Urban Species - Blanket (1998)

Urban Species hail from Tottenham, North London. Growing up amidst the backdrop of diverse cultural heritage, founders Mintos and Renegade had known each other for most of their young lives, attending the same infant, primary and secondary schools together. In the 80s, as teenagers, they embraced an emerging Hip Hop culture; however, their musical environment was not solely limited to Electro and Rap Music: They were just as likely to be found at a sound system (Reggae Dancehall) as they were at a Hip-Hop jam, Blues or the occasional Rave. The connecting factor of such diversity was the underground nature of them.

It was in 88 when Renegade (Winston Small) and Mintos (Peter Akinrinlola) first realised that they shared the same love of music and set about writing together. Using basic low-tech equipment and samples, comprised largely of Renegade's older brother's vast collection of old jazz and funk records, the two (during this period) followed the standard DJ/MC model, whereby Renegade would provide the beats and Mintos would drop rhymes on them.

In 1989 they saved enough money to go into a professional studio and recorded a track called It's My Thing. Pleased with the result, they set about pressing white labels and distributing them via specialist record stores on a sale-and-return basis. Going out under the name MC Mint & DJ Renegade, It's My Thing was championed by several underground DJs and pirate radio stations alike, and they soon found themselves doing PA's and pressing more copies to keep up with demand.

But it wasn’t just in the UK that the track created a stir; as proof of their budding talent, two of New York’s biggest radio stations, Kiss and WBLS, put the track into rotation. However, with out sufficient experience, backing or distribution, they were unable to capitalise on this break. What it did do, however, was expand their horizons beyond the UK and make them realise that they could make a career from music.

In 1990 they self-funded and distributed a track called Got to Have It. It was this track, with its driving jazz piano, heavy bass line and clever rhymes, that first brought them to the attention of Gilles Peterson's Talking Loud Records (then a subsidiary of Phonogram) which, although a relatively new label, could boast a roster of some of the finest black music acts of the time, including the likes of Omar, Young Disciples and Galliano, to name but a few.

Soon after signing in 1992, they came up with the name, "Urban Species," and in 1993 they had the distinction of opening the Talkin Loud 2 compilation, with the track Hide and Seek picking up critical acclaim and laying the foundations for what was to follow.

To promote themselves live, Urban Species enlisted — from the outset — the help of funk musicians to reproduce their sound live. They also called upon old school friend and Ragga-Style MC Rodney Green, AKA Doc Slim, whose mad-cap street flavour and humour served as the perfect foil for Mintos’ contrasting more laid-back and thoughtful style. These elements meant that now they were able to deliver shows, as opposed to appearances.

After opening for Bands such as MC Solaar, Jazzamatazz and the Stereo MCs, Urban Species quickly developed a fierce show and were quickly becoming known for their live exploits. It wasn’t long before they were a headline act and would earn the reputation as one of the best live acts around, prompting the Guardian to say "if there is a better live act, this reviewer hasn’t seen it."

The experience of playing with musicians would also have an impact on their recordings, as they started incorporating live instruments, not to mention the embellishment of Ragga vibes (courtesy of Doc Slim) into there recordings, further advancing their sound and unique take on Hip-Hop.

Urban Species released their ground breaking classic album Listen to an eagerly awaiting public in May 1994. Described by Melody Maker as “Possibly the finest début of 1994” and “The best album Talkin Loud have ever put out” by Sky Mag, the album received universal acclaim and was an immediate success. Commercial chart success came with the hit singles Spiritual Love and Brother, firmly confirming their arrival and unprecedented exposure of a UK rap act.

The band was also finding success across Europe, most notably in France, where they even managed to eclipse their UK achievements. In the United States they developed up a following among New York’s underground scene, receiving considerable airplay. The album was released on London Records after a breathtaking performance at the New Music Seminar in New York, with a showcase that blew away both media and public alike. Over the next 18 months they would take their unique blend of Hip-Hop to places as far afield as the Far East and Africa, making many friends along the way.

In 1995 Renegade announced his departure from the Urban Species. At the time he put this down to creative reasons. He went on to set up Hip-Hop and R&B production company Dub Wise productions.

Urban Species re-surfaced the following year on the Talkin Louder sampler, and their next offering came in 1997 with a four track EP entitled “Religion and Politics”.

Urban Species returned to the studio, accompanied by the up-and-coming group Raw Deal, who would co produce their follow up album. Doc Slim was replaced by Tukka Yout, who would feature on both the next album and in a live capacity.

Mintos then enlisted vocal contributions from established artists such as Blues-legend Terry Callier and respected UK Rappers MC Mello and Blak Twang, while also providing a platform for a crop of talented up-and-coming artists such as MJ Cole, Elizabeth Troy, Jeffery Darnell and Imogen Heap. The result was a “maturer, more introspective sound, yet one that retains all the soulfulness of its predecessor” (Music Week Feb 99). Blanket was released in continental Europe in late 1998 and repeated Urban Species' previous success in the region. It was not until the following year, 1999, that the album finally saw UK release, receiving widespread critical acclaim.

This was to be Urban Species' last offering to date, with Mintos bringing down the curtain on the band in 2000 to concentrate on his writing efforts for other artists such as The Freestylers, LHB, S Club and various unsigned talents. He also went on to pursue entrepreneurial interests outside of the music industry, most notably in Real Estate.

In recent years, the anticipation for another URBAN SPECIES album has been growing. Word is that Urban Species — in their original line up of Mintos, Renegade and Slim — are in the studio working on new material. Watch this space!

Жанр: Acid Jazz/Trip Hop/ Hip Hop
Формат: MP3
Битрейт аудио: 320 kbps

Трэклист:
1 Changing Of The Guard (5:03)
2 Destructive (5:07)
3 Blanket (5:48)
4 I Wonder (4:39)
5 Woman (4:55)
6 Predictably Unpredictable (7:18)
7 Rockstar (4:15)
8 Religion And Politics (4:32)
9 Reality Check (5:38)
10 Tomorrow People (13:14)

[video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbvyRl5QWBk]
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