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
-
-
Pressure Point
Electronic - Released by Freskanova on 1 okt. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Adventures In Freestyle
Drum 'n' bass - Released by Altra Moda Music on 20 okt. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
B-Boy Stance (Remixes)
Electronic - Released by Freskanova on 1 jan. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raw As F**k
Dance - Released by Altra Moda Music on 26 mrt. 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cracks
Dance - Released by Never Say Die Records on 25 aug. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Back to Daylight (The Remixes)
Dub Pistols, Krafty Kuts, Freestylers
Electronic - Released by Sunday Best Recordings on 9 sep. 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Live at Glastonbury (Live)
Electronic - Released by Freskanova on 26 aug. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Don't Stop EP
Electronic - Released by Freskanova on 1 jan. 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Cracks (feat. Belle Humble) (The Remixes Pt. 1)
House - Released by Sneakerz Muzik on 12 apr. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ruffneck (feat. Navigator)
Electronic - Released by Freskanova on 26 aug. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Now Is the Time
Electronic - Released by Freskanova on 1 jan. 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soundboy Killa (The Allergies Remix)
Dub Pistols, Freestylers, The Allergies
Funk - Released by Cyclone Records on 29 mrt. 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Push Up (Housequake Remix)
House - Released by Altra Moda Music on 20 okt. 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo