Freestylers
Encyclopedia
The Freestylers are a British
electronic music
group
, generally fitting into the breakbeat
genre. Recently their style has incorporated more of a drumstep sound, more in line with The Prodigy
and other such artists.
s and dance music
producers
Matt Cantor, Aston Harvey and (initially) Andrew Galea joined forces. All three of them had been involved in the British dance music scene since the 1980s. Cantor had recorded both as Cut n' Paste and Strike with Andy Gardner (Plump DJs). Aston Harvey recorded as Blapps! Posse
best known for the 1990 breakbeat
dance hit "Don't Hold Back" before working with Definition of Sound
, Rebel MC and DJ Rap
(as DJ Rap and Aston). Harvey joined with Galea under the name Sol Brothers before Cantor was recruited to form the Freestylers. The group took their name from their first sample "Don't Stop The Rock" by Freestyle Express. This single appeared in the Cadbury's advert in 2009.
The trio's first single "Drop The Bomb (AK-48)" on their own Scratch City Records in 1996 became a dancefloor hit in the UK
and Miami
. The band released the Freestyle EP in 1996 on Freskanova
(Freskanova's parent label, Fresh, had released Cantor, Galea and Harvey's previous work). Galea left the Freestylers shortly after the release of the Freestyle EP, and Cantor and Harvey formed an 11-piece band (initially an idea of their record label, Freskanova
). This consisted of the two producers (Cantor and Harvey), a scratch DJ Jason Tunbridge (Mad Doctor X
), a guitarist (Tony Ayiotou), drummer (Clive Jenner), bass guitarist (Joe Henson), two MCs (MC Navigator and Tenor Fly) and three breakdancers (Coza, Marat, Tim).
The band released their first album, We Rock Hard, in 1998. The single "B-Boy Stance" became a hit in the UK in 1998 featuring the contributions of rap
per Tenor Fly. In 1999, the Freestylers enjoyed success in the U.S.
with track "Don't Stop" reached the top 40 of the Billboard dance charts and the video for "Here We Go" becoming hit on a MTV
. We Rock Hard sold well in the US, selling over 150,000 and reaching the top 30 of the Billboard Heatseeker chart.
Following the success of B-Boy Stance, the band were asked to remix tracks by Audioweb
, Afrika Bambaataa
and the Jungle Brothers as well as a big beat
compilation album FSUK 2 and a Radio 1
Essential Mix featuring Beenie Man
, Public Enemy, Whodini
and The Fall.
The Freestylers released a mix album, Electro Science, in 2000. Their second album, Pressure Point
, was released in 2001 with the track "Get Down Massive" featuring Navigator reaching top 20 on the Billboard dance charts in 2002.
During 2002 and 2003 the group began releasing singles under the alias Raw As F**k, which then became the title of their third album. Released in 2004, it featured the single "Push Up", which reached the top 30 in the UK and top 3 in Australia
. Another single, which was previously released before "Push Up", called "Get A Life", was re-released and reached the top 20 in Australia.
Released in 2006 album Adventures in Freestyle
experimented with a variety of styles, and saw the Freestylers working with assorted underground vocalists.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, generally fitting into the breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
genre. Recently their style has incorporated more of a drumstep sound, more in line with The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
and other such artists.
Career
The Freestylers formed in 1996 when DJDisc 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...
s and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Matt Cantor, Aston Harvey and (initially) Andrew Galea joined forces. All three of them had been involved in the British dance music scene since the 1980s. Cantor had recorded both as Cut n' Paste and Strike with Andy Gardner (Plump DJs). Aston Harvey recorded as Blapps! Posse
Mad Doctor X
Mad Doctor X is a British DJ.-Blapps Posse:The Blapps! Records label run by Jason Carter, released several records from 1989–1992 that are considered classics in the Baltimore area, as well as in the British rave scene...
best known for the 1990 breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
dance hit "Don't Hold Back" before working with Definition of Sound
Definition of Sound
Definition of Sound was a London-based dance-music group, consisting of Kevin Clark and Don Weekes, working with musicians Rex Brough and latterly, Mike Spencer. Their second and fourth singles, "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" and "Moira Jane's Café" were in the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. The...
, Rebel MC and DJ Rap
DJ Rap
Charissa Saverio is a British drum and bass, house music and progressive electronic music disc jockey.-Biography:...
(as DJ Rap and Aston). Harvey joined with Galea under the name Sol Brothers before Cantor was recruited to form the Freestylers. The group took their name from their first sample "Don't Stop The Rock" by Freestyle Express. This single appeared in the Cadbury's advert in 2009.
The trio's first single "Drop The Bomb (AK-48)" on their own Scratch City Records in 1996 became a dancefloor hit in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. The band released the Freestyle EP in 1996 on Freskanova
Freskanova
Freskanova was the record label responsible for the Freestylers, Mad Doctor X and many other UK breaks artists but shut down in April 2002.-Artists:*2 Fat Buddhas*Agent Sumo*Bill and Ben*Bowser*Clubfoot*Cut La Roc *Cut And Paste...
(Freskanova's parent label, Fresh, had released Cantor, Galea and Harvey's previous work). Galea left the Freestylers shortly after the release of the Freestyle EP, and Cantor and Harvey formed an 11-piece band (initially an idea of their record label, Freskanova
Freskanova
Freskanova was the record label responsible for the Freestylers, Mad Doctor X and many other UK breaks artists but shut down in April 2002.-Artists:*2 Fat Buddhas*Agent Sumo*Bill and Ben*Bowser*Clubfoot*Cut La Roc *Cut And Paste...
). This consisted of the two producers (Cantor and Harvey), a scratch DJ Jason Tunbridge (Mad Doctor X
Mad Doctor X
Mad Doctor X is a British DJ.-Blapps Posse:The Blapps! Records label run by Jason Carter, released several records from 1989–1992 that are considered classics in the Baltimore area, as well as in the British rave scene...
), a guitarist (Tony Ayiotou), drummer (Clive Jenner), bass guitarist (Joe Henson), two MCs (MC Navigator and Tenor Fly) and three breakdancers (Coza, Marat, Tim).
The band released their first album, We Rock Hard, in 1998. The single "B-Boy Stance" became a hit in the UK in 1998 featuring the contributions of rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
per Tenor Fly. In 1999, the Freestylers enjoyed success in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with track "Don't Stop" reached the top 40 of the Billboard dance charts and the video for "Here We Go" becoming hit on a MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. We Rock Hard sold well in the US, selling over 150,000 and reaching the top 30 of the Billboard Heatseeker chart.
Following the success of B-Boy Stance, the band were asked to remix tracks by Audioweb
Audioweb
Audioweb were a rock/reggae/electronica band based in Manchester, England. They formed in 1991, originally as The Sugar Merchants.-Personnel:*Martin "Sugar" Merchant *Sean McCann *Robin File *Robert "Maxi" Maxfield -Career:...
, Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
and the Jungle Brothers as well as a big beat
Big beat
Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in...
compilation album FSUK 2 and a Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Essential Mix featuring Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
, Public Enemy, Whodini
Whodini
Whodini is a hip hop group that was formed in 1981. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, aka Ecstasy ; and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee.-Early years:Whodini was among the first hip-hop groups to...
and The Fall.
The Freestylers released a mix album, Electro Science, in 2000. Their second album, Pressure Point
Pressure Point (album)
Pressure Point is the second major-label album by the band Freestylers, released commercially released in 2001.-Track listing:...
, was released in 2001 with the track "Get Down Massive" featuring Navigator reaching top 20 on the Billboard dance charts in 2002.
During 2002 and 2003 the group began releasing singles under the alias Raw As F**k, which then became the title of their third album. Released in 2004, it featured the single "Push Up", which reached the top 30 in the UK and top 3 in 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...
. Another single, which was previously released before "Push Up", called "Get A Life", was re-released and reached the top 20 in Australia.
Released in 2006 album Adventures in Freestyle
Adventures in Freestyle
Adventures in Freestyle is the fourth album by the British electronic music group Freestylers, released on 2 October 2006.The album contains the track "Painkiller", which has been released as a single before the album and features Pendulum, with whom they had already collaborated on Pendulum's...
experimented with a variety of styles, and saw the Freestylers working with assorted underground vocalists.
Current
- Matt Cantor
- Aston Harvey
- MC SirReal
- Rich Budgen (guitar)
- Dave Budgen (bass)
- Clive Jenner (drums)
Past
- MC Navigator (vocals)
- Tenor Fly (vocals)
- Mad Doctor XMad Doctor XMad Doctor X is a British DJ.-Blapps Posse:The Blapps! Records label run by Jason Carter, released several records from 1989–1992 that are considered classics in the Baltimore area, as well as in the British rave scene...
(scratch DJ) - Tony Ayiotou (guitar)
- Joe Henson (bass guitar)
- Coza (breakdancer)
- Marat Khairoullin (breakdancer)
- Tim (breakdancer)
Other collaborators
- Million DanDemon BoyzThe Demon Boyz were an English hip hop group formed in London by Demon D, Mike J and DJ Devastate. They began rapping whilst in their early teens, performing at the Rebel MC’s Beat Freak gigs. Their big break came when they won a competition on Dave Pearce’s rap show, their prize being to perform...
- Justin WarfieldJustin WarfieldJustin Warfield is a musician and hip hop emcee of African American and Jewish Russian-Romanian maternal parentage, who is currently half of the darkwave duo She Wants Revenge...
- Spanner Banner
- Petra Jean Phillipson
- Valerie M
- Top Cat
- Soul Sonic Force
- Definition of SoundDefinition of SoundDefinition of Sound was a London-based dance-music group, consisting of Kevin Clark and Don Weekes, working with musicians Rex Brough and latterly, Mike Spencer. Their second and fourth singles, "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" and "Moira Jane's Café" were in the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. The...
- Julie Thompson
- Onallee (ReprazentReprazentReprazent is a British drum and bass act formed by Roni Size. Their debut album New Forms won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997. Their follow-up album In The Mode featured artists including Rahzel, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Method Man.Roni Size resurrected Reprazent in 2008...
)
Albums
- Adventures in FreestyleAdventures in FreestyleAdventures in Freestyle is the fourth album by the British electronic music group Freestylers, released on 2 October 2006.The album contains the track "Painkiller", which has been released as a single before the album and features Pendulum, with whom they had already collaborated on Pendulum's...
(2006) - Raw as FuckRaw as FuckRaw as Fuck is an album by the British electronic music group the Freestylers. Released in July 2004, Raw as Fuck was their third album and first since the 2001 release Pressure Point....
(2004) - #66 Australia - Pressure PointPressure Point (album)Pressure Point is the second major-label album by the band Freestylers, released commercially released in 2001.-Track listing:...
(2001) - #34 Australia - We Rock HardWe Rock HardWe Rock Hard was the first major-label album by the band Freestylers and their most commercially successful release to date. Allmusic describes the album as a run through of the band members' back catalogue but it still showcases the classic big beat and break beat electronica that would remain...
(1998) #33 UK
DJ mixes/compilations
- A Different Story Vol. 1 (2007)
- FabricLive.19 (2004)
- Electro Science (2000)
- Rough Technique Vol. 1 (1998)
- FSUK2 (1998)
- Essential mix BBC radio one (1998)
Singles
- "Security" (featuring PendulumPendulum (band)Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
) (2007) - "Dynamite Love" (2007)
- "Electrified" (2007)
- "In Love With You" (2006) #40 Australia
- "Painkiller" (featuring PendulumPendulum (band)Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
& Sirreal) (2006) - "Boom Blast" (featuring Million Dan) (2005) #75 UK
- "Fasten Your Seatbelts" (with PendulumPendulum (band)Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
) (2005) - "Get A Life" (2004) #66 UK, #15 Australia
- "Push UpPush UpThis article is about the single. For the body exercise, see Push-upPush Up is a single by British group Freestylers, featuring Theo, released in 2004. It was a hit mainly in Belgium and Australia, as well as the Netherlands....
" (featuring Theo) (2004) #22 UK, #2 Australia, #1 Belgium - "Told You So" (2002) #100 Australia
- "Here We Go" (1999) #45 UK
- "B-Boy Stance" (featuring Tenor Fly) (26 January 1998) #23 UK
- "Ruffneck" (featuring MC Navigator) (1998) #23 UK
- "Warning" (featuring MC Navigator) (1998) #68 UK
- "Adventures in Freestyle EP" (1997)
- "Uprock EP" (16 June 1997)
- "Freestyle EP" (1996)
- "Now Is The Time"
- "Get Down Massive"
Radio
- Radio Interview. December 2006 - 3SYNStudent Youth NetworkSYN Media is a youth-run media organisation that provides training and broadcast opportunities for young people.Commonly referred to as SYN, the organisation produces new and independent media that is made by and for Melbourne's young people...
, 90.7FM, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , 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...
External links
- The Official Freestylers Website
- Freestylers/Freskanova information at Ruffnett
- Freestylers web page from Supercharged/Against The Grain
- Freestylers web page from Mammoth (US Record Label for We Rock Hard and Pressure Point)
- Allmusic.com Freestylers page
- Freestylers Push Up Video
- Freestylers VH1 page
- Petra Jean Phillipson