A. J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire – Fraudian Slip

The highly appreciated Ghetto Bassquake blog just started it’s own label and will kick it off on September 24th with the release of GBQ001, A.J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire – Fraudian Slip.

Being the resident band of London’s Secousse parties, The Hackney Empire is kicking it with a funky interpretation of Afro Pop, labeled as “New Electric High Life”. Head honcho A. J. Holmes has a quite cool musical past: while living in Berlin a few years ago he was a member of Les Beaux Gosses de Berlin, 20-strong and supposedly one of the Congo’s finest African Rhumba bands. After his return to London he started Djing and teamed up with the Secousse crew. Founding The Hackney Empire was definitely a good next step, as the band now can look back on playing support for David Byrne, and regularly collaborates with some of London’s finest African musicians from Palm Wine legend Abdul Tee-Jay, to Nigerian Grime star Afrikan Boy.

“Fraudian Slip” is produced by the infamous Radioclit and features Secousse’s resident MC, the Congolese Mic terror, Kastro on the vocals. Sounds like a family thing – a highly dancefloor banging one! Remixes come from Uproot Andy, Chief Boima, Moroka and Erick Rinkon, 17 year old Tribal Guarachero superstar.

The Hackney Empire: Fraudian Slip (Erick Rincon’s Tribal Guarachero RMX)

Fraudian Slip ft. Kastro (Uproot Andy Remix) by Uproot Andy

You can prelisten the whole release over here on Ghetto Bassquake, and here is a warm-up mixtape till the single finally drops:

A.J. HOLMES FRAUDIAN MIXTAPE by The Hackney Empire

Oh, and here is a must-read over on The Fader: An interview with Chief Boima and Vamanos about their reasons to start the own label and what defines the Tropical Bass scene worldwide.