Dj Phoney
NEWS
EmCee Lynx´ new album (feat. two beats from me) available under: www.circlealpha.com
Release-party of Reggaesinger Eduardos 1st album "Ehrlich gesagt" (incl. two of my riddims) third March 2006, Blue Shell, Cologne
Release-party of Reggaesinger Eduardos 1st album "Ehrlich gesagt" (incl. two of my riddims) third March 2006, Blue Shell, Cologne
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DJ & Producer
mainly Hip-Hop & Reggae
splendid sounds and conscious stuff prefered
mainly Hip-Hop & Reggae
splendid sounds and conscious stuff prefered
Why this name?
Instead keeping it all too serious I chose an ironic name. Too much people within the music biz are taking themselves way too serious, humor all in all is not on the daily plan for so many. So I chose an ironic name in the tradition of classic british punk acts at the end of the seventies.
Another thing is, when you are a good DJ you give people an illusion about how good music is. You pick out, let`s say, one brilliant track of an album and play it while maybe the rest of the album is only middle of the road. A DJ can be able to construct a subjective view on certain moments in music that changes emotions and from time to time some views about, not only, music. That´s why we`re damn betrayers! It´s like telling a good story …it don`t always need to be true…
Another thing is, when you are a good DJ you give people an illusion about how good music is. You pick out, let`s say, one brilliant track of an album and play it while maybe the rest of the album is only middle of the road. A DJ can be able to construct a subjective view on certain moments in music that changes emotions and from time to time some views about, not only, music. That´s why we`re damn betrayers! It´s like telling a good story …it don`t always need to be true…
Do you play live?
Did nearly 400 live-sets in the last four years. A hotel-roof, the cologne zoo, art exhibitions, bars, clubs and more. I got something out of every experience, no matter good or bad.
How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
What kinda question is this? There´s been enough rambling about that the last years...
Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
I would sign any contract, that offers fair financial conditions and leaves enough space for my creativity and my political criticism.
As long as there`s no censorship and false compromises, everything´s fine with me.
As long as there`s no censorship and false compromises, everything´s fine with me.
Band History:
What began with scratching fairy tale records on daddys stereo in `78 at the age of five developed into a creative outburst within the following years.
Always so obsessed with melodies, rhythms & lyrics, school was only a drag. As soon as it was over, his first bands came, where Dirk Borrman (as his real name is), played guitar at first, then sang and later played bass. All more or less rock-oriented stuff, while his mind has always been open to many musical styles.
As he more and more began to dig the Roots of Black Music and got deeper into Soul, Funk, Jazz, Blues and Reggae, the musical direction got clearer and clearer.
What followed in the nineties were grooving instrumental Hip-Hop-tracks that were in a way comparable to the works of DJ Shadow or Dan the Automator.
Besides that, DJ Phoney joined a Reggae Soundsystem for only half a year and then founded his own Voice of the People Sound in Cologne (2001), together with Selecta Natty Chris. The name was an open reminiscence to Prince Busters jamaican sound. The subject of poor mans struggling around the world was as important as the deepness of the music.
Phoney, for years also an active revolutionary and supporter of the english Socialist Workers Party, still thinks that, although the relationship between music and politics has never been the easiest one, for him both belong together.
Voice of the People lasted about 2 ½ years and left a pretty good impression with their style of playing strictly Roots, Dub and Conscious Reggae and in a way opposing Dancehall-trends. In fact the impression was that good that the boss of one of their regular locations had to show at the towns administration one too many times – the place and the outside was simply too crowded.
During the VOP-period DJ Phoney began putting together some instrumental dubs. Later he teamed up with half-brasilian Reggae-singer Eduardo and they recorded “Genug davonâ€쳌.
Their co-operation is still active. This year they recorded three fine and rootsy conscious tracks (“Zukunftâ€쳌, “Mr. Politikerâ€쳌 & "Wahre Veränderung" (also feat. Lazy Youth) in the studio and work on another tune, while Edu is actively supporting the material with his growing live presence in germany.
Expanding his work as a producer of splendid sounds, Phoney also worked with Mr. Kato, MC Cheese from Osaka and german based MC Timon Lee as well as Paul Smith at Burning Ear Studios. Currently he collaborates a lot with EmCee Lynx from San Francisco, who`s just releasing his fifth album.
DJ Phoney is someone you can really call a workaholic – when he`s not hiding behind some hardware to squeeze the best out of keys, strings, modules and amplifiers, you can find the guy in a club playing a DJ-set, communicating with his musical comrades in struggle, promoting himself and them.
And as if that wasn`t enough already he`s been writing for several magazines (from articles about working class struggle to music journalism) and publishes one on his own (Magazin für Köln und den Rest der Welt).
Always so obsessed with melodies, rhythms & lyrics, school was only a drag. As soon as it was over, his first bands came, where Dirk Borrman (as his real name is), played guitar at first, then sang and later played bass. All more or less rock-oriented stuff, while his mind has always been open to many musical styles.
As he more and more began to dig the Roots of Black Music and got deeper into Soul, Funk, Jazz, Blues and Reggae, the musical direction got clearer and clearer.
What followed in the nineties were grooving instrumental Hip-Hop-tracks that were in a way comparable to the works of DJ Shadow or Dan the Automator.
Besides that, DJ Phoney joined a Reggae Soundsystem for only half a year and then founded his own Voice of the People Sound in Cologne (2001), together with Selecta Natty Chris. The name was an open reminiscence to Prince Busters jamaican sound. The subject of poor mans struggling around the world was as important as the deepness of the music.
Phoney, for years also an active revolutionary and supporter of the english Socialist Workers Party, still thinks that, although the relationship between music and politics has never been the easiest one, for him both belong together.
Voice of the People lasted about 2 ½ years and left a pretty good impression with their style of playing strictly Roots, Dub and Conscious Reggae and in a way opposing Dancehall-trends. In fact the impression was that good that the boss of one of their regular locations had to show at the towns administration one too many times – the place and the outside was simply too crowded.
During the VOP-period DJ Phoney began putting together some instrumental dubs. Later he teamed up with half-brasilian Reggae-singer Eduardo and they recorded “Genug davonâ€쳌.
Their co-operation is still active. This year they recorded three fine and rootsy conscious tracks (“Zukunftâ€쳌, “Mr. Politikerâ€쳌 & "Wahre Veränderung" (also feat. Lazy Youth) in the studio and work on another tune, while Edu is actively supporting the material with his growing live presence in germany.
Expanding his work as a producer of splendid sounds, Phoney also worked with Mr. Kato, MC Cheese from Osaka and german based MC Timon Lee as well as Paul Smith at Burning Ear Studios. Currently he collaborates a lot with EmCee Lynx from San Francisco, who`s just releasing his fifth album.
DJ Phoney is someone you can really call a workaholic – when he`s not hiding behind some hardware to squeeze the best out of keys, strings, modules and amplifiers, you can find the guy in a club playing a DJ-set, communicating with his musical comrades in struggle, promoting himself and them.
And as if that wasn`t enough already he`s been writing for several magazines (from articles about working class struggle to music journalism) and publishes one on his own (Magazin für Köln und den Rest der Welt).
Your influences?
The hell of a lot of different music. Those that matter the most here may be: DJ Shadow, Dan the Automator, DJ Krush, DJ Vadim, Roots Manuva, Chuck D, Paris, Curtis Mayfield, Lee Perry and countless more musical styles ranging from punk or chanson to early industrial and so on - just good music!
Favorite spot?
The World
Equipment used:
2 MKII, Vestax Mixer, Midi-Keys, Bass, Guitar, Boss Dr. Rhythm Drummachine, Roland 303 and this and that music software
Anything else...?
All I do is dedicated to the rebels with a sword - who still dare to stand against the rules of society - and to the rebels with a words - who still dare to break the stereotypes of todays hip hop clichees. You are an MC / singer and you got a real fresh and intelligent style (ghetto mafia clowns stay away, please), good rhyme flow and it happens that you like my beats - contact me; let`s do a track together. It doesn´t matter what your language is and believe me when I say, you needn`t be from Broooklynn...
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