AJ HOLMES AND THE HACKNEY EMPIRE

Bonjour,
How is everyone? We are back in the office this morning, working hard to make London Remixed Festival the best night on this years calendar!

Firstly though we are introducing the next sexy act on our even sexier line up;

AJ HOLMES AND THE HACKNEY EMPIRE


From the depths of Hackney come a band that are taking over the world with the unique Afro-pop sound of The New Electric High Life. They are A.J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire. This six-piece are destroying everywhere they play, the ultimate Afro party disco machine. Born in Barking & Dagenham in the industrial far east of London, A.J. Holmes discovered a love of playing African music through a chance meeting with his Hackney neighbour. Folo Graff, a legendary musician from Sierra Leone, taught him to play the pan African guitar style. While in Berlin A.J. met les Beaux Gosses de Berlin, one of the congos finest African Rhumba bands, who quickly grabbed him to join their 20-strong band. Learning to rock the Afro Pop guitar style, A.J. became obsessed with the good time sounds of Sierra Leone and The Congo. Back in his native London he started DJing, soon teaming up with white-hot electro producer duo, Radioclit (M.I.A., The Very Best, Amadou & Mariam). United by their love of African club music and worldwide Ghetto tropical beats, he joined the Secousse Sound System DJ team. Since its birth in 2007, the Secousse club night has become an infamous tropical riot of good times and air horns reviving London's tired and lifeless club scene. Recruiting a party starting band of Hackney locals all sharing a love of tropical sounds, the success of A.J.'s early shows saw him invited by Radioclit to become Secousse club's resident house band. Once there, the ensuing chaos on the dance floor left no ass unshaken and month after month saw guests blown off stage. The band's special blend of Afro pop with a home grown British sensibility has become one of London's best-kept secrets until now. Support slots with David Byrne have followed along with collaborations with some of London's finest African musicians from Palm Wine legend, Abdul Tee-Jay to Nigerian grime star, African Boy. 'Fraudian Slip', produced by Radioclit is the debut release on Ghetto Bassquake, the acclaimed tropical dance music blog run by London's Vamanos and Oakland's Chief Boima, The single is a raucous energetic track featuring vocals from Secousse's resident MC, the Congolese Mic terror, Kastro.


Have a listen to them HERE You wont be disappointed!