Reprazent

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Reprazent is a British drum and bass act formed by Roni Size. Their debut album New Forms won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997.^[1] Their follow-up album In The Mode featured artists including Rahzel, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Method Man.

Roni Size resurrected Reprazent in 2008 with the release of a deluxe edition of his Mercury Music Prize-winning album 'New Forms' on Universal,^[2] but in September 2008 announced his intention to disband the act following a third album.^[3] 2009 is shaping up to be another busy year for Reprazent, with a new album and a Reprazent tour across venues and festivals across the world.

Reprazent's music has been described as containing “meticulously crafted break-beats that, when slowed down, revealed themselves as hip-hop beats”^[4]. This refashioning of imported hip-hop is distinct to the UK and the genre of drum ’n’ bass or jungle. The dark images and beats are characteristic of jungle music as well as the emphasis on production and DJs. In addition, this music combines the styles of hip-hop and rave to produce a unique sound to the UK in the 1990s. However unlike most jungle music that does not translate to live performance well, Reprazent was said to be the best live band in summer festivals of 2001. The most popular track, “Brown Paper Bag”, was praised in the Guardian as a “masterpiece: an essay in hyperkinetic pace, it piles up teetering stacks of instrumental layers, their cumulative weight triggering each step in a constant cycle of demolition and reconstruction of its latticework of melody, rhythm and mood” ^[5]

The singles from New Forms featured the distinctive vocals of Onallee, whose call for the music in 'Brown Paper Bag' is a signal that became widespread in rave culture.^[6] The album went platinum^{[citation needed]} and Roni Size returned to the studio to concentrate on his output for V and Full Cycle & Dope Dragon.

Reforming the band, complete with original members Dynamite MC, Onallee and highly acclaimed bass player Si John alongside Yuval Gabay (Soul Coughing), D Product, Jay Wilcox and Pete Josef, Roni Size and Reprazent toured some of the biggest festivals in Europe including Bestival, Glastonbury, Lovebox, Exit and Rock Herk. As a result, they were amongst the nominations for best dance act from the UK Festival Awards^{[citation needed]}.

Members

• Roni Size, programming/production
• DJ Die, programming/production (original member)
• DJ Suv, programming/production (original member)
• Krust, programming/production (original member)
• Onallee, vocals (original & current member)
• Dynamite MC, vocals (original & current member)
• Si John, electric bass/double bass (original & current member)
• Rob Merrill, drums (original member)
• Yuval Gabay (Soul Coughing), drums (current member)
• D Product, synthesiser (current member)
• Jay Wilcox, keyboards (current member)
• Pete Josef, guitar (current member)

Discography

• New Forms (1997)
• In The Mode (2000)
• New Forms² (2008)

References

1. ^ Hegarty, Khalil (13 May 2005). "Independence days". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/Music/Independence-days/2005/05/12/1115843298828.html. Retrieved 27 November 2009. 
2. ^ McDonnell, Evelyn (17 April 2009). "Roni Size and Reprazent bring back their beat". http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/17/entertainment/et-ronisize17?pg=2. Retrieved 27 November 2009. 
3. ^ "Former Mercury Prize winner Roni Size to split up Reprazent". 15 September 2008. http://www.nme.com/news/name/39710. Retrieved 27 November 2009. 
4. ^ Hesmondhalgh, David and Caspar Melville. “Urban Breakbeat Culture: Repercussions of Hip-Hop in the United Kingdom.” In Global Noise: Rap and Hip-Hop Outside the USA, 86-110. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2001.
5. ^ Roni Size/Reprazent | Live reviews | guardian.co.uk Music
6. ^ A Cardew: [1]. Resident Advisor Biography 21/01/2009