Hermitude

Hermitude is an Australian hip hop group, originating from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.^[1]

Biography

Early years

Multi-instrumentalists, Luke Dubber (aka Luke Dubs) and Angus Stuart (aka Elgusto), have collaborated in bands since 1994, when they were aged 16 and 11, respectively. Their first functional band was called "Funk Injections" and included Stuart's sister, Aja Stuart, on bass.

Explanetary

When a group of local rappers, including Tim Levinson (aka Urthboy) from the Herd, were impressed by Funk Injections' abilities, the two groups briefly incorporated in 1998, performing for a while under the name "Explanetary".^[2] Explanetary consisted of Levinson on vocals, Stuart on keyboards, Dubber on drums, Realistix on vocals (and sometimes production), No Mumbles (aka Nug) on vocals, Aja Stuart (Stuart's sister) on bass and DJ ALF on cuts.^[3] Explanetary only released one EP, In On the Deal, in July 2001^[4] following which the members went their separate ways.

Hermitude

After Stuart returned from a trip to the U.S. in 2000 with a set of turntables, the two tried jamming together with Dubs playing keyboard, sans vocals. The combination worked so well that they realized they didn't need anything else and Hermitude was formed.

Signing with the Elefant Traks label, founded by The Herd, Hermitude released the vinyl-only Imaginary Friends EP in 2002.^[5] The collection of esoteric instrumental soundscapes, with two vocal cuts provided by Urthboy and Ozi Batla, sold out and has never been transferred to CD, making it a collector's item. A year later, the band's first album, Alleys to Valleys, was released. The name referred to their moving between Sydney and a recording studio called Sound Heaven in the Blue Mountains, owned by Stuart's father, John Stuart, which allowed them to literally be hermits half the time. The other half of their time they spent coming down from the mountains to try out their new material in the clubs of the city.

The popularity of Hermitude's debut allowed them to earn support billing with touring international acts such as, Dizzee Rascal, RJD2, and DJ Krush, and then record Tales of the Drift in 2005. A more percussive, Cuban sound was created, inspired by Stuart's time spent there in his youth.^[2] In 2006 Hermitude embarked overseas to pursue the real world, landing gigs in Europe, Asia and the USA.^[6][7][8] They were invited to perform in Malaysia,^[9] Norway^[9] and Spain as well as at DJ Kentaro’s Japanese album launch,^[9] and were booked for Aceyalone and Abstract Rude’s West Coast USA tour. Whilst on this world tour, Dubber and Stuart wrote the tunes that would make up their 2007 Rare Sightings EP release. Released in November 2007, initially sold at venues on their return tour of Australia, this is their fourth release on Elefant Traks. Hermitude then joined Urthboy and The Tongue on a national tour throughout Australia.^[10] Copies of the CD sold out during the tour and had to go back to press before copies could be released in stores.

In 2011, Hermitude released two new singles, "Get in My Life" and "Speak of the Devil", from the album, HyperParadise; the album was released on 3 February 2012.^[11] "Speak of the Devil" won the 2011 J Award for "Music Video of the Year".^[12]

Awards

Hermitude won the "Best Independent Dance/Electronica album" award at the 2012 Jägermeister AIR (Australian Independent Records Association) Awards for the album, Hyperparadise. The band's label, Elefant Tracks, received the award for "Best Independent Label".^[13] Hyperparadise was then awarded the 8th Annual Australian Music Prize (AMP)^[14] and the AMP website noted in a blurb for the prize winner:

HyperParadise is Hermitude hitting the bullseye of their artistic vision, a beautifully inventive record of future beats and electronica. It’s not just their meticulousness in production and musicianship, it’s the passion and love they have for instrumental music that makes them so special. The songs are bubbling with personality: choruses leap out of songs demanding an emotional response, differing for each listener.^[14]

Other projects

Apart from Hermitude, Stuart has spent the last couple of years playing and touring with Paul Mac as percussionist and DJ, whilst Dubber has lent his keyboard skills to many local Sydney outfits including Gauche, The Tango Saloon and The Bird, as well as touring with Tom Tom Crew the internationally acclaimed Hip-Hop Circus stage production.

Discography

Albums

• Alleys to Valleys - Elefant Traks (August 2003)
• Tales of the Drift - Elefant Traks (August 2005)
• Threads - Elefant Traks (September 2008)
• HyperParadise - Elefant Traks (February 2012) #37 AUS^[15]

EPs

• Imaginary Friends (2002)
• Rare Sightings (December 2007)
• Parallel Paradise (2012)

References

External links

• Official website
• Hermitude MySpace webpage
• Rapcella artist profile - Hermitude
• Australian Music Online artist profile - Hermitude