Funkoars

The Funkoars are an Australian hip hop act from Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.^[1] The group is part of the Certified Wise crew of hip hop artists from South Australia (including the Hilltop Hoods, Pegz and Vents), who also collaborate on various recordings.^[2] Funkoars are signed to the Golden Era Records label.

Biography

Formation

Consisting of MC and producer Daniel Rankine (aka Mr Trials or simply Trials), MCs Adam Baker (aka Uncle Sesta or simply Sesta) and Matthew Honson (aka Sketchy Hons or simply Hons), and DJ Daniel Yates (aka Reflux), Funkoars was established in Adelaide around the year 1999.^[1][3] According to Trials, a "Funkoar is the dreg of society. It is the funnel in which all morals and conscious are drained into the river Styx."^[4]

Music

Funkoars' debut album, Who's Your Step Daddy, was released by Peepshow Entertainment in 2003. The band then released its second album, The Greatest Hits, in 2006 on Obese Records, an Australian hip hop label. The production on the second album is mostly credited to Sesta and Trials, both of whom have also produced for the Hilltop Hoods.^{[citation needed]} The Greatest Hits featured guest appearances, such as the Hilltop Hoods ("What I Want"), Vents ("The Symphony") and Pegz ("Meet The Family").^[5]

In 2008, Funkoars left Obese Records and returned to the Peepshow label for the release of the group's third album, The Hangover, on 29 November 2008. The first single from the third album, "Black Sally", features samples from single, of the same name, by Human Instinct, a psych-rock band from New Zealand—Human Instinct's vocalist/drummer, Maurice Greer, appeared in the music video for the single.^[6][7]

As of February 2013, the group is signed to Golden Era Records, a record label founded by the Hilltop Hoods.^[1] The group was first signed to the label in November 2009—as part of the deal, the Funkoars re-released its album, The Hangover, as The Hangover: Premium Edition.^[8]

"Larry Emdur" was a single released in 2013, included on the 2013 Golden Era mixtape,^[9] and was a parody of the Australian television personality, using a sample from the Larry David cable television program, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO). Emdur appeared in a music video for the single^[10] and also posted the following update on his Twitter profile: "hey @funkoars, by your "Larry musical piss-take" and he's done his own tribute .. Wanna hear it????"^[11]—the tribute was published on the ItsTheWrongChannel YouTube channel and is entitled "The Price Is Wrong B****".^[12] Emdur then appeared on an Australian radio station, Nova 969, with his son Jye, to discuss the single.^[13]

Touring

Funkoars have performed throughout Australia, supporting acts such as the Hilltop Hoods, Milkbar Stars, Gangstarr, Apathy & Celph Titled, and Public Enemy.^[14]

Following the release of The Greatest Hits, Funkoars embarked on a national tour, between July 2006 and August 2006.^[15]

In 2007, Funkoars performed at the Adelaide Big Day Out, as well as the 2009 Big Day Out in Sydney, Australia.^[16]

Mr Trials

In June 2005, Mr Trials released a solo EP, entitled For the Ladies, which received distribution through Obese Records. Trials has also undertaken production for other Australian hip hop recordings, such as Vents' Hard to Kill,^[17] a remix of the Hilltop Hoods single, "Clown Prince",^[18] and Drapht's albums, Brothers Grimm^[19] and Life of Riley. In relation to Life of Riley, reviewer, Shane Scott, proclaimed, "If you don't recognise Trials as one of Australia's finest producers by now you are a sleeping motherfucker, but in the end it's you who loses."^[20]

Departure of DJ Reflux

On 9 June 2013, the band announced that DJ Reflux was leaving the group and moving on to other projects.^[21][22]

Discography

Albums

• Who's Your Step Daddy - Peepshow (2003)
• The Greatest Hits - Obese (2006)
• The Hangover - Peepshow (2008) AUS #57
• The Quickening - Golden Era Records (2011) AUS #11

12"s

• The Greatest Hit (2006, Obese)
• Mr Trials - For the Ladies EP (2005)

Singles

• "Black Sally" - Peepshow (2010) AUS #56
• "Where I Am" - Golden Era (2011)
• It’s All Good (Is Very Good) EP (2011)

DVDs

• The Greatest Hits Live - Obese (2007)

Compilation appearances

• Culture of Kings Volume 2
• Funkoars - Centerlink Kings
• Hons - "Avoid Hangovers, Stay Drunk" (vinyl only bonus track)
• Triple J Hip Hop Compilation - "And Now for Something Completely Different" (2006)
• Golden Era Mixtape 2011 (2011)
• Golden Era Mixtape 2012 (2012)
• Golden Era Mixtape 2013 (2013)
• OFFICIAL Australian Hip Hop Volume. 1

Guest verses

• FG - "Funkero" (2001)
• Mark 1 - "Maze of Words" (2004)
• Hilltop Hoods - "The Certificate" (2003)
• Train of Thought - "Swinging from the South" (2004)
• After Hours - "Uglier Party" (2005)
• Hilltop Hoods - "The Blue Blooded" (2006)
• Hospice - "Stitch Ya Lips" (2006)
• Hospice - "The Caution" (2006)
• Pegz - "Block to Block" (2007)
• Last Credit - "All The Way Home" (Trials) (2007)
• Vents - "Fuck Em Up" (Sesta) (2007)
• Vents - "Full Metal" (Trials) (2007)
• Terra Firma - "Wiseguys" (2008)
• Drapht - "Rest in Peace" (Trials) (2008)
• DJ Bonez - "Certified"
• Crossbred Mongrels - "How We Roll" (Hons) (2009)
• Hilltop Hoods - "The Light You Burned" (Trials) (2009)
• Hilltop Hoods - "Rent Week" (2009)
• Levelheaded - "Don't Try To Push Me" (Trials) (2009)
• Crate Creeps - "Time Trials" (Trials) (2010)
• Briggs - "So Dangerous" (Trials) (2010)
• Koolism - "Can't Stand It" (Trials remix) (2010)
• Drapht - "The Paul the Dan" (Trials) (2011)
• Drapht - "Take the Party With Us" (2011)
• Vents - "Where's God Now" (Sesta) (2011)

Production credits (Trials)

• Infallible - "A Burning Ambition" (2003)
• Infallible - "Situation Critical" (2003)
• Hilltop Hoods - "Clown Prince" remix (2006)
• Hilltop Hoods - "Circuit Breaker" (2006)
• Cross Bred Mongrels - Restore Your Faith (2006)
• Hilltop Hoods - "Audience With The Devil"(2006)
• Last Credit - "Breakfast Of Champs" (2006)
• Reason - "Life's a Lesson" (2006)
• Vents - Hard to Kill (2007)
• Boltz - The Wishlist (2007)
• Drapht - Brothers Grimm (2008)
• Briggs - The Blacklist (2010)
• Drapht - Life of Riley (2011)
• Mase N Mattic - Sound The Horns (2011)
• Vents - Marked For Death (2011)

References

External links

• Official website
• Funkoars on Myspace