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HAILING from areas as diverse as Namibia, Grassy Park, Plumstead, Lansdowne, Tamboerskloof, and Observatory - the demographic makeup of Moodphase5ive is as cosmopolitan as their sound: A soulful blend of funk, jazz and hiphop, laced with freaky latin breaks and their signature mix of bass-heavy rimshot dub.
With members - Denver Turner a.k.a d.form and Ernestine Deane (vocals) Brian de Goede (drums), Ricardo (keys + percussion), Douglas Armstrong (trumpet, guitar) and Bood Carver (bass), the phasers are constantly redefining the backdrop to their infectious poetry, bringing a message of hope and positive vibrations ,'from the mountaintops to the corners of your blocks'.
Instrumentation:
band
Genre:
hip hop, rap, reggae
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Moodphase 5ive started four years ago as a collaboration between a trio called Boomslang (Brian de Goede , Jean and Fanus Tofte) consisting of live drums, bass guitar and stratocaster.
A freaked out deejay with the Illest record collection (adam Lieber a.k.a the Bonanza Klone) and an emcee called Ultrabuzzurkk!! a.k.a d.form adding supatite lyric - locale, beatboxing, and front man personality with a Capital P. After a couple of jam sessions Moodphase5ive was born.
They became the first live band in CT to play with a dj in the set using the turntables as an instrument, and to incorporate deejays to play before and after the gigs. Working as a collaborative force, incorporating nomadic Angolan pimp percussionists, beatboxers, freestylers and vocalists from all walks of life, Moodphase 5ive spread their dirty funk around. A couple of eyeblinks later, the supervocalistical sister and new voice of Cape Town - Ernestine Deane a.k.a Lady 'E', came to bless the phasers with the power of the diva Goddess.
After playing almost all the venues and hole-in-the-wall-clubs in the City and constantly working on developing their styles, they decided to record some of their music independently.
The bonanza Clone moved on to solo projects but still remains a close affiliate, currently remixing Moodphase 5ive tracks under his recording name of AdLib……a couple of bankies later , in walks Craig Damster, Keyboard King and Producer at Onyx Studios, to provide a futuristic soundscape to an already polished act.
When Jean and Fanus left to follow Jesus to Kleinmond, the band cried. Brothers of Beelzebub - Budi Cava (bass and hysteria) and Douglas Armstrong a.k.a Drugless Lovestrong (trumpet, wahwah and savoir- faire), were taking a break from the Honeymoon Suites, saw the gap and took it.
The new line up of Moodphase 5ive will be launching their first full length Album on 8th December 2000. The album was recorded, engineered, arranged and produced by Craig Damster over nine months during 2000 at Onyx studios in Cape Town. His musical direction adds subtle nuances and layers to the streetwise beats.
These recordings were then tweaked into recordings of international standard, in a mammoth three week mix and master session by topshotters Krushed & Sorted, and will be released on their label African Dope Records.
Broadly speaking Moodphase 5ive are a digital organic hip hop outfit, but Embrace many hybrid styles from jazz, to dub, to downright funky. It's futuristically ancient like a rusty spaceship, universal yet uncompromisingly South African, with a powerful positive message.
Moodphase 5ive have played to both large and intimate audiences (geto3000, on the side at the Nico, Pickle, Oppikoppi 2000, ,Jo'burg on Long, and with too many other groups to mention) and shall continue to do so for as long as they all shall live.
- Leonard Singh (music journalist)
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