United Groove
United Groove has just formed as a band. The members are Ken Valentine, Duke Lake, and Brian Jones. Kenny, on Bass and Guitar, has been a long time friend of Drummer Duke Lake, a.k.a DjDuke. The two have been spending time writing, jamming and coming up with a mixed style of heavy metal, Rock, Funk and Hip-hop. Thrown in to the mix is another old friend - Brian Jones, a.k.a MC Brainy-Act 3.1. Brian Has been singing & rapping in a few different bands over the years coming up with his own style...We do this to have a good time, and have fun. We do what we do, and have a great time creating music for the people of this planet (and beyond) to move and groove to...period
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
Duke, Kenny and Jonesy have all played in various music projects together over the course of the last 10-15 yrs. The group came into form from a studio session ment to aide the completion, and promotion, of a demo compilation for Phantom Deep Studios located in Bergen County, NJ. During a few sessions , a few improvisional musical outbursts between Duke and Kenny erupted. Luckily we hit 'record'. When Jonesy added his spoken word flow over the top, and Duke added his engineering and DJ expertise, the GRooVE made people begin to listen.
After 2 months of Studio compilation CD distribution; some friends, and outside ears, suggested that we 3 unite as a group because of the initial response we had received from everyone. Our primary goal was to enjoy ourselves for the love of playing.
Music and Recording have been our lives for as long as we can remember. The fact that we had years of experience playing together before also helped. Duke and Kenny just know what each other is thinking as they play...it's kinda eerie. Jonesy just has a gift of storytelling while entangling words into original rythyms like no other. He makes people listen to what he has to say. It's just his natural talent. These powerful combinations have created the results of what you're hearing right now! Hope it doesn't suck!!
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
Kenny-Not playing out at the moment. Coming soon to an underground dive near you.
Your musical influences
Primus, Rage A.t.M., Biohazard, Led Zeppelin, RUSH, AC/DC, Hendrix, Offspring, Taleb Kwali, The Roots, Jam-Master-Jay, Run-DMC,Mucky Pup, Murphy's Law, Suicidal Tendencies, Cypress Hill, Dog Eat Dog, James Jamerson, MoTown, George Clinton & P-funk, PJ Harvey, Aesop Rock, Louis Jordan, Black Sabbath, James Brown, The Demigodz, EL-P, Mos Def, OutKAst,...and our families
What equipment do you use?
Roland V. Drums
DW Drums
ProTools
Marshall
Kustom PA
16 Track Tascam Board
Tannoy speakers
5-dbx Compressors
2-Lexicon Processors
1-Behringer Tube Ultragain
1-BlueTube PreSonus
And Much More.....
Anything else?
Our tunes might not appeal to everyone, but if it make you move your head, body or butt then we feel a sense of success. Its all about the groove....
