Mantronix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mantronix | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | New York City, NY, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Old school hip hop Electro R&B New jack swing House |
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| Years active | 1984–1991 | |
| Label(s) | Sleeping Bag Records Capitol |
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| Former members | ||
| Kurtis Mantronik (1984-1991) MC Tee (1984-1988) Bryce "Luvah" Wilson (1990-1991) D.J. D (1990) Jade Trini (1991) |
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| Notable instrument(s) | ||
| Synthesizer Two turntables and a microphone Drum machine Vocoder |
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Mantronix was an innovative and influential 1980s old school hip hop and electro funk music group led by DJ and keyboardist Kurtis Mantronik (Kurtis Khaleel), and rapper MC Tee (Touré Embden). Mantronix underwent several genre (and line-up) changes during its seven-year existence (1984-1991), from old school hip hop to electro funk to house music, but the group is primarily remembered for its original, heavily synthesized blend of old school hip-hop and electro funk.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early years – 1984-1988
In 1984, while working as the in-store DJ for Downtown Records in Manhattan, Kurtis Mantronik, a Jamaican-Canadian émigré, met MC Tee, a Haitian-born, Flatbush, Brooklyn-based rapper (and regular record store customer).[1][2] The duo soon made a demo, and eventually signed with Sleeping Bag Records.
Mantronix's debut single, "Fresh is the Word," was a club hit in 1985, reaching #16 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, and was featured on Mantronix: The Album which was released the same year.
Mantronix's second album, Music Madness, was released in 1986. While MC Tee's rapping style on the album continued in the traditional b-boy fashion of the times, Mantronik's club oriented production and mixing in Music Madness tended to attract more dance music and electro funk afficianados than hardcore, hip hop fans.[3] During this period, while Mantronix was signed to Sleeping Bag Records, Mantronik was employed by the label in their A&R Department, while also producing other artists and groups, including Just-Ice, T-La Rock, KRS-One, Nocera, and Joyce Sims.
Mantronix signed with Capitol Records in 1987, and released In Full Effect in 1988. In Full Effect continued in and expanded on the hip-hop/electro funk/dance music vein of its predecessor, eventually reaching #18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Mantronix's highest showing for an album.[4] In Full Effect marked the last Mantronix album with rapper MC Tee, as Embden left the group to enlist in the United States Air Force.
[edit] Later era - 1989-1991
After the departure of MC Tee, rapper Bryce "Luvah" Wilson, and Mantronik's cousin, D.J. D, joined Mantronix for 1990's This Should Move Ya. The album spawned two top-10 hits on the British singles chart, "Got to Have Your Love" at #4, and "Take Your Time (featuring vocalist Wondress)" at #10. In the United States, the album reached #61 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[5]
Mantronix's final release, with vocalist Jade Trini replacing D.J. D, was The Incredible Sound Machine in 1991.[6] The Incredible Sound Machine, which tended to favor R&B, new jack swing, and house music over hip hop, was considered both a critical and commerical disappointment.[6] Shortly after the tour and promotion related to the release of The Incredible Sound Machine, the group disbanded, and Mantronik left the music industry altogether for seven years.[1]
Kurtis Mantronik resurfaced in Europe in the late 1990s, producing house and techno music artists, and remains an active force in pop-oriented electronic dance music to this day.[1]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album cover | Album information |
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Mantronix: The Album
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Music Madness
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In Full Effect
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This Should Move Ya
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The Incredible Sound Machine
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[edit] Compilation albums
| Album cover | Album information |
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The Best of Mantronix 1985-1999
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That's My Beat
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Remixed & Rare
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The Ultra Selection
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[edit] Trivia
- "Needle To The Groove" from Mantronix's The Album was sampled by Beck in the single "Where It's At" from the 1996 album, Odelay ("we've got two turntables and a microphone...")
- "Fresh Is The Word" from Mantronix's The Album was sampled by the Beastie Boys in the single "Jimmie James" from the 1992 album, Check Your Head ("for all the Blacks, Puerto Ricans, and the White people too...")
[edit] References
- ^ a b c When Recorded Hip-hop was in its Infancy, One Man was Responsible for Really Pushing the Sonic Envelope. It's Been Far from Plain Sailing Since, But the Mantronix Legacy will Run Forever. cheebadesign.com (original article printed in Hip Hop Connection Magazine) (2002-07). Retrieved on 2006-10-17.
- ^ Chin, Brian (1986). Mantronix Makes Inroads In British Pop - But Black Duo Still Waiting For A U.S. Hit. cheebadesign.com (original article printed in Billboard Magazine). Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
- ^ Henderson, Alex. All Music Guide Music Madness Review. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
- ^ Wynn, Ron. All Music Guide In Full Effect Review. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
- ^ Wynn, Ron. All Music Guide This Should Move Ya Review. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
- ^ a b Henderson, Alex. All Music Guide The Incredible Sound Machine Review. AllMusic.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
