Earthtribe were formed before the ‘Asian Underground’ had arisen and
remain at the core of the British-Asian ‘scene’. But their style has always
been as much about the west as it is east. They break down all musical
and racial barriers and communicate through the ethnocyberfunk sound,
a universal language. It’s a rhythm thing: electro, trance and breakbeat
are subtlely blended with global grooves from India, Africa and South
America. Add a generous sprinkling of funk, dub, tabla and sublime
Indian vocals to the melting pot and the music is complete:
an indefinable concoction.
The Earthtribe Sound System causes tremors wherever it travels,
with dat controller and creative force Coco Varma at the helm, joined
by Duke on percussion and MC Daddy-E accentuating the pleasure vibe.
In the seminal underground days of ‘Anokha’ at Hoxton Square’s
‘Blue Note’ club they played the first 50 nights. Unique in their
adaptability they have burnt it up at over 500 clubs and festivals
including Tribal Gathering, Womad, The Big Chill, Ministry Of Sound,
Outcaste and The Dog Star.
‘Sitar Funk’ was born in late ‘97 to provide a focus for Earthtribe’s
development, a club night where Coco’s studio creations could be
tweaked and preened beyond perfection. Beginning at The End
in central London Sitar Funk then took a trip East to the’333’,
Old Street, creating three floors of radical mayhem throwing down
Asian beats, erotic middle-Eastern hip-shakers from SF resident
Nelson Dilation, and Indian classical chill-outs.
Last year the Sitar Funk UK Club tour culminated with a sell-out
crowd of 1,000 at Shepherd’s Bush Empire for ‘The Big Mash-up’;
featuring live performances from Earthtribe, Transglobal Underground,
State Of Bengal and Sitarist Nilandri Kumar. The innovative guest spot
saw Squarepusher and drum ‘n’ bass maestro Matrix grace the decks
and fill the dance floor at the most recent Sitar Funk sessions at
the Scala.
The conspicuous lack of an Earthtribe album has been due to their
extensive touring schedule, showing commitment to providing a live
alternative to the DJ experience, collaborating on stage with the likes
of Aziz Ibrahim, Shahin Badar, Mark Gilmour and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.
On excursions to Italy, Switzerland, France and Eastern Europe they
have been greeted by an ecstatic, highly receptive audience. Earthtribe
compiled the ‘Eastern Uprising’ Asian Underground album for Sony and
released a collection of grooves from SF residents, ‘Sitar Funk Vol.1’.
Future plans will build upon past achievements. 2000 sees the release
of the long awaited Earthtribe artist album. The Sound System will be
rolling across Europe and to continents afar spreading the rhythmical
message on a global basis, jamming more with live instruments.
Expect to see the return of regular ‘Sitar Funk’ events, reinforcing its
reputation as the leading British-Asian club night with eclectic and dynamic
line-ups. And there is still a whole universe to explore.
Earthtribe haven’t established communication yet but there’s a high
chance ethnocyberfunk could be the inter-galactic language.
What chance has gravity got of holding them back! |
