Aspects (band)
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Aspects are a Hip Hop group hailing from Bristol, England. The outfit's core members are emcees El Eye and *Mantis, producer Specify and beatbox Monkey Moo.
Career
The band formed in 1996 and were once part of a larger collective of artists known as FSH (Fantastic Super Heroes). Aspects, formerly Earthbound Aspects, were born of the Hip Hop movement in their native city and the culture's renaissance at that time.
Aspects released their debut album Correct English to critical acclaim in 2001. The album featured the singles "Best Music" (also containing "Intrigue" remixed by DJ Vadim) and "My Genre." On its release "My Genre" became Single of the Week in the NME. The group gained international exposure with the song and the accompanying video was rotated on BBC Radio 1 in the UK and MTV Europe respectively. At this time the group appeared on and recorded exclusive radio sessions for Dan Greenpeace and Zane Lowe, Steve Lamacq, Tim Westwood and the late John Peel (see List of Peel sessions) among others. The title track and third official single, "Correct English" never appeared on the album but was released as a double A side (along with "We Get Fowl"). It is a collaborative track with Task Force. In 2007 Hip Hop Connection magazine (issue 214) ranked Aspects' Correct English #28 in the 50 Best British Albums Ever.
After their original stable Hombre Records folded Aspects were signed to Antidote Records a subsidiary of Sanctuary Records. They released their sophomore LP Mystery Theatre? in 2004 along with singles for "Impact" and "Off The Lip" which entered highly on the UK Indie Chart (#16) and at #80 in the UK Top 200. The video for "Off The Lip" was directed by Daf Palfrey of Ten Pence. "Off the Lip" is a "Surfin’ USA" for the UK Hip Hop generation" according to a review published in The Independent, "making them one of only a handful of UK acts to produce genuinely original Hip Hop."
The group have performed extensively and were attached to UK tours from Princess Superstar, Arrested Development, De La Soul and The Bees in recent years.
They have collaborated with numerous artists over the last decade including DJ Yoda, DJ Format, DJ Vadim, Junior Disprol, Hundred Strong, Mr. Jason of Porn Theatre Ushers, Si Begg, Quantic, The Bees and Little Barrie.
Personnel
Members:
- El Eye (Ian Merchant), MC
- Probe Mantis a.k.a. *Mantis (Ben Weaver), MC
- Specify (Ryan Jarrett), producer
- Monkey Moo (Rory Donnelly), beatbox
Other Members:
- 7 Stu 7 a.k.a. "Big Stu" (Stuart Matthews), engineer
- Nu Balance (Nick Burt), DJ
- Bubbaloui (Alexander Parsons), MC
- Nick Fury (Scott McDougal), producer
- Salsa (Phil Rees), prod., media
Studio albums
2001: Correct English (2001, Hombré)
2004: Mystery Theatre? (2004, Antidote/Sanctuary)
EPs
2012 EP (Hombré, 1998)
Revenge Of The Nerds (Hombré 1999)
Singles
- "Sounds Of Earth" (Hombré 2000)
- "Best Music" (Hombré, 2001)
- "My Genre" (Hombré, 2001)
- "Psychoboogie" (White Label, 2001)
- "We Get Fowl/Correct English" (Hombré, 2001)
- "Impact" (Antidote, 2004)
- "Off The Lip" feat. The Bees (Antidote, 2004)
- "The Freedumb Song" (White Label, 2005)
Mixtapes
Rockrap (2005)
References
Antidote Records Biography[1]
List of Peel Sessions[2]
Independent On Sunday review[3]
Aspects Discogs discography[4]
Fabric Live 27[5]
ukhh.com Aspects interview[6]
ukhh.com Hundred Strong interview[7]
Discovering Bristol Bristol's Music Scene[8]