Stockton Heath & Appleton Aug/Sep 15 | Page 51

LIVE LOCAL? BUY LOCAL! on a huge touring Essential Feature schedule including STEREO MC’s Friday 11th Sept 15 Inspirational Hip-Hop & Dance music purveyors Stereo MC’s are back….. With a solid reputation as a unique and high-energy live act, the inimitable Stereo MC’s embark on a UK tour throughout Spring/Summer 2015. Touring for the first time in over 12 years, the crew will take to stages around the country including Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge, Birmingham and Nottingham. Earlier this Spring they also performed sellout shows in Bristol and Hebden to a rapturous response. The Stereo MC’s are currently recording new tracks with Berlin-based Kompakt act Terranova. A first single featuring brand new club tracks will be released in Autumn 2015 on Connected, the new label and joint venture from Stereo MC’s and Terranova, which also launches later this year. “The aim is to be free and raw by cutting out the middle man”, says the group. Born out of the mid 80’s Hip Hop scene and the DIY UK acid house/club scene, Stereo MC’s reputation grew slowly throughout the late 80’s. They started as an underground dance label, releasing diverse artists from Richie Rich to The Jungle Brothers as well as their own music before being picked up by Island Records. They performed live extensively and supported groups such as De La Soul, A Certain Ratio, EMF and U2 as well as US and UK tours with The Happy Mondays. After early chart success in America for their 2nd LP Supernatural, they recorded the album Connected which became an international hit. They embarked To advertise in m e m o r a b l e appearances at Glastonbury and many other festivals worldwide. This period culminated with a Mercury Prize Nomination and two Brit Awards for Best Album and Best Live Act. Aside remix activity with mixes for Tricky, Madonna and Quannum Project amongst others, a period of relative silence followed. They emerged 7 years later with their K7 DJ Kicks LP, followed quickly by the Top 20 LP and single Deep Down and Dirty. A return to independent labels in 2005 rejuvenated the band and has seen them making new LP’s and touring regularly ever since. Most recently their love of underground dance music has led to collaborations including those with Terranova (Kompakt Records) and Adam Port of Berlin based KeineMusik label, releasing the house track Place; a firm favourite in the Beatport charts in 2015, and Tell Me Why with Terranova (Kompakt Records) on their forthcoming LP Restless, out on May 11. Stereo MC’s continue to build a reputation as DJs in the underground club scene. With many new releases also imminent, Universal/Island Records recently released the Collected box-set of all the LP’s to date, containing 8 albums, videos, outtakes, rarities, unreleased tracks and remixes. Tickets for their MANCHESTER – Academy 3 show taking place on Friday 11th September are available from: Box Office No: 0161 832 1111 You can win a pair of tickets to see Stereo MCs - visit www.essentialguidemagazine. co.uk Please call 01925 766742 51