Pocket Dwellers

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The Pocket Dwellers are a seven member experimental hip-hop group from the Toronto area. They have been performing since 1996. Although, officially, a "Hip - Hop" group, they have major influences from Jazz, Funk, Soul and Breakbeat - among many other genres. So much so that some of their recorded songs are actually themed and centred around, for example, a Jazz concept with small elements of Hip - Hop thrown in, instead of the other way around, which might be expected. Although they are all very talented musicians, they also have some good vocal talent within the group.

Their Live concerts are often packed with energy and performed to a pre - planned selection of songs, however while playing each song, there are often small but subtle improvisations made by each member of the group.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Limited Edition - EP (???, 1998);
Digitally Organic (August 29, 2002);
Lifecheck (August 19, 2003);
PD-Atrics (October 4, 2005);

Pocket Dwellers are composed of seven equal parts. Dennis Passley "deknow" - Tenor Saxophone, Nigel Williams "N.I.Gel" - Vocals, John Griffith "Quest" - saxophones and flute, Marco Raposo "Red" Drums, Gord Shields "Jupiter" - Bass, Christian McKibbin "Holy C" - Guitar, Sheldon Moore "S-luv" Turntables.

They released their first full length record in 2000 after they signed a recording deal with the ill-fated Song Corp. Soon after the October release the label had investors pull out and the label went bankrupt in early 2001. It the left the Dwellers in limbo because the highly anticipated release of Digitally Organic was sort of lost in the labels inability to support the product.

The next release was the album recorded live at a club in Toronto called th Reverb. It included excerpts from back to back sold out performances. The recording was released under Urbnet records and did well in re-establishing the band's image for performing live and with unparalleled energy.

In 2005 they signed with Blue Note/EMI and released PD-Atrics. The recording was more hip hop based and involved less live instrumentation than had been employed in the past.