Sydney-born, Melbourne based producer ISHU has been creating some buzz around the nation with his blend of organic and synthetic instrumentation, combined with deep, heavy hip hop and electronic beats and basslines.
ISHU’s latest release “A World in Progress” was born from his recent travels through Europe and Asia. Collecting samples and field recordings along the way; ISHU found inspiration in every country he visited, immersing himself in local culture and sketching beats in bunkbeds all over the world. ISHU enlisted the talents of some of Australia’s finest vocalists for the album, including Mantra, Hau (Koolism), Lotek (UK), Class-A, Elf Tranzporter, Dyl Thomas and Pataphysics. “A World in Progress” showcases ISHU’s distinct sound of culture-mashing boom-bap and downtempo soundscapes, with hints of influences like Hermitude, Madlib, Oh No, Bonobo and Embee (Looptroop).


In a Live context; ISHU arms himself with a laptop and several electronic devices, and has access to each and every element of every song, with endless live effects and manipulation possibilities. Expect an eclectic soundscape, the live show combines original ISHU tunes remixed live, plus some mash-ups from other artists thrown in for extra flavour. ISHU keeps things live and spontaneous, ensuring every show is different from the last.
The ISHU sound has evolved from his 2008 self-titled EP, jam packed full of distinctly Australian dub/reggae and hip hop. It’s this diversity and knowledge that keeps ISHU busy writing, recording, collaborating and remixing with other artists too. A self-confessed audio-nerd and multi-instrumentalist, ISHU has played supports for artists such as Lotek, Mantra, DJ Bonez, Mista Savona, Harmonic 313, Big Bud, Polo Club, The Bird, King Kapisi, Spikey Tee, The Versionaries and more, at many well-known venues across Melbourne and Sydney.


Press Quotes
“Who doesn’t love great production? And that’s exactly what struck me about this new tune from Sydney born, Melbourne based producer Ishu, when it floated across my desk this week. Born from travels around the world, particularly in Europe, Ishu has harnessed that collage of sound that’s been entering his ears of late, and spat it back out in a slick, playful and really delectable song. Add some rhymes from Melbourne MC Mantra and this is a killer song. Can’t wait to hear what’s next from Ishu’s new record, out later this year. For now, Progress is today’s catch.”
Zan Rowe, Mornings on Triple J.


“I guess it is a sign of a really talented producer that they can find the most ear-catching samples and work them into a song in a way that not only enhances the work of a rapper but makes the beats as integral as the rapping itself. Not that Mantra, Lotek, Elf Tranzporter and others are doing a bad job, far from it, but Ishu is quite capable of holding the spotlight all by himself, with a bag full of lyrical and atmospheric beats that it is impossible to ignore: just check out Stay or Go.”
Chris Cobcroft, Music Director 4ZZZ, Brisbane.


“This album could have turned out like a patchwork quilt of sounds, but it is ISHU’s Hip Hop stylings and innate production talent which appears to give this album a sense of cohesiveness despite often polarizing musical styles that comprise the album. This achievement is no easy feat.”
Reuben Adams, Beat Magazine, Melbourne.


“Organic and industrial sounds are successfully melded with numerous samples of instruments and rolling drum rhythms, making “A World in Progress” not just banging hip hop, but also quite melodic and grooveladen. But it is also very much a celebration of world music…”
Liz Galinovic, 3D World Magazine (Syd).


“The results are mightily impressive. Ishu’s productions are crisp and polished, and the album highlights his versatility as a producer. Tracks like So Sorry, Be This Way, and Candied Lens shows he can deliver soulfully while Nuffa’Dem demonstrates his ease with dub sounds. A real revelation, Ishu is bound to make some major noise in the Australian hip-hop scene this year. He has already shown himself to be a mature and creative producer that uses his environment effectively to create impressive tunes. I am sure that many more emcees and vocalists will soon be lining up to collaborate with Ishu, and the potential for wickedness is exciting to say the least.”
Leo Varona, Db Magazine


“Ishu’s productions remain absolutely top notch: the guy knows how to construct some beautiful beats.”
Scene Magazine


“If you haven’t heard of Melbourne producer ISHU, now’s the time to start catching up. His recently released debut LP ‘A World in Progress’ is a stunning example of a producer finding his musical voice and unleashing it on the world.”
Luke McKinnon, 3D World Magazine (Melb).

Facts and figures
‘Progress (ft Mantra)’ chosen as “Catch of the Day” on “Mornings with Zan Rowe” on Triple J.
‘Progress (ft Mantra)’ officially playlisted on Triple J and FBI, and enjoyed rotation ZZZ, RRR, PBS, Radio Adelaide, Coast FM, RTR and SYN.
‘Progress (ft Mantra)’ downloadable for free from the Triple J website in the ‘Free Music’ section.

ISHU’s debut album release on Foreigndub. Heres the first single pulled off it featuring Melbournes MC Mantra.
Progress

Ishu – Myspace

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http://www.foreigndub.com/the-versionaries/ http://www.foreigndub.com/the-versionaries/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:40:50 +0000 admin http://www.foreigndub.com/wordpress/?p=278

The Versionaries are a ragga/dub/soul collective of Sydney based artists. As their name suggests, it’s all about different “versions”. Starting with a master rhythm then dubbing, reshaping or remixing each subsequent version into a whole new sound.



In 2007, they independently released the “Fat Controller E.P.” on 12” vinyl and in late 2008, joined the Foreigndub label to release “We Come Again” an album of remixes and collaborations, featuring remixes of New Zealand artists Pitch Black and Solaa as well as Australian’s Lordz of the Fly, and Ishu featuring Jamaican-Brit Lotek.


This album also features “Bhutee Skank” their first collaboration with DJ Kina and Rayjah 45 which was also released as a single on 7” vinyl. They have just finished “Grand Dub Audio “, a sonic collaboration with Lotek Hi-Fi to be featured on his upcoming album,.


The Versionaries current live performances are dominated by bass heavy rhythms from producer Kakhand, dubs from Kina which forge a unique sound spearheaded by conscious lyrics from vocalists Haile Suspicious and Georgie Fisher, finished with live Trombone and guitar from Tom Fisher.


In the past two years, The Versionaries have supported international artists such as Easy Star All-Stars, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Recloose, Pitch Black, The Black Seeds, Cornerstone Roots, The Nomad, Mad Professor and Lady Saw Festival performances including Earthdance, Peats Ridge, Raglan Soundsplash, Island Time NYE, and Playground Weekender.


The Versionaries latest release “Open Eyes” is Available now through itunes. A double A-Side single led by Georgie Fisher and Reworked by MC Antic as “Saviour’, and an “Open Eyes” film clip. Check out The Versionaries myspace page for shows, new beats and pictures.

The Versionaries – Myspace

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]]> http://www.foreigndub.com/the-versionaries/feed/ 2 http://www.foreigndub.com/p-bass-expressway/ http://www.foreigndub.com/p-bass-expressway/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:20:59 +0000 admin http://www.foreigndub.com/wordpress/?p=275

P-Bass Expressway began with a friendship that formed between Paul Bimler (AKA Nava Thomas, AKA Confucius) and Ariel White in the early 90’s. Inspired by classic funk acts of the late sixties through to the mid eighties they began recording their own funk music in 1999 using Paul’s Sumner bedroom studio.
Everything was done in a relatively crude way with low-grade microphones taped to whatever they could find, while recording bass and drum arrangements into Logic on a Pentium I. Without a band line-up at the time, the goal was to get the compositions played on radio. Demo versions of the first P-Bass Expressway track, ‘Interstate with Raoul’, received good airtime on b-net radio throughout New Zealand. Soon after, a second track, ‘Swampthang’, was recorded with the input of Simon Kay on trumpet and Dan Collins on guitar. The addition of both these accomplished musicians solidified the band’s line-up.

P-Bass Expressway played their first gig live on Christchurch’s 98.5 RDU. Shortly after this, Kurt Dyer (Solaa) joined the band on percussion. The first public gigs came in the form of a regular once a month Wednesday night at the old Jetset Lounge. The crowds were not large but P-Bass began getting good reviews in local publications both online and in print.

After a year of performance, the five-piece group began recording their debut album, ‘Expressfunk’. Various delays finally saw the release of this to stores in December 2003. Tracks from this release performed exceptionally well on the b-net radio top ten, including ‘It’s a Journey’ that reached number one in September that year. A number of tracks from Expressfunk were played extensively throughout the USA on New York’s highly rated funk show, ‘The Groove Boutique’. P-Bass Expressway began to look further a field with tours following throughout New Zealand and Australia. In 2005 a vinyl 12” was released with 3 new tracks and a remix from Sunshine Soundsystem’s Downtown Brown. Distribution for the record and CD were secured in Australia, and P-Bass songs began appearing on playlists around the globe.

From 2004 until 2007 P-Bass Expressway were fortunate to play alongside some on New Zealand’s finest acts, including Shapeshifter, Salmonella Dub, Hollie Smith and Kora, to name a few. Highlights were playing Rippon 2006 and Christchurch’s Unity nights.

Although predominantly instrumental, there have been a number of guest vocalists in the band over the years. These include Christchurch’s Sacha van Beek and Jennine Bailey, with well known MC KPz joining the band as a regular member early 2006. All of these, along with Sydney’s MC Janny, now appear on the brand new P-Bass Expressway album ‘Snag Bag” to be released in Australia in November 2008.

P-Bass have worked hard to overcome the geographic distance between members who are spread throughout four cities in Australasia. The result is group of funk lovers who love bringing the groove and soul of funk music to the people.

P-Bass Expressway – Myspace

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]]> http://www.foreigndub.com/p-bass-expressway/feed/ 0 http://www.foreigndub.com/the-bird/ http://www.foreigndub.com/the-bird/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:01:57 +0000 admin http://www.foreigndub.com/wordpress/?p=265

Electronic music has developed rapidly in the last 30 years, for the limitations are few and the possibilities are still being discovered. When live meets the electronic, new realms of dance music emerge. Over the last 10 years The Bird have established a solid reputation as one of Australias finest live electronic dance outfits, and in the studio have continued to push musical boundaries. Birdville Sessions is the latest release from this dynamic group. Recorded in Bens shed in the suburb of Marrickville, Sydney, and then handed over to the master of BJB Studios, Chris Townend, to be reworked and re textualised through old school valve amps, tape delays and analogue recording desks, this release has captured the live essence that makes The Bird one of Australias finest. The Bird are Ben Walsh (drums), Simon Durrington (keyboards), Barry Hill (double Basss), and Bobbby Singh (Tabla). As musicians, The Bird have sought an organic interpretation of computer-generated forms of music, combing live drumnbass breakbeats and electro synth lines, with sounds from the Asian Underground, and some serious dub vibes. The Birds music is a journey through these numerous influences and stylistics, executed in a funkafied soulful electronica sound that is their trademark style. The Bird have toured the country and overseas extensively, playing at many venues and festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Livid Festival, Falls Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Woodford Festival, Two Tribes, the Opera House Studios, Home Nightclub, and Earthcore to name but a few.


The Bird – Myspace

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]]> http://www.foreigndub.com/the-bird/feed/ 0 http://www.foreigndub.com/agency-dub-collective/ http://www.foreigndub.com/agency-dub-collective/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:45:18 +0000 admin http://www.foreigndub.com/wordpress/?p=257

Agency Dub Collective are a live dub-reggae/dancehall band based in Melbourne. With a history dating back to the turn of the millennium, Agency Dub can be counted among the true pioneers of live dub and dancehall in Australia.

Agency Dub Collective have built a following from the grass roots through independent releases, countless live shows, tours and festival appearances. ADC have toured extensively along the East Coast of Australia, taking in Queensland, Northern NSW, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, regional NSW, Victoria and Adelaide. They have made appearances at many festivals including Folk Rhythm and Life, St. Kilda Fest, Sustainable Living Festival, Fuse Festival, Peats Ridge Festival, EarthDance, Exodus in northern NSW and Falls Festival in Victoria. ADC play regularly in Melbourne, from the Espy to Bar Open, The Retreat to The Corner Hotel.

Imbued with a revolutionary spirit and a well-articulated political consciousness, Agency Dub Collective continue a legacy left by groups like Bob Marley & the Wailers and Rage Against the Machine. In 2006 they collaborated with Academic and 3CR radio presenter Yousef Alreemawi on the track Comrades, which highlighted the struggle of the Palestinians under occupation and in foreign refugee camps. In 2008 the group worked with the Independent West Papua movement in Melbourne on live shows to increase awareness of the plight of Melanesians in that province. “Merdeka”, the B-side of their most recent single, is an anthem of solidarity for West Papuans and for all Melanesians.

Throughout the years, the band has experienced a number of line-up changes and consequently different musical influences, and through this journey has honed its sound to what you hear today. Originally formed in Canberra, experimentally fusing dub rhythms with elements of hiphop and rock, Agency Dub relocated to Melbourne in 2003. There they settled into a cohesive blend of roots reggae, stepper and dancehall rhythms – always underpinned by the dub aesthetic and production approach.

Having released two independent albums since settling in Melbourne, the band signed to the Sydney-based Foreign Dub label to release their latest album, entitled “S.O.S”, which was launched on May Day 2008 in Melbourne. The 13-track album features a number of special guest vocalists including Elf Tranzporter, Lotek and Krisdafari, some of Australia’s leading MCs that traverse the common ground between dub, reggae, dancehall and hiphop. The album is nationally distributed and currently available in all good record stores through MGM Distribution.

The band is touring nationally through summer/autumn 2009 to promote the album, and heading to New Zealand and Vanuatu on their first overseas tours at the end of the year.

Agency Dub Collective Myspace

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]]> http://www.foreigndub.com/agency-dub-collective/feed/ 1 http://www.foreigndub.com/vice-versa/ http://www.foreigndub.com/vice-versa/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:19:41 +0000 admin http://www.foreigndub.com/wordpress/?p=157

Vice Versa (made up of brothers Raj and Rohan Deshpande aka DJ Mirage and MC Ro) entered the global scene of drum and bass in story book fashion. Following a chance meeting with the legendary DJ/producer LTJ Bukem at a club night in their home town of Sydney in 2003, the duo signed up a number of their tunes to Bukem’s world famous “Good Looking Records” and went on to see releases on the renowned Progression Sessions CDs in both 2003 (PS8 – UK Live) and 2004 (PS9 – Makoto, Japan) as well as Studio X-2 in 2004. Following these, the brothers also got 3 of their tunes released on vinyl through GLR in 2003/2004. However it was around this time that the pair’s world began to progress beyond the luxuries of student life and the time available to spend on their production became more and more scarce. People wondered whether Vice Versa were here to stay or just another couple of producers with great potential that was not channeled correctly…
2009 is here… and Vice Versa have show and proved with the best of them, with tunes coming out on the mighty Bingo Beats and Innerground Records in the past few years. After a 2 year period apart, with Ro in Tokyo and Mirage back home in Australia, the pair are getting ready to work on a number of projects. First up is the long awaited 4 track digital EP on Sonorous Digital. Following on from this, Vice Versa will be launching a brand new website, complete with an online store for music downloads and merchandise. The site will feature not only drum and bass, but a diverse range of music ranging from house to downtempo and minimal beat atmospheric goodness.

“Throughout the past 7 years, our passion and goal has always been the same; to deliver high quality, deep drum and bass that moves you no matter where you are.” – Vice Versa.

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