Thursday, June 28, 2007

 
PASSPORTED

















360 and friends at the US Passport Office, Philadelphia June 2006.

Another trip to Philly, another passport secured. He worldwide now, guess that means ya boy 360 is packing up the drumkit and heading to Barcelona on Monday. Europe watch out. Serious!


Wednesday, June 27, 2007

 
MANY RIVERS TO CROSS


















As promised Equinox Blogspottingtons was up in Chicago's Funky Buddha last week for a stellar show from Kelan Phil Cohran. KPC's definitely been on the rise and doing new things lately, he had a few well-received art gallery performance type shows in Wicker Park a few weeks ago—then at this gig he GAVE away a song on CD to the first 10 people in the door...and y'all know KPC never gave away his music!

Anyways this was one of those special shows, collegey kids were sitting in rapt attention on the floor at his feet, old school South Side hepsters hanging out on the banquettes, KPC putting forth hardcore ancestral vibes on the trumpet, French horn, harp and frankiphone...plus the cosmic video projection! The man's a movement unto himself.

I know KPC doesn't like to "mix energy fields"...but we have to ask: When we gonna get the HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE x Kelan Phil Cohran tour happening???

Respect to Lavon Pettis and CoCo Esad from Sol Cyrans and the whole Ground Lift mag crew. Shouts to Bros Sirami, Cephus, A1 and Mushallah holding down the merch table...I see you sirs!






Tuesday, June 26, 2007

 
THIS IS PURPLE KUSH

















...it's Yosh's new horn, though you might not be able to tell they way Smoov and Rocco are getting their Captain Kirk double up on. Bros are in Chicago this week rehearsing for the European pillage to begin the 3rd of July (see sidebar on left).

If you're miss the sound of their magnificent horns (and mellifluous voices) here's a great interview Hudah and El Cid gave to Radna Rumping of Dutch National Radio's "Future Vintage" show. Audio here.




Monday, June 25, 2007

 
EUROPEAN TOUR
TOUR OF EUROPE



















Without further ado, here are our CONFIRMED dates for the month of July:

3-6 JULY @ BBB / BARCELONA with G-STAR

9 JULY @ TOWER OF LONDON / LONDON / with THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE QUEEN

10 JULY @ CARGO / SHOREDITCH with DJ KENTARO

11 JULY @ PLAN B / BRIXTON

12 - 15 JULY @ NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL / ROTTERDAM

22 JULY @ KUNSTLERHAUS MOUSONTURM / FRANKFURT

25- 26 JULY @ FESTIVAL MUSICAS DO MUNDO / SINES

28 JULY @ HARBOURFRONT CENTER / TORONTO

There are a couple more dates floating around there unconfirmed so please keep checking back here daily for the updated schedule. And we'll see you out there!


Tuesday, June 19, 2007

 
"THESE GUYS ARE BANANAS"



Lotta times people film in the streets and you don't really know what they're gonna do with it. Sometimes it turns out aight tho, like this Bushwicky-looking production called the Middle Show.

Monday, June 18, 2007

 
MONDAY MADNESS: WE'VE GOT THE INTERNET GOIN NUTS
















Woah, people are whylin out about the Mos Def Big Band x HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE live at the Apollo James Brown mp3s that materialized on the internet. You can get them here and here.

Message board are also chattering about Kelan Phil Cohran. The boss of the bosses, father of HYPNOTIC, is eBaying a personal copy (!) of his mega rare OG 7in EP release of "New Frankiphone Blues" b/w "Black Beauty" and "African Look"...it came out in 1967 on KPC's own label Zulu records, it's a piece of history and you can get at it here until Tuseday just after noon Chicago time.

If you miss out on the auction, take the hundreds of dollars you'd spend on a little piece of vinyl and buy a plane ticket to the Chi. KPC is giving a deep listening session this Thursday at the Funky Buddha Lounge. Equinox is hoping to be up in the place and if that's the case you'll get the full update here!

Friday, June 15, 2007

 
APOLLO OUTTAKES:
HYPNOTIC WITH CHRIS TUCKER, THE USUAL PICS OF ROCCO AND SOME LIVE MP3S THAT YOU DIDN'T GET FROM US

















Like I said, you didn't get these from us. Thanks to someone getting the live taping in full effect at Monday night's Apollo show with Mos Def.

Mos Def Big Band w/ HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE
"Funky Drummer (live at the Apollo)

Mos Def Big Band w/ HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE
"Make It Funky (live at the Apollo)"





Thursday, June 14, 2007

 
BIG IN JAPAN!!!
























DJ BullJun back in NYC, June 2007.

Met up with our guy DJ BullJun today, he's back from Tokyo with a bunch of stuff including a new mixtape and proofs for a special limited-edition Japan-only 7in record we cut for him—a HYPNOTICized version of the classic "Shaft In Africa". Check the photo, yeah we called it "Brass In Africa"...

The other crazy thing is that we—well, the cover of our "War" b/w "Mercury" 10in vinyl record—made the cover (yes, the COVER) of "Dance Music Report", which is basically Japan's go-to guide for the best of the best in music. Yes!

We'll be out in Japan at the end of October. See you then Tokyo!


Tuesday, June 12, 2007

 
THE BIG PAYOFF























THIS JUST IN!!! HYPNOTIC EXXCLUSIVE! Our uptown connect just passed us this footage of "The Big Payback" from yesterday's soundcheck. Posted with the utmost respect for Mos Def, James Brown and the Apollo.


 
TRIBUTARIES


















Mos Def and HYPNOTIC on the red carpet, Apollo Theater Planet Earth, June 2007

Last night we played at the Apollo with Mos Def and his Big Band—it was a James Brown tribute/Apollo benefit with tix going for $1000. With all that $$$ in the audience you know we had to do what we do and that's what we did, we made that shit official! HYPNOTIC fans will know this was our fourth gig with Mos and it was definitely a funky good time. We only did three songs: "Funky Drummer" (shouts to Chris Dave on the skins), "Make It Funky" and "The Big Payback". But the band was game tight and we crushed the set.

James Brown's iconic saxman Maceo Parker was in the house, he played a massive version of "Funky Good Time" soloing on and on like a bizarro world John Coltrane playing jukejoint. Amazing, yo, history right there. Earlier in the day he caught us at soundcheck and was digging on who we are as a band...like getting props from the man himself!

A few snaps from the step and repeat on the red carpet...plus a random one with Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick!




Monday, June 11, 2007

 
BACK IN IT


















June Baji at the legendary Apollo Theater, Harlem USA June 2007.

We're smashing out a grip of James Brown tunes with Mos Def at the Apollo tonight. Tix are $1000 each but hopefully someone will be up in there youtubing the funk out of it. HYPNOTIC hasn't been on that stage since "Showtime At The Apollo" January 2002, it's nice to be back.

Also back online this week. More G-STAR exclusive pics from that quick Holland run-out a week or so ago, plus that Sun Ra trip to Philly with Rocco and Smoov—more on that as well.

Rock with us...

Oh yeah and we're gonna post that Europe schedule very very soon, just confirming the last few dates. Trust us it's gonna be worth the wait so hollerate.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

 
MORE TREES PLEASE


















No surprises here, our trip to Amsterdam has us appreciating the glory of the Creator's green earth. We still rep the streets but we had a day off so we practiced in the woods of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. We're back in Amsterdam next month—as well as four days in Rotterdam at the ultra-prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival...plus a bunch of more Europe dates in Barcelona, London, Frankfurt and Paris. Stay tuned for all that, we're confirming.

For now enjoy the trees.




Monday, June 04, 2007

 
GANGSTA WRAPPING


















Who got the keys to my jeep? June Baji at G-STAR HQ, Amsterdam June 2007.

In addition to dressing the hottest brass band in the world in premium denim, G-STAR has also left their mark on other icons of fine style as well, from an eight-seat Land Rover called the Raw Defender to bottles of prosecco Rawsecco.

LOL Rocco still stunting the passport in his pics.

Trust, we're trying to borrow that truck next month.






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