vibrant live shows, and with several solid releases already under its belt Big Things gives the listener a further look into the many different styles and voices that Big Village embodies. With no filler in sight, each track is a certified head nodder and signals a new and exciting wave of local hip hop artists ready to take the scene in new directions. If you’re curious about Big Village, then Big Things Volume One is the perfect chance to find out what all the fuss is about.
Be My Guest – the all in posse cut from Sydney record label Big Village compilation album Big Things Vol. 1. The track features the entire BV lineup. Lyrics (in order of appearance): Ellesquire, Kit-Complete, P. Smurf, Jeswon, Rapaport, Tenth Dan, Native Wit, Billie Rose, Mute MC, Verbaleyes, Tuka and Mikoen. Beat: Roleo Cuts: DJ Morgs Horns: Gabriel Clouston, Verbaleyes and Native Wit
Welcome to the village.
Track Listing 1. P Major & DJ Morgs – Intro 2. Tuka – Bonus Stage Feat. Tenth Dan 3. P. Smurf & DJ Morgs – YES 4. Loose Change – Secrets 5. True Vibenation – We Are 6. Daily Meds – SBS And ABC 7. Ellesquire – On The Prowl 8. Mute MC – Forever Breaks 9. Suburban Dark – Straight Edge Feat. Jeswon 10. Mikoen – Gift Of The Gab 11. Rapaport – Who’s That Dude? 12. Reverse Polarities – Beat Slow 13. Big Village – Be My Guest Feat. Ellesquire, Kit Komplete, P. Smurf, Jeswon, Rapaport, Tenth Dan, Native Wit, Billie Rose, Mute MC, Verbaleyes, Tuka & Mikoen
We have a double pass to giveaway to each of the 3 Pigeon John shows around Australia for FREE. All you have to do is send us an email at allaussiecomps@gmail.com with your full details and what show you’d like to attend…or hit us up on facebook or twitter with a Pigeon John related message and you will be automatically entered. Comp closes Thursday May 19, 2011. Winners will be notified.
Dragon Slayer Australian Tour 2011 presented by Other Tongues. Friday 20th May – Tone, Sydney w/ TUKA + YEO + DUST TONES DJS $25 PRESALES / $30 DOOR SALES Tickets on sale from www.moshtix.com.au
Saturday 21st May – East Brunswick Club, Melbourne w/ CASUAL PROJECTS + YEO $25 PRESALES / $30 DOOR SALES Tickets on sale from www.eastbrunswickclub.com/
Sunday 22nd May – X And Y Bar, Brisbane w/ YEO $25 PRESALES / $30 DOOR SALES Tickets on sale from www.oztix.com.au
Other Tongues is pleased to announce that Yeo, Tuka, Casual Projects and Dust Tones DJs will be playing in support of Californian hip hop tunesmith Pigeon John, who is set to grace our shores in May to promote his new release, Dragon Slayer – a heavily lauded record and Triple J Feature Album.
Pigeon John hails from Inglewood, Southern California. He cut his teeth in the early ‘90s at the legendary Good Life Cafe, spitting rhymes on the same stage with then fledgling, now established artists like Freestyle Fellowship, Kurupt, The Pharcyde and Jurassic 5 on open-mic nights, honing his delivery skills amongst discerning peers. Dragon Slayer is PJ’s second album for Quannum, and first for Other Tongues. With the aid of General Electriks’ Herve Salters, he produced the whole record, including, for the first time, recording and chopping up his own instrumentation rather than just flipping samples and banging on an MPC. Never one to hog the limelight, Pigeon John will be joined by some of Australia’s finest established and up-and-coming acts… Yeo, who recently blew minds while supporting Kimbra, will be playing all dates, showcasing the brilliant Prince-meets-Ronson-meets-G-Funk version of blue eyed funk from his spanking new album, Bag-O-Items… Tuka, fresh from touring the nation with Laneous and The Family Yah, will be performing tracks from his critically acclaimed debut solo LP, Will Rap For Tuka, while the always brilliant Dust Tones DJs cap things off in Sydney… Casual Projects have been generating quite the buzz around the traps, and they’ll be bringing their party set into the fold in Melbourne. Pigeon John’s dynamic live show – loaded with his signature blend of wit, charisma and undeniable stage presence – hits Australia in May.
We have a double pass to giveaway to each of the 3 shows around Australia for FREE. All you have to do is send us an email at allaussiecomps@gmail.com with your full details and what show you’d like to attend or hit us up on facebook or twitter with a Pigeon John related message and your automatically entered.
Dragon Slayer Australian Tour 2011 presented by Other Tongues. Friday 20th May – Tone, Sydney w/ TUKA + YEO + DUST TONES DJS $25 PRESALES / $30 DOOR SALES Tickets on sale from www.moshtix.com.au
Saturday 21st May – East Brunswick Club, Melbourne w/ CASUAL PROJECTS + YEO $25 PRESALES / $30 DOOR SALES Tickets on sale from www.eastbrunswickclub.com/
Sunday 22nd May – X And Y Bar, Brisbane w/ YEO $25 PRESALES / $30 DOOR SALES Tickets on sale from www.oztix.com.au
This is the 28th installment of rappertag featuring Motion.
New LP Motion Picture coming soon.
So far it’s been: 18.) Class A MC 19.) The Tongue 20.) Tuka 21.) Drapht 22.)Sesta 23.) K21 24.) Vents 25.) Maundz 26.) Delta 27.) Simplex 28.) Motion
To Come: Dedlee
Adelaide hip hop crew Adroit Effusive are set to release their long awaited debut album – The Album.
‘Australian Hip Hop group to watch out for’ J-Mag, 2009.
The time has finally arrived for the quintessential dysfunctional hip hop family, Adroit Effusive. After toiling in the depths of underground hip hop, honing their skills, paying more than their share of dues, going through as many setbacks as one group could go through and making some of the illest music that nearly didn’t see the light of day, Adroit Effusive are ready. After years of being posed the question, ‘Where is the album?’ The Album is here. Adroit Effusive are set to deliver their opus.
Born out of the Australian hip hop melting pot of Adelaide, Adroit Effusivebring something rare to Australian hip hop in both their composition and their repertoire. The unique 8-man band, who are all capable of standing on their own feet as solo artists, crew-up to create a smorgasbord of production sounds and lyrical concepts to engage and get the head nodding to The Album.
It is an eclectic tapestry of boom-bap beats conducted by Adroit Effusive’s five beat makers, a thorough collection of 19 songs by all seven lyricists and razor-sharp relevant cuts by a master turntablist.
The soundscape on The Album is an amalgamation of layered psych rock, blues, hard rock, funk, Latin acoustic, jazz and classical sounds, all with a hard-hitting hip hop character. Lyrically however, is where Adroit Effusive really stray from the herd. This crew of big characters do not hold back on expressing their diversity on The Album. From the conceptual posse tracks Chump Change and Five Days of Work, to the role-playing lyrical feasts Espionage, War and Suspects, to the storytelling of Crossroads and A Beer and Big Talk, to the B-boy anthems Understood by Few and In the Street, to the retrospective No Aim and Yin Yang, Adroit Effusive come into their own. The songs on The Album are a testament to the depth, breadth and talent of Adroit Effusive.
After previously releasing two vinyl-only EP’s plus side projects by Conseps and Patti, Common Cause and Red Whine Presents…, Adroit Effusive are ready to go. After featuring on countless other albums and sharing stages with numerous international and Australian acts over the better part of a decade, the time has come. Adroit Effusive members Blockade, Conseps, Patti, Bornski, Motion, Devious Dev, Beats and DJ Ad-Fu have created something that justifies their long-time dedication to hip hop music in Australia. A solid nineteen tracks (115 minutes) in length, The Album is a celebration of the struggles of Adroit Effusive and the colourful characters that make up Australia’s most under represented crew. Under represented that is until now, as The Album sees the light of day.
The Album is distributed independently and will be available in independent record stores Australia-wide + iTunes.
The Album is the first single off the upcoming Adroit Effusive album of the same name; The Album, dropping in April 2010 Australia Wide. Cuts by DJ Ad-Fu. Lyrics by Beats, Conseps, Blockade, Bornski, Motion, Devious Dev and Patti. Produced by Ad-Fu.
