DJ Bonez
Encyclopedia
DJ Bonez is a hip hop
DJ
and producer
, originally from Sydney, New South Wales and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
.
DJ Bonez has been described as being at "the forefront of Australian DJ'ing culture as a performer and also catering to DJ's world wide with break beats and scratch records".
In 1995, Bonez made the transition to producer. Having honed his skills as a DJ, he performed turntable trick routines and began producing battle records. By 1997, Bonez had made a name for himself, appearing in a documentary, Basic Equipment, made by Paul Fenech
.
In 1999, Bonez started making beats with a group named the Dominion Crew. He also supported groups from the USA
who toured Australia, including DJ'ing for artists such as Murs, AceyAlone, Diverse and Mr. Liff, amongst others.
Dating back to 2000, DJ Bonez was the DJ for Hyjak N Torcha
. He produced their 2004 release Drastik Measures, Bonez' first full-length produced album, which gained national recognition and was the first Australian Hip Hop album to be selected as Triple J
album of the week.
Shortly after Muphin and Plutonic Lab formed a partnership under the name Muph & Plutonic
in 2004, they toured together with DJ Bonez and Obese Records
founder Pegz in 2005, under the collective name Milk Bar Stars. DJ Bonez joined Muph & Plutonic in 2008, appearing on their album And Then Tomorrow Came
and touring as an integral part of the band at venues across major cities, regional towns, and at festivals such as the Big Day Out
, Homebake
, Trackside, Sounds of Spring and Pyramid Rock
.
In 2007, Bonez produced Ninja Art, a remix record for Californian based MC Omni, which also featured various artists including Motion Man, Blade, Speaque Ezie and MC Mell 'O'. Released by Shogun Records, it was named "Best Album of 2007" by the Sydney Morning Herald and gained high-rotation as a feature track on the national Triple J
radio network.
That same year, Bonez also released his own solo compilation album through Obese Records
, titled Roll Call. This album also featured an array of local artists such as Funkoars
, Pegz, Low Budget, Tommy I'llfigga and Muph, and international artists Lotek
, Sandpeople, Rainman and Grand Agent. The album debuted at 35 on the ARIA Urban Charts
, was named album of the week by JB Hi-Fi
, gained high rotation on several radio stations and won that year's award for best compilation from OzHiphop.com. The video clip for the track "Certified" featuring the Funkoars peaked at number 5 on the MTV Video Charts and also picked up the award for best video of 2007 at the OzHiphop.com awards. The video clip for "Roll Call" featuring Sandpeople earnt them a feature in Rollingstones.com.
Bonez is also notable for having produced albums and tracks featuring Ozi Batla ("Put it on Wax"), MC Trey
(Tapastry Tunes album), Blade, Motion Man, Grand Agent, Mystik Journeyman
, and Fraksha
, and has also supported many other prominent local and international artists live.
With this reputation, Bonez has been described as "one of Australia's No. #1 live turntable assassins... in the forefront of Australian DJ'ing culture as a performer".
Bonez' website features a section named "The Vault" which contains exclusive tracks, remixes, instrumental and acapella recordings; however, this content is only available to DJs.
Bonez also performs as a solo DJ in his own right.
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and producer
Hip hop production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Though the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music, it's most commonly used to refer to the instrumental, non-lyrical aspects of hip hop. This means that hip hop producers are the instrumentalists involved in a work...
, originally from Sydney, New South Wales and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
DJ Bonez has been described as being at "the forefront of Australian DJ'ing culture as a performer and also catering to DJ's world wide with break beats and scratch records".
Career
Bonez began creating four-track mix tapes and CDs for the underground hip-hop scene in the late 1980s, while studying at high school.By the age of 17, hands, he had expanded his skills and started performing as a club and scratch DJ in venues across Australia.In 1995, Bonez made the transition to producer. Having honed his skills as a DJ, he performed turntable trick routines and began producing battle records. By 1997, Bonez had made a name for himself, appearing in a documentary, Basic Equipment, made by Paul Fenech
Paul Fenech
Paul Fenech is a film maker, television and film actor and writer from Sydney, Australia, best known for his role in Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers .-Career:...
.
In 1999, Bonez started making beats with a group named the Dominion Crew. He also supported groups from the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who toured Australia, including DJ'ing for artists such as Murs, AceyAlone, Diverse and Mr. Liff, amongst others.
Dating back to 2000, DJ Bonez was the DJ for Hyjak N Torcha
Hyjak N Torcha
Hyjak N Torcha is an Australian hip hop group from Sydney, New South Wales.-Biography:The group, formed in 2000, consists of three members: Hyjak , Torcha , and DJ Bonez ....
. He produced their 2004 release Drastik Measures, Bonez' first full-length produced album, which gained national recognition and was the first Australian Hip Hop album to be selected as Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
album of the week.
Shortly after Muphin and Plutonic Lab formed a partnership under the name Muph & Plutonic
Muph & Plutonic
Muph & Plutonic is an Australian hip hop group. It is composed of MC Muphin and DJ–drummer–producer Plutonic Lab, both of whom released several solo albums before joining together to form a combined act in 2004.-Plutonic Lab:...
in 2004, they toured together with DJ Bonez and Obese Records
Obese Records
Obese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:...
founder Pegz in 2005, under the collective name Milk Bar Stars. DJ Bonez joined Muph & Plutonic in 2008, appearing on their album And Then Tomorrow Came
And Then Tomorrow Came
...And Then Tomorrow Came is the third album from Muph & Plutonic and was released in July 2008.It was listed as Triple J's feature album for the week of its release.The album was also nominated for 'Best Urban Release' at the 2008 ARIA awards....
and touring as an integral part of the band at venues across major cities, regional towns, and at festivals such as the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
, Homebake
Homebake
Homebake is an annual Australian rock festival, featuring an all-Australian lineup . The festival was first held on 4 January 1996 at Belongil Fields in Byron Bay, on the far north coast of New South Wales...
, Trackside, Sounds of Spring and Pyramid Rock
Pyramid Rock Festival
The Pyramid Rock Festival is a New Year's Eve camp-out rock music festival at Pyramid Rock, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia.Beginning in 2004, it runs over two nights with two stages - the Main Stage, and the Pharaoh's Annex...
.
In 2007, Bonez produced Ninja Art, a remix record for Californian based MC Omni, which also featured various artists including Motion Man, Blade, Speaque Ezie and MC Mell 'O'. Released by Shogun Records, it was named "Best Album of 2007" by the Sydney Morning Herald and gained high-rotation as a feature track on the national Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
radio network.
That same year, Bonez also released his own solo compilation album through Obese Records
Obese Records
Obese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:...
, titled Roll Call. This album also featured an array of local artists such as Funkoars
Funkoars
The Funkoars are an Australian hip hop act from Adelaide. They are part of the Certified Wise crew, sixteen South Australian hip hop artists who often appear on each others tracks on various albums.-Members:...
, Pegz, Low Budget, Tommy I'llfigga and Muph, and international artists Lotek
Wayne Lotek
Wayne "Lotek" Bennett is a music producer, songwriter and rapper from the UK. He is most famous for his work with Roots Manuva and more recently with Speech Debelle, producing her debut album Speech Therapy which won the 2009 Mercury Prize.In 2005, Lotek won the BBC Performing Arts Fund's Urban...
, Sandpeople, Rainman and Grand Agent. The album debuted at 35 on the ARIA Urban Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, was named album of the week by JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi is an Australian CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, video game and consumer electronics chain store.-History:JB Hi-Fi was established in Melbourne suburb of Keilor East by John Barbuto in 1974...
, gained high rotation on several radio stations and won that year's award for best compilation from OzHiphop.com. The video clip for the track "Certified" featuring the Funkoars peaked at number 5 on the MTV Video Charts and also picked up the award for best video of 2007 at the OzHiphop.com awards. The video clip for "Roll Call" featuring Sandpeople earnt them a feature in Rollingstones.com.
Bonez is also notable for having produced albums and tracks featuring Ozi Batla ("Put it on Wax"), MC Trey
MC Trey
MC Trey or Trey is a Fijian-Australian rapper, vocalist and hip-hop activist. She was nominated as one of Sydney's Top 10 Creative Innovators in the field of music and is a member of ARIA nominated band, Foreign Heights....
(Tapastry Tunes album), Blade, Motion Man, Grand Agent, Mystik Journeyman
Living Legends
Living Legends is a rap group composed of eight hip hop artists from California. Beginning in the early 1990s, the crew garnered a following by recording, promoting, and performing their music independently...
, and Fraksha
Nine High (band)
Nine High is a hip hop/grime group consisting of Fraksha , Scotty Hinds and Felony , three MCs from the United Kingdom. The group is now based in Melbourne, Australia...
, and has also supported many other prominent local and international artists live.
With this reputation, Bonez has been described as "one of Australia's No. #1 live turntable assassins... in the forefront of Australian DJ'ing culture as a performer".
Bonez' website features a section named "The Vault" which contains exclusive tracks, remixes, instrumental and acapella recordings; however, this content is only available to DJs.
Bonez also performs as a solo DJ in his own right.
DJ Battle Records/Tools (EP/LP)
- Bone Breaks (1999) Statik Recordings
- Bone Breaks (Australasian Dragon Edition) (2001) Statik Recordings
- Vintage Vandal Breaks"' (2005) Statik Recordings
Mix Tapes/CD's
- Casting Spells on Twelves (CD)
- Hands On Decks (1999), (CD) Statik Recordings
- DJ Bonez Presents the Mamma's Kitchen Mix (2005) Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:...
Solo Albums Produced
- Drastik Measures | Hyjak n TorchaHyjak N TorchaHyjak N Torcha is an Australian hip hop group from Sydney, New South Wales.-Biography:The group, formed in 2000, consists of three members: Hyjak , Torcha , and DJ Bonez ....
(2004), Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:... - Roll Call | DJ BonezDJ BonezDJ Bonez is a hip hop DJ and producer, originally from Sydney, New South Wales and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
ft.Various (2007) Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:... - Ninja Art | Omni (2007) Statik Recordings/ShogunShogunA was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Production
- Mastermind Alliance | Mass MC (2000) Statik Recordings/Double Beef
- Daily Affirmations | Trey (2000)
- Culture of Kings Volume 1 | Mass MC & Torcha (2000), Obese Records ("Wotcha Say?")
- Culture of Kings Volume 2 | Various (2002), Obese Records ("Face The Music")
- Global Turntables | Various (2002), HHS-024 Hip Hop Slam
- Millenium | Various - UHB5: Legacy 2009 (2002) OuthouseOuthouseAn outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
, Revenge Entertainment - Pro Amateur | Luckyiam.PSC - Extra Credit Assignment #1 "The Vehicle" (2002) OuthouseOuthouseAn outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
, Revenge Entertainment - Broken Dream | DJ Skizo (2007) Relief Records EU
- Bias Life | Bias B (2011)
Scratches featured
- Hilltop HoodsHilltop HoodsThe Hilltop Hoods are an ARIA Award winning Australian hip hop group, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their members are MCs Suffa , MC Pressure , DJ Debris and formerly DJ Next. They have been at the centre of the Australian hip hop scene for the better part of two decades, originally forming back...
| Left Foot, Right Foot (2001) (Elevation Remix) - Suffa | Suffering City (2002) ("Symphony")
- "Down for the Cause" The Calling | (2003) Hilltop HoodsHilltop HoodsThe Hilltop Hoods are an ARIA Award winning Australian hip hop group, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their members are MCs Suffa , MC Pressure , DJ Debris and formerly DJ Next. They have been at the centre of the Australian hip hop scene for the better part of two decades, originally forming back...
- Burn City | Pegz (2007) Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:...
- Jase Connection Vol. 1 | Jase (2005) Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:...
- Method to Madness | Def Wish CastDef Wish CastDef Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group originally from around Penrith, Sydney. Currently they reside in a few areas around the City of Sydney.-Biography:...
(2006) Hydrofunk RecordsHydrofunk RecordsHydrofunk Records is an independent Australian hip hop record label that represents a number of Australian acts including the Resin Dogs and Def Wish Cast.-History:... - Codes Over Colours | Plutonic LabPlutonic LabLeigh Ryan, better known by the stage name Plutonic Lab or sometimes as Pluto, is an Australian music producer, drummer and DJ. He is best known for being part of the hip hop group Muph & Plutonic as well as his production work on albums and EPs for Australian and international artists.-Early life...
(2006) Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:... - Batterie | Omni (2007) Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:...
- Muph & PlutonicMuph & PlutonicMuph & Plutonic is an Australian hip hop group. It is composed of MC Muphin and DJ–drummer–producer Plutonic Lab, both of whom released several solo albums before joining together to form a combined act in 2004.-Plutonic Lab:...
| And Then Tomorrow CameAnd Then Tomorrow Came...And Then Tomorrow Came is the third album from Muph & Plutonic and was released in July 2008.It was listed as Triple J's feature album for the week of its release.The album was also nominated for 'Best Urban Release' at the 2008 ARIA awards....
(2008) Obese RecordsObese RecordsObese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:... - Ozi Batla | Wild Colonial (2010) Elefant TraksElefant TraksElefant Traks is an Australian hip hop record label based in Sydney, Australia. Elefant Traks are distributed nationally through Inertia Distribution.-History:...