Album: Yesterday to the Rescue
Label: Hydrofunk records/ MGM
Date: 2nd October 2009

Having worked alongside some of Australia’s premier musical artists, the dynamic duo Red Bantoo are bursting onto the Australian music scene with a star studded debut. Collaborations over the years with the likes of Regurgitator, Resin Dogs and The Bird have seen Red Bantoo grace stages like the legendary Glastonbury Festival to our very own Big Day Out. Their debut album ‘Yesterday to the Rescue’, is the latest gem, released through the always reliable Hydrofunk Records. A potent fusion of Electronica, Jazz and beat driven, soulful tones, Red Bantoo are taking their captivating live show around the country on a string of album launch dates in the coming months.

Production expert Si Fixion aka Simon Durrington and keyboard maestro Dan Brown are the eclectic and boundary pushing duo that is Red Bantoo. Over the years they have been garnering the attention of some Australian industry heavyweights including El Gusto of Hermitude and Dave Atkins of Wolfmother/ Resin Dogs fame who have both worked on tracks from the album. In conjunction with such recognised talent, Red Bantoo have also enlisted a string of local artists from the Byron Bay area to effectively create a showcase of local talent including vocalists Sonia Leeson and Shelley Hughes with Stuart Currie on the trombone and Ben Blay playing alto sax.

Created in the perfect beachside backdrop, ‘Yesterday to the Rescue’ is an album made to chill to that is still has a beat driven heaviness. Reminiscent of artists like St Germain and Mo Horizons, the handpicked vintage samples and crafty beats combine vibrant live elements for a modern, innovative and atmospheric sound.

The first single from this very suave, down tempo album is the appropriately titled ‘Breeze’. A soundtrack for summer with a distinctly reggae feel, this is no surprise considering the golden beaches of Byron Bay where the song was written. This track is a perfect example of the wealth of talent that appears across the album.

Live, Red Bantoo brings their years of experience to the table resulting in a dance floor friendly and rich musical experience. The guys take a seasoned mixture of sequenced and live music to create sets that are guaranteed to impress.

‘Yesterday to the Rescue’ is a highly talented and original debut. With it, Red Bantoo combine world class talent while distilling the essence of the Byron Bay area to create an album that is smooth and charismatic – pure quality, all class.

Resin Dogs – More Or Less
Released: 29th November 2008
Label: Hydrofunk Records/ MGM

It’s been a whole year since the Resin Dogs released the ‘More’ LP in 2007. Having received critical acclaim from the media and their peers alike, the huge success of ‘More’ has paved the way for the ‘More or Less’ LP. This new project is a collaboration between the Resin Dogs and a whole heap of the best hip hop producers and DJ’s from Australia and abroad who have given their own spin to their pick of the tracks from ‘More’.

The ‘More’ LP itself is a who’s who of collaborators with the likes of ARIA Award winning Hau (Koolism), Demolition Man, N’FA and BluRum13, Haiku De’Tat, Abstract Rude ect. This tradition continues in style with ‘More or Less’. Some of the producers who have been enlisted to remix tracks on the LP include Two Fresh, the freshest brotherhood in dance, Plutonic Lab whose production skills have featured on over fifty LPs/Singles & EPs on a variety of labels, roots, reggae and jazz master, Chasm, who has recently worked with his crew ‘Astronomy Class’ on the critically acclaimed ‘Exit Strategy’ and Northwode. More than just a party DJ, DeNorthwode also & runs the Crookneck Lab which is an underground studio in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide that produces Aussie hip hop. Some of his extensive production credits include F&D, A-love, Spikey Tee, Brad Strut, Shin-ki-row, Lazy Grey, Brothers Stoney, and 2dogs.

‘More or Less’ is a gigantic cut above the regular run of the mill remix albums. The calibre of artist that this project attracted is the first indication of just how special ‘More or Less’ is going to be. When the remixes for this project first started coming they were mind blowing. It was clear that ‘Peace and Love’ was a crowd favourite. Thus, the first single from ‘More or Less’ is a very spicy remix of ‘Peace and Love’ by Two Fresh.  Featuring Demolition Man, ‘Peace and Love’ is already a bowl of beats that keep you moving. Add a little bit of Two Fresh magic and you have a dance track that will be taking over dancefloors across the nation.

As a timely reminder that the Resin Dogs are not taking a break from delivering A grade entertainment, keep your ears open for a few more very exciting instalments in the ‘More or Less’ saga. In the meantime, put on those dancing shoes and load up on carbs as Two Fresh’s version of ‘Peace and Love’ is a body mover.

Ugly Duckling Release: ‘Audacity’
Artist Album Label: Hydrofunk Records / MGM audacious
/adj. 1 daring, bold. 2 impudent audaciously /adv. audaciousness n. audacity n. [Latin audax-acis ‘bold’ from audere ‘dare’] Hip Hop veterans Ugly Duckling have done it again! Set for August release, their new long player ‘Audacity’ is party Hip Hop at its absolute finest. Guaranteed to get you all hot and sweaty this winter, ‘Audacity’ will be released through mighty Hydrofunk Records – ready yourself for this hugely anticipated latest installment from Andy, Dizzy and Young Einstein. Forming in 1993, Ugly Duckling’s impressive discography spans twelve highly successful years of recording, launched with the release of their first 12 inch ‘Fresh Mode’ in 1997. Since the early days they have been making their mark on the international live scene, having played in nearly 30 countries over the last ten years. This trio of musicians from Long Beach California are known the world over for their witty, humorous and soulful Hip Hop which is galvanised by a live show that is more fun than should be legal. Never reliant on big budgets or label support to sell records – it is a true testament to Ugly Duckling’s talent and appeal that they have produced such a huge number of hits over their career – without loosing sights of their roots. Its been three years since Ugly Duckling’s last release ‘Bang for the Buck’ blasted its way onto our stereos in 2006, having set the standard for Hip Hop artists the world over to follow, Ugly Duckling raise the bar higher still with ‘Audacity’. As always, Einstein continues to prove that he is a master of the decks, producing that signature UD sound we all know and love. Meanwhile, the only two MC’s that bling forgot – Andy and Dizzy – extend their vocal ranges with harmonies and more complex arrangements than in previous releases. In true Ugly Duckling style, their lyrics contain a rich vocabulary to rival that of any greatest literary geniuses and of course they are as witty as hell.
Opening with the explosive and melodic track ‘Won’t Let it Die’, Ugly Duckling prove that ‘Audacity’ has taken them into new musical territory. Take for instance the classic UD horn sounds that we’re treated to on the title track and compare it to the quirky, roller-coaster ride of ‘It’s Gone’, which embodies the well loved UD humour. And for all you scratch addicts out there – the ever reliable Einstein delivers with the epic ‘Einstein Do It (Night On Scratch Mountain)’ proves that he’s not afraid to suffer for his art, punishing his hands by scratching together over one hundred cuts in a manic whirlwind of vinyl manipulation and fader flux.

Since they first uttered the line “Come check us at a spot with no dress code” way back in ‘97, Ugly Duckling have built a reputation for break down rap clichés and just about every widely accepted notion there is about the culture that surrounds rap music.

A labour of love for Ugly Duckling, ‘Audacity’ is a long awaited treat for all UD fans – and you can’t spell ‘Audacity’ without UD!