ninja tune | Musicosity

ninja tune

John Matthias

As we stagger onwards into the 21st century, musical genres begin to meld and mutate with increasingly random, and occasionally inspiring results. A number of artists have spent the last few years blending digital sound with acoustic, traditional forms with experimental structures and good ol' fashioned songwriting with the liberating dynamics of 'dance' music in all its myriad forms. Few have done it with the grace, beauty or soul of John Matthias.

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Pop Levi

Pop Levi (born Jonathan Pop Levi in London) is an English singer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and filmmaker. His career started in Liverpool were he was a founding member, along with Snap Ant and Loka, of Super Numeri, and he has played bass for Ladytron both on record and on tour Pop Levi is kinda small and reedy and darkly, hairily handsome, and, far more important, the maker of an odd brand of music that is sort of like a combination of every kind of pop ever heard all at once, yet it manages to stay original.

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Fog

Fog is a name of at least five artists: 1) A pseudonym of Andrew Broder, who notably changes style from album to album. The first released was a self titled on Ninja Tune in 2002 after he was brought to the attention of the label by Doseone. Ether Teeth followed in 2003, Hummer EP in 2004, 10th Avenue Freakout in 2005, the Loss Leader EP in 2006 and most recently, Ditherer in 2007. Andrew collaborated with Jonathan 'Yoni' Wolf of Why? on the 2003 release Hymie's Basement on the London label Lex Records.

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Thundercat

Thundercat is a pseudonym of Stephen Bruner, a member of legendary s Suicidal Tendencies (since 16 years of age), a protégé of Steven Ellison (aka Flying Lotus), virtuoso bassist, composer, producer and singer. Bruner has collaborated with many, including: a stint with German boy band No Curfew, jams with Snoop Dogg and Stanley Clarke. “I do believe that hip-hop can be the new jazz, and I’m helping create that”, Bruner said in an interview to Bass Player, in 2008.

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Kid Koala

Eric San is no ordinary DJ. While his peers dream of euphoric crowds and killer drops, Eric is thinking up characters, creating story-lines and building plots. “I try and make little stories. Whether it’s with a pencil or with bits of records, it’s really the same thing.” One of his latest projects, Nufonia Must Fall, is a perfect example. A story about a robot trying to impress a girl, it’s a comic book with a CD soundtrack and a mini chess set all in one. “When I was a kid, all my 7-inchers had books and pictures to go with them.

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Coldcut

The duo comprises DJs Matt Black & Jonathan More, formed in London, England around 1986. During their career they have encompassed a wide range of styles from hip hop and rap to electronica and jazz-inflected sounds. They began working together in the mid-eighties on the (then) pirate radio station KissFM. Shortly thereafter they released their first single, "Say Kids, What Time Is It?", which marked the first stirrings of the UK's dance/cutup scene.

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Peanut Butter Wolf

As a young kid growing up in San Jose, Chris Manak soon realized he needed an escape from the realities of suburban life in the Silicon Valley. The age of nine was his coming of age. This was the year he discovered sports (Pittsburgh Pirates), video games (Pac man), girls (Anita Balderama), and hip hop ("Rappers Delight"). Alongside partner Sweet Steve, young Chris fashioned primitive mix-tapes (using the pause button) and ran amok at the local roller rink.

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Neotropic

Neotropic is Riz Maslen an English electronic music artist. Riz Maslen has been part of the electronic scene since 1996 and is one of the few female producers around to have gained much acclaim for her work. Her other project is Small Fish With Spine Riz started her career fronting many indie bands whilst growing up in the West Country. She moved to London during the acid house / rave scene, eventually meeting and working with ambient kings The Future Sound of London. She featured on many of their albums and sang on Top of the Pops with their top 10 hit 'Papua New Guinea'.

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