Directions In Groove
Encyclopedia
Directions In Groove were a popular Australian acid jazz
band originally from the suburb of Redfern
in Sydney
, who produced several distinctive acid-jazz / groove / funk
albums in the 1990s.
DIG released several albums on the EMI
Australia and Polygram
labels, with "Speakeasy" and "Deeper" achieving double platinum status. DIG have also toured the world, playing alongside artists such Herbie Hancock
and Bootsy Collins
.
The original DIG lineup featured keyboardist and vocalist Scott Saunders, saxophonist Rick Robertson, guitarist Tim Rollinson
, bassist Alex Hewetson and drummer Terepai Richmond
. The band's most popular tracks include "The Favourite", "Reinvent Yourself", and "Hip Replacement". Hewetson was replaced by Samuel Dixon
after he joined Swoop
.
DIG were also famous for their live performances at The Basement, a club situated in the heart of Sydney
, near Circular Quay which has been a landmark of the Australian music scene since the early 1970s.
After getting back together and playing a packed crowd in June 2008, rumor of more gigs have risen, and in 2011 the original members of DIG re-formed and recorded their fourth studio album (the first in 13 years). The new album "Clearlight" is set for an October release, and the band are completing an Australian tour in support of this.
Rolling Stone magazine once stated "DIG are the future of Australian music. They know what to do and how to do it."
Additional Band Members
Singles & EPs
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
band originally from the suburb of Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, who produced several distinctive acid-jazz / groove / funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
albums in the 1990s.
DIG released several albums on the EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Australia and Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
labels, with "Speakeasy" and "Deeper" achieving double platinum status. DIG have also toured the world, playing alongside artists such Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
and Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
.
The original DIG lineup featured keyboardist and vocalist Scott Saunders, saxophonist Rick Robertson, guitarist Tim Rollinson
Tim Rollinson
-External links:...
, bassist Alex Hewetson and drummer Terepai Richmond
Terepai Richmond
Terepai Chalmers Richmond is an Australian drummer, he joined the Sydney-based rock band The Whitlams in September 1999 and formerly played in acid jazz group Directions in Groove .-Biography:...
. The band's most popular tracks include "The Favourite", "Reinvent Yourself", and "Hip Replacement". Hewetson was replaced by Samuel Dixon
Samuel Dixon
Samuel Dixon is an Australian record producer, songwriter and musician, based in London.He has frequently collaborated with fellow-Australian Sia Furler. His compositions have featured on her albums, Some People Have Real Problems, Colour the Small One and We Are Born...
after he joined Swoop
Swoop (Australian band)
Swoop was an Australian seven-piece rock, funk and disco band established in the late 1980s by Joshua Beagley and Roland Kapferer.. Fiona Ta'akimoeaka joined the band performing as lead vocalist as well as drummer Calvin Welch and keyboard player Tetsushi...
.
DIG were also famous for their live performances at The Basement, a club situated in the heart of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, near Circular Quay which has been a landmark of the Australian music scene since the early 1970s.
After getting back together and playing a packed crowd in June 2008, rumor of more gigs have risen, and in 2011 the original members of DIG re-formed and recorded their fourth studio album (the first in 13 years). The new album "Clearlight" is set for an October release, and the band are completing an Australian tour in support of this.
Rolling Stone magazine once stated "DIG are the future of Australian music. They know what to do and how to do it."
Members
Original Line-up- Scott Saunders - keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Rick Robertson - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Tim Rollinson - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Alex Hewetson - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Terepai Richmond - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Additional Band Members
- Laura Stitt - vocals (2011-current)
Discography
Albums- Deeper (1994)
- Speakeasy (1995)
- Curvystrassse (1998)
- Live 1999 @ Milton Theatre & The Basement (2003)
- Clearlight (2011) - To be released on 14th October 2011
Singles & EPs
- Directions in Groove (EP) (1992)
- The Favourite (1993)
- 2 Way Dreamtime (1994)
- Futures (1995)
- Crime (1996)
- Upside (1998)