Plutonic Lab
Encyclopedia
Leigh Ryan, better known by the stage name Plutonic Lab or sometimes as Pluto, is an 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...

n music producer, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

 and DJ. He is best known for being part of the hip hop
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...

 group 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:...

 as well as his production work on albums and EPs for Australian and international artists.

Early life and education

Plutonic Lab began drumming at the age of 10 and performing shows at 14. , he has been producing beats for well over 16 years.

"When I was growing up, no-one was really into hip hop, I didn’t really know a lot of people that were really into music that much. The music they were usually into was just top forty or other really accessible stuff. [...] Through people I met later on in bands, I just got more of an insight into other music, I met people that had records by A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul and was really attracted to it, because the drums and the beats were so upfront. That was something that I always liked about the music that I listened to, it was always about the rhythms. Also, because I had a few machines, it was something that I thought I could really do, and it became an immediate thing."


Plutonic Lab obtained an honours degree in Sound Design/Media Arts from RMIT University
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....

, studying under Australian film composer/artist Phillip Brophy and sound artist Phillip Samartzis.

Solo career

Plutonic Lab produced two beat tapes, Tri Chromes and M.O.S., in 1998 under his own label, Plutonic Lovely.

In 2001, Plutonic Lab released his first solo album, Give Me Sabotage Shell, followed by Collision Of Days in 2004, both released on Nuff Said Records.

His third solo album, Codes Over Colours, was released in 2005 on 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:...

.

His most recent solo release, a remix EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 titled Midnight On Pluto, was released in 2006.

Muph & Plutonic and Milk Bar Stars

Plutonic Lab provided production on More Than Music, the debut album by Dan Young (better known by the stage name Muphin) released in 2003. As a result of their collaboration on the album, the duo formed the partnership 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. Muph & Plutonic have released three albums to date: Hunger Pains (2004), Silence the Sirens (2006) and 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....

(2008).

Plutonic Lab and Muph also toured nationally in 2005, together with DJ Bonez
DJ Bonez
DJ Bonez is a hip hop DJ and producer, originally from Sydney, New South Wales and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

 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:...

 boss Pegz, under the collective name Milk Bar Stars.

Plutonic and G-Love

Most recently, Plutonic collaborated with G-Love to produce the album Moonshine Lemonade to be released in February 2011 under the name Plutonic and G-Love.

G-Love said, of the collaboration:

"I've been making and mashing hip hop and blues for the last 20 years. With Moonshine Lemonade, I finally feel like I got it right. Pluto bought it out of me and that's that. I know people are gonna dig this cause I've been rocking it non-stop on my tour bus every freakin' night."


Plutonic Lab said:

""I enjoyed all these recording methods, but what was most interesting though would be how an idea would be transformed by building each layer step by step and in a sense became a truly collaborative effort. We didn’t need to be in the same room. We were playing email ping pong, but In a way it’s like knowing how the movie is gonna end."

Production

Plutonic Lab has produced albums and EPs for many Australian hip hop artists on labels including Nuffsaid Records (collaborating over a number of years with Australian MC/producer Prowla) 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:...

 (including the label CEO Pegz).

Plutonic Lab has also produced beats on releases from international artists including Shawn Lov (USA), MC Tumi
Tumi Molekane
Tumi Molekane, born in 1981 in Tanzania, is a popular musician from South Africa. A poet, musician and MC, he is famous as the lead singer/rapper of Tumi and the Volume]]....

 (South Africa), Karma and Esoteric
7L & Esoteric
7L & Esoteric are a Boston-based hip-hop duo, notorious for battle rhymes and boom-bap production. 7L is the duo's DJ/Producer and Esoteric the emcee.-History:...

 (USA), Eternia
Eternia (rapper)
Eternia is a Canadian rapper.-Biography:Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Eternia released her first full-length album, It's Called Life in 2005. It was subsequently nominated for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2006 Juno Awards...

 (Canada) and Taskforce (UK).

Ryan has also performed numerous shows in Australia and Asia, opening for artists including Braintax
Braintax
Braintax was a British hip hop artist and producer. Joe Christie had also recorded or appeared under the pseudonyms Brando Flux and Joey Brains. All of his releases were on his own record label, Low Life Records....

 and Mystro
Mystro
Kevin Amarfio is a British hip hop MC better known by the name Mystro.-History:Mystro first recorded appearance was in 1998, as the featured artist on Cane's "The Struggle" 12". In 1999, Mystro released the "Kiss That Arse Goodnight" single, featuring Jargon and Skinnyman, on Deal Real Records...

, The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde are an alternative hip hop group based in South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla...

, People Under The Stairs
People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California formed in 1997 by Thes One and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold...

, Ozomatli
Ozomatli
Ozomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...

, Spikey T, Mad Professor
Mad Professor
Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or...

, Lee Scratch Perry, MC Supernatural, DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...

, Money Mark
Money Mark
Mark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...

, Swollen Members
Swollen Members
Swollen Members is a Canadian hip hop group from Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada consisting mainly of the duo Mad Child, and Prevail. Frequent collaborators include vocalist Moka Only and producer Rob the Viking, an official group member since 2002...

, Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods
The 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...

, Koolism
Koolism
Koolism is an Australian hip hop duo originating from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.The members are lyricist Hau Latukefu and producer/DJ/musician Danielsan Ichiban .-History:Koolism started out in 1992 when Elleson joined a group by the name...

, The Nextmen
The Nextmen
The Nextmen are a UK production/songwriting group consisting of Dom Search and Brad Baloo . Often incorporating hip hop drum sets and electronic basslines into their sound, they have worked with many artists from the UK, US and Jamaica...

, percussion for Melbourne Breaks legends NuBreed
NuBreed
NuBreed is a trio of Australian producers Jason Catherine, Michael Walburgh, and Danny Bonnici. They have performed several remixes for artists such as The Crystal Method, Luke Chable, and Way Out West. They have also recorded several DJ mixes including Electric_02 for EQ Recordings and an entry...

 at the Falls Festival
Falls Festival
The Falls Festival is a New Year's Eve music festival, held annually in Lorne, Victoria and Marion Bay, Tasmania Australia since 1993.It lasts four days, from 29 December to 1 January each year. The headline acts play mostly over two evenings, 30 December and 31 December...

 and headlining events such as Sydney's Cockatoo Island Festival
Cockatoo Island festival
Cockatoo Island Festival was a music festival held on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, over Easter of 2005, organised by Mixed Industry and The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. See the section below on 'Progress' for details of more recent events...

, Vibes On Summers Day, the Australian DMC Finals, Obese Records Block Party and Pyramid Rock Festival
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...

.

He co-produced the Speech Debelle
Speech Debelle
Corynne Elliot , better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper currently signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.- Early life :...

 album Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy (album)
-Reception:Speech Therapy won Speech Debelle the 2009 Mercury Prize, becoming the first hiphop artist since Dizzee Rascal in 2003 to win the award. It is the lowest-selling album to have ever won the Mercury Prize, selling only around 3,000 copies at the time of winning the prize...

, which won the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...

 in 2009.

He also produced Neon Heartache, the debut album of Jess Harlen, who was named best female artist in The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...

s EG Awards in 2010.

Solo albums

Album title Release date Label Format
Tri Chromes (beat tape) 1998 Plutonic Lovely Cassette
M.O.S. (beat tape) 1998 Plutonic Lovely Cassette
Give Me Sabotage Shell 2001 Nuffsaid  CD/vinyl
Collision Of Days 2004 Nuffsaid CD/vinyl
Codes Over Colours 2005 Obese CD/vinyl
Midnight On Pluto (remix EP) 2006 Obese
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:...

 
Vinyl
Give Me Sabotage Shell (Extended/Remastered) 2007 Shark Repellent
Collision Of Days (Extended/Remastered) 2007 Shark Repellent

Albums

Artist Album title Release date Label
Macronauts Mystery Shkool 1995 Plutonic Lovely
Prowla Lonewolf 2001 Nuffsaid
Plutonic Lab Give Me Sabotage Shell 2001 Nuffsaid
Muphin More Than Music 2003 Obese
Pegz  Capricorn Cat 2003 Obese
Shawn Lov The Blackout of 1977 2004 Nuffsaid
Plutonic Lab Collision of Days 2004 Nuffsaid
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:...

 
Hunger Pains 2004 Obese
Pegz  Axis 2005 Obese
Plutonic Lab Code Over Colours 2005 Obese
Omni Batterie 2006 BLX
Muph & Plutonic Silence the Sirens
Silence the Sirens
Silence the Sirens is the second album from Muph & Plutonic and was released on the November 21, 2006. The album features features guest performances from several prominent Australian MCs and Musicians, including Fatlip , Pegz, Urthboy , Raph Boogie & BVA , Ivens and Red Ghost...

2006 Obese
Ivens Sounds to Expire to 2007 EcoTone
Lotek  Go 2007 2-99 Records
Pegz Burn City 2007 Obese
Bias B
Bias B
Bias B is an Australian hip hop artist. He started writing lyrics in 1989 and began performing in 1991 and released his first album, Beezwax, in 1998. The album took two years to sell its first 500 copies. In 1999, Bias B released an album called Boney & Stoney along with fellow crew members Len...

 
Beestrumentals 2007 Obese
Muph & Plutonic ...And Then Tomorrow Came 2008 Obese
Speech Debelle
Speech Debelle
Corynne Elliot , better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper currently signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.- Early life :...

 
Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy (album)
-Reception:Speech Therapy won Speech Debelle the 2009 Mercury Prize, becoming the first hiphop artist since Dizzee Rascal in 2003 to win the award. It is the lowest-selling album to have ever won the Mercury Prize, selling only around 3,000 copies at the time of winning the prize...

2009 Big Dada
Gully Platoon
Gully Platoon
Gully Platoon are an Australian hip-hop group, composed of Pegz with Joe New and Dialectrix .-Biography:...

 
The Great Divide 2009 Obese
Jess Harlen  Neon Heartache 2010 Plethora

Singles and EPs

Artist Title Release date Label
Pegz (as Pegasus) Pegasus (12") 2001 Obese
Prowla The Great Rescue (EP) 2002 Nuffsaid
Tumi A Dream Led To This (EP) 2002 Nuffsaid
Taskforce & Pegz 12 Apostles (12") 2002 Obese
Karma Top Shelf (12") 2002 Nuffsaid
Eternia & A-Love Movin (12") 2003 Warner
Warner Music Australasia
Warner Music Australasia is the Australian division of the Warner Music Group. The company's operations also include distribution to New Zealand.-History:In 1969, Warner Bros...

Shawn Lov Dewitt (12") 2004 Nuffsaid
Black Samurai Kill Em All (EP) 2004 C Side (UK)
Muph & Plutonic Heaps Good (12") 2004 Obese
Pegz Chechen Gorilla (12") 2005 Obese
Pegz Back Then (12") 2005 Obese
Plutonic Lab The Waiting (12") 2005 Obese
Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods
The 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...

 
The Hard Road (12") 2006 Obese
Ivens The 9th Letter (12") 2007 EcoTone
Muph & Plutonic The Day Off (7") 2007 Obese
Muph & Plutonic Size of the Soul (Promo CD single) 2008 Obese
Speech Debelle
Speech Debelle
Corynne Elliot , better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper currently signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.- Early life :...

 
The Key (CD single) 2009 Big Dada
Speech Debelle Better Days (CD single) 2009 Big Dada
Jess Harlen  Watch the Water (CD single) 2010 Plethora
Jess Harlen I Go (CD single) 2010 Plethora

Tracks on other albums

Album title Artist Track Release date Label
Evolutionary Vibes 2 Macronauts "Atstrue" (remix) 1997 Creative Vibes
Creative Vibes
Creative Vibes is a record label that sources, signs and releases local Australian acts. It also licenses material from overseas and imports CDs and vinyl from around the world and has its own sales and distribution arm....

4 Element Effect Plutonic Lab "Evidence" 1998 183
Rock Da City Plutonic Lab "Slipping Into Darkness" 1999 Nuffsaid
Madlock "Madlock"
Sounds Like Left Plutonic Lab "Mental Big Gun" (remix) 2001 Sony (Asia)
"Sunshine"
12 Apostles Pegz & Task Force "True to tha Art" (vocal)
"True to tha Art" (instrumental)
2001 Obese
Stealth Issue 2 Vol 3 Plutonic Lab "Glory Days" 2001 Stealth
Top Fashion Dolphin (EP) Plutonic Lab "Mental Big Gun" 2002 C Side (UK)
Tumi "The Inner View"
Culture of Kings Vol 2 A-Love "Petty" 2002 Obese
Obese City Plutonic Lab "Knowing Disintegration " 2002 Obese
Muphin "Tape In A Green Case"
Other Worldly Fusions Plutonic Lab & RuCL "Runnin Hot" 2002 Hardware
Top Shelf Karma featuring Esoteric "Top Shelf" (vocal)
"Top Shelf" (instrumental)
2002 Nuffsaid
Karma "Art of War" (vocal)
"Art of War" (instrumental)
Strait From The Art Vol 1 Eternia & A-Love "Movin" 2003 Warner
Warner
- Surname :* Albert Warner , one of the founders of Warner Bros. Studios* Amelia Warner , British actress* Amy Warner , soccer player who graduated from the University of Notre Dame...

Diggin Deep Muphin "Smart Risk, Big Benefit" 2003
Culture of Kings Vol 3 Pegz "Tins Of Beans" 2004 Obese
Building With Bricks Volume 2 Karma "Art Of War" 2004 Brick
Descore Breakfast News (Main Title)
100 Forms Of Happiness
2004 Sound Punch
15.OZ Vinyl Muphin "Smoke Stained" 2004 Crookneck
JJJ Hip Hop Show Muph & Plutonic "Heaps Good" 2005
MC Que "Waters Breakin"
Home And Hosed - Ripe and Ready Muph & Plutonic "Heaps Good" 2005
Trampled: Remix (EP) (Elefant Traks) Hermitude "Nightfalls Messenger" (remix) 2006 Obese
Been There Done That Bias B
Bias B
Bias B is an Australian hip hop artist. He started writing lyrics in 1989 and began performing in 1991 and released his first album, Beezwax, in 1998. The album took two years to sell its first 500 copies. In 1999, Bias B released an album called Boney & Stoney along with fellow crew members Len...

 featuring Billy Bunks
"Bundle Of Bees" 2007 Obese
The Signal Urthboy  "We Get Around" (Plutonic remix) 2007 Elefant Tracks
More or Less Resin Dogs
Resin Dogs
Resin Dogs are a Brisbane, Australia-based hip hop band, originally formed in 1996. Resin Dogs are a loose collective, a cut and paste sample band who use live drums, live bass, and elements of hip hop via turntables and samplers to create all forms of ritual dance sounds...

 featuring Mika 9, Aceyalone and Abstact Rude
"Coming With the Sound" (Plutonic Lab mix) 2009 Hydrofunk Records/MGM
Cover Up Motel TZU
TZU
For the ancient chinese military strategist and author, see Sun Tzu.TZU are an Australian hip hop group, originating from Melbourne, Victoria. They are known for live shows with significant crowd involvement, at festivals such as Big Day Out, Falls Festival, MS Fest and the Meredith Music Festival,...

 
"Get Up" (Plutonic Lab remix) 2009 Liberation
Beatz International Tor "Pushin It" 2009 File Records (Japan)/UK Streetsounds (UK)

Battle vinyl

Artist Title Date Details
DJ Perplex DMC Battle Wax 2008 Various production beats and elements
DJ Perplex DMC Battle Wax 2009 Various production beats and elements

Soundtracks

Title Director Notes
Hot Wet Dot: 16mm Skate Film Jo Harrison
Molotow Masters: Graffiti Series Jo Harrison
Words in My Mouth Voices in My Head, No 1 Anna Phillip Brophy Screened at ACMI
Australian Centre for the Moving Image
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image, or ACMI, is dedicated to the moving image in all its forms. It is located in Federation Square, in Melbourne, Australia, across four levels of the Alfred Deakin Building...

 Melbourne, 2004
Burn David Selvarajah Vadiveloo Nominated for AFI Best Short Fiction Film award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...

, 2009

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK