Stacked Up
Encyclopedia
Stacked Up is the debut album by UK rap-rock group Senser
. It was released in the UK on 2 May 1994, and entered the national charts at No.4.
It features an eclectic, incendiary cross over of hip hop
, rock and psychedelia.
was formed in the late eighties, originally with Kerstin Haigh on lead vocals and, from 1991, Heitham Al-Sayed
as the drummer. Al-Sayed moved onto vocal duties when the band covered Public Enemy's "She Watch Channel Zero?!", from that groups influential It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
album.
The band's first two singles, "The Key", released in September 1993, and "Switch", released in March 1994, made the UK Singles Chart
Top 50, and garnered rave reviews from both dance
and indie reviewers.
The political background in Britain, and the impending passing of the Criminal Justice Act into statute
paved the way for a series of politically-influenced artists such as The Levellers, The Prodigy
, Dreadzone
, and Pop Will Eat Itself
, and Senser
fit into that group with a blend of aggressive hip-hop, thrash metal
and psychedelic ambience
.
Buoyed by the success of their singles and live performances, Senser released Stacked Up on 2 May 1994.
unless otherwise indicated
Stacked Up achieved sales in excess of 400,000 copies.
Senser
Senser, a politically-charged UK band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s, Nick Michaelson , Heitham Al-Sayed , Kerstin Haigh , John Morgan , James Barrett and Alan "Hagos/Haggis" Haggarty and in 1992 they were joined by Spiral Tribe D.J, Andy Clinton...
. It was released in the UK on 2 May 1994, and entered the national charts at No.4.
It features an eclectic, incendiary cross over of 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...
, rock and psychedelia.
Background
SenserSenser
Senser, a politically-charged UK band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s, Nick Michaelson , Heitham Al-Sayed , Kerstin Haigh , John Morgan , James Barrett and Alan "Hagos/Haggis" Haggarty and in 1992 they were joined by Spiral Tribe D.J, Andy Clinton...
was formed in the late eighties, originally with Kerstin Haigh on lead vocals and, from 1991, Heitham Al-Sayed
Heitham Al-Sayed
Heitham Al-Sayed is a rapper/singer from South West London. He is of Saudi and English parentage.Al-Sayed is lead vocalist in the band Senser and Lodestar. He is known for strong political opinions which permeate his music and contributed to conflict within, as well as the eventual break-up of,...
as the drummer. Al-Sayed moved onto vocal duties when the band covered Public Enemy's "She Watch Channel Zero?!", from that groups influential It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
album.
The band's first two singles, "The Key", released in September 1993, and "Switch", released in March 1994, made the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Top 50, and garnered rave reviews from both dance
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...
and indie reviewers.
The political background in Britain, and the impending passing of the Criminal Justice Act into statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
paved the way for a series of politically-influenced artists such as The Levellers, 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...
, Dreadzone
Dreadzone
Dreadzone are a British band whose music is an eclectic fusion of dub, reggae, techno, folk and rock. They have so far produced six studio albums and two live albums.-Career:...
, and Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band, originally formed in Stourbridge in 1986, with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample driven indie and industrial rock...
, and Senser
Senser
Senser, a politically-charged UK band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s, Nick Michaelson , Heitham Al-Sayed , Kerstin Haigh , John Morgan , James Barrett and Alan "Hagos/Haggis" Haggarty and in 1992 they were joined by Spiral Tribe D.J, Andy Clinton...
fit into that group with a blend of aggressive hip-hop, thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
and psychedelic ambience
Psybient
Psybient, also known as ambient psy, psychedelic chillout, psychedelic ambient, ambient goa, ambient psytrance and more commonly within the Goa/psytrance scene as psychill and psydub, is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of psychedelic trance, ambient, world music, new age and even...
.
Buoyed by the success of their singles and live performances, Senser released Stacked Up on 2 May 1994.
Tracklisting
All songs written by SenserSenser
Senser, a politically-charged UK band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s, Nick Michaelson , Heitham Al-Sayed , Kerstin Haigh , John Morgan , James Barrett and Alan "Hagos/Haggis" Haggarty and in 1992 they were joined by Spiral Tribe D.J, Andy Clinton...
unless otherwise indicated
- "States of Mind" – 5:10
- "The Key" – 5:22
- "Switch" – 4:33
- "Age of Panic" – 4:08
- "What's Going On" – 5:07
- "One Touch One Bounce" – 3:24
- "Stubborn" – 5:46
- "Door Game" – 6:39
- "Peanut Head" – 5:40
- "Peace" (Senser, Tim Morton) – 5:50
- "Eject" – 5:19
- "No Comply" – 2:37
- "Worth" – 3:04
Personnel
- Alan 'Haggis/Hagos' Haggarty — programming, production, mixing
- Heitham Al-SayedHeitham Al-SayedHeitham Al-Sayed is a rapper/singer from South West London. He is of Saudi and English parentage.Al-Sayed is lead vocalist in the band Senser and Lodestar. He is known for strong political opinions which permeate his music and contributed to conflict within, as well as the eventual break-up of,...
— vocals - Kerstin Haigh — vocals
- Nick Michaelson — guitar
- James Barrett — bass
- John Morgan — Drums
- Andy "Awe" Clinton — DJ
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "The Key" | UK Top 40 | 47 |
| 1994 | "Switch" | UK Top 40 | 39 |
| 1994 | "Age of Panic" | UK Top 40 | 52 |
Chart performance
Stacked Up was released in the UK on 2 May 1994. In its first week it entered the UK Album Chart at number 4. It gradually dropped down the charts and was last seen at number 64 on 7 September, a total of five weeks altogether.Stacked Up achieved sales in excess of 400,000 copies.