Freestylers
More old-school hip-hop, electro, and ragga than big-beat techno (though they're often pigeonholed that way), the Freestylers were formed by the trio of Matt Cantor, Aston Harvey, and Andrew Galea. All three were British b-boys back in the day, and were heavily involved in Britain's dance scene by the late '80s, both as DJs and producers, with Cantor recording as Cut'n'Paste, 2 Fat Buddhas, and Freska All Stars, among others, and Harvey as Blapps! Posse (author of the 1990 breakbeat classic "Don't Hold Back"). Harvey had also worked with Rebel MC and Definition of Sound, but after meeting Galea, the pair began recording together as Sol Brothers and soon brought Cantor into the fold as well.
Taking the name Freestylers from their first sample (Freestyle's "Don't Stop the Rock"), the trio released their first single, "Drop the Boom (AK-48)" and formed their own Scratch City Records to release it. The track was a prime slice of vocoderized electro, and became an underground club classic as far afield as bass-driven Miami. The Freestyle EP followed late in 1996, and Freestylers also released singles on Freskanova (home of Cantor's many solo projects). The group even managed a chart hit (and Top of the Pops appearance) with 1998's "B-Boy Stance," a collaboration with vocalist Tenor Fly. A spate of remixing followed, for Audioweb, Afrika Bambaataa, and the Jungle Brothers (the latter a pair of the Freestylers' prime influences). The trio also helmed the big-beat compilation FSUK 2 and contributed a "Radio One Essential Mix" (where Beenie Man, Public Enemy, the Fall, and Whodini all rubbed elbows). Live appearances at Glastonbury and around the European festival circuit met with much praise, and the Freestylers finally released their debut album, We Rock Hard, in 1999. The mix album Electro Science followed a year later.
© John Bush /TiVo
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We Rock Hard
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 01.01.1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Adventures In Freestyle
Drum & Bass - Erschienen bei Altra Moda Music am 20.10.2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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B-Boy Stance (Remixes)
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 01.01.1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Get Down Massive (feat. Navigator)
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 01.01.2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raw As F**k
Dance - Erschienen bei Altra Moda Music am 26.03.2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cracks
Dance - Erschienen bei Never Say Die Records am 25.08.2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pressure Point
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 01.10.2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Back to Daylight (The Remixes)
Dub Pistols, Krafty Kuts, Freestylers
Electronic - Erschienen bei Sunday Best Recordings am 09.09.2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Live at Glastonbury (Live)
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 26.08.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Coming Storm
Dance - Erschienen bei Rub-A-Duck am 10.06.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Don't Stop EP
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 01.01.1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Cracks (feat. Belle Humble) (The Remixes Pt. 1)
House - Erschienen bei Sneakerz Muzik am 12.04.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ruffneck (feat. Navigator)
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 26.08.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Now Is the Time
Electronic - Erschienen bei Freskanova am 01.01.2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soundboy Killa (The Allergies Remix)
Dub Pistols, Freestylers, The Allergies
Funk - Erschienen bei Cyclone Records am 29.03.2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ruffneck 09
Hip-Hop/Rap - Erschienen bei Never Say Die Records am 07.12.2009
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Push Up (Praia Remix)
House - Erschienen bei Altra Moda Music am 02.06.2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo