Upshot blurs the line between produced hip hop and raw, energetic live band. Formed in Sydney in October 2000, the group exists as both a production team and live band, backing a variety of Sydney’s finest emcees and singers.|The engine room of writing and production are:|Pauly J on Rhodes and Clavinet Keyboards. Paul plays on the recent The Herd single 77% (2003), on the Katalyst release, Manipulating Agent (2002), and Aria winning album by PNAU, Sambanova (2000). |Michael Iveson on Drums and sampler. Michael has played with artists from rock act Lior to Senegal’s Bu Baca and blues guitarist Ray Beadle. |Martin Johannessen on Tenor and Soprano saxophones. Martin featured on Katalyst’s earlier release, in the guise of Moonrock (1998), and has recorded with local electronic outfit Ju Ju Space Jazz (2001). |The groups extended family in recording and performing:|Quro – Solo release, Looking for Andrew Bradley (Creative Vibes 2002) Reference Point, Fuglemen |Urthboy - The Herd, Explanetary |DJ Leeroy Brown - Katalyst. |Tam Morris – Tracky Dax, Vibrus |Sista Native - The Stiff Gins. |Brass & Sereck – Celsius, Sleek The Elite |Sleeping Monk – Moonrock, Resin Dogs |In live mode the group consists of drums, bass, keyboards, horns, sampler, DJ and emcee, and have appeared at venues throughout Sydney including, The Basement, The Metro (supporting The ‘Liks), Bar Broadway, The Annandale Hotel, The Hopetoun, The Beach Road Hotel and The Lansdowne.
In 2001 they recorded a live set for JJJ’s Friday night Hip Hop show, and have played Revolver and The Hi Fi Bar in Melbourne as well as The Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay and The Zoo in Brisbane.
Gaining radio support for their debut EP, released through Melbourne powerhouse Obese Records, Upshot have contributed music to the ObeseCity compilation as well as to Airheads (2001 DMA Compilation of The Year). The last three years have been spent recording the band’s debut full length album.
The album features the talents of Tam Morris (Tracky Dax) and Urthboy (The Herd), Hyrum Bishop (Dead Rebels), the dynamic team-up of Celsius over sweet jazz licks, Nick Sinclair, Josh James and Junichi Shiomi on bass, Leon Stenning on guitar, Andy Fiddes and Brian Manning on trumpet!
A formidably infectious sound is the end result. |
