This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2016) |
Astroid Boys | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Cardiff, Wales |
Genres | |
Years active | 2012–2019 (hiatus) [1] |
Labels | Music for Nations |
Members | Benjamin 'Benji Wild' Kendell [2] |
Past members | Phillip 'Traxx' Davies [2] Elliot 'Dellux' Brussalis [2] Ricardo "DJ Comfort" Banks [2] Harry ‘Big H’ Williams [2] Kyle Deek |
Astroid Boys are a Welsh rap rock band from Cardiff, whose music has been called a mix of hardcore punk and grime music. [3] [4]
Started in 2012 by co-frontman Traxx, the intention was to create something that merged his past as a punk kid with his transition into grime in his late teens. Calling upon an old friend in DJ Comfort, Traxx was able to get the project off the ground with small hip-hop shows around Cardiff. DJ Dellux was already making a name for himself in Cardiff, having his own youth centre radio show at the age of 14, producing beats, and agreed to join Astroid Boys after hearing about the band's direction and goals. Their hardcore hustling lead to them playing raves around Cardiff, where they frequently performed alongside ‘rival’ MC Benji. It became apparent that Traxx and Benji worked well together, creating their trademark co-frontman set-up. Long-time friend – and metal fan - Harry was recruited to provide live drums, and since then the gang has had an ever-extending crew, both live and in the studio. In its early days the band was supported by the Cardiff youth project Grassroots, which also helped to launch the careers of Cerys Matthews, Stereophonics, Super Furry Animals and the Manic Street Preachers, amongst others. [5]
In August 2012, NME announced that Astroid Boys would be playing at London's Freeze Festival in October that year on a bill which would include Mark Ronson, Grandmaster Flash and Zane Lowe. [6]
In April 2015, Astroid Boys were featured on Kerrang! 's shortlist of "ten killer new bands" competing for a stage slot at that year's Slam Dunk Festival. [7] In November that same year, the band was amongst 35 successful Welsh musical applicants to receive financial support from BBC Cymru Wales and Arts Council of Wales via the Launchpad fund created as part of the organisations' joint Horizons scheme. [8] A month later, they were winners in the online Cardiff Music Awards, [9] taking the prizes in four categories: Best band, Best live act, Best music video (for "Posted") and Best single/EP (for "CF10"). [10]
In January 2016, Wales Online's David Owens included Astroid Boys in his article "Sound of Wales 2016: 12 acts who deserve your attention over the coming year". [11]
Astroid Boys have built a reputation for impressive festival performances,[ according to whom? ] at Reading and Leeds Festivals, Download Festival and T in the Park, as well as festivals in mainland Europe, including Block Party Festival (Germany) and With Full Force Festival (Germany).[ citation needed ] In 2016 they joined Music for Nations, the first band to be signed by the label in over ten years, [12] and chosen to be the flagship band for the label's re-launch which includes a re-release of ‘Bacon Dream’ and ‘CF10’ on clear vinyl, with their debut full-length album following in Spring 2017. The band will also be releasing live footage from their performance on the Radio 1Xtra Stage at Reading Festival 2016, which NME blogger Jordan Bassett called an "exciting, uncompromising show". [13]
In December 2016, their track "Dusted" was chosen as the official theme song for the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, which took place early the following year. [14] The track has gone on to become the official theme song of the WWE UK brand. [15]
In January 2017, Astroid Boys were the subject of BBC Radio 4's documentary Generation Grime which followed them on their most recent UK tour. [16] Astroid Boys joined Enter Shikari on their arena tour of the UK and Europe tour in November and December 2017.
Astroid Boys have toured with Hollywood Undead as well as embarking on their most successful headline tour to date. They have also supported Ice-T's band Body Count in that summer. In mid 2018, it was announced that Traxx would part ways with the band to pursue other projects.
By the end of 2018, Benji was the only founding member in the band, bringing in a new lineup for the last remaining shows. Benji has since put out a (now deleted) tweet stating that now all original members have left, Astroid Boys will disband as to focus on his solo career and family. On 10 December, it was announced that Astroid Boys would be on the line-up for an upcoming show in support of Welsh independence. [17] The concert took place on 15 February 2019 and included acts such as Charlotte Church, Gruff Rhys and Boy Azooga. [18]
On 6 January 2019, Benji announced that after finishing the next tour the project will go on "indefinite" hiatus. [1]
Title | Details |
---|---|
Broke [19] |
|
Title | Details | Notes |
---|---|---|
Bacon Dream [20] |
| Reissued on 11 November 2016 by Music for Nations [21] |
CF10 [22] |
| Reissued on 11 November 2016 by Music for Nations [23] |
Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s. The band formed in 1992 after Mark Roberts met Cerys Matthews and Kirsty Kennedy. The first major lineup featured Dafydd Ieuan of Super Furry Animals on drums, Paul Jones on bass, and Clancy Pegg on keyboards. With this line-up the band recorded two EPs, For Tinkerbell and Hooked.
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1993. For the duration of their professional career, the band consisted of Gruff Rhys, Huw Bunford, Guto Pryce, Cian Ciaran, Dafydd Ieuan. An earlier incarnation of the band featured actor Rhys Ifans on lead vocals.
Guto Dafydd Pryce is a Welsh musician best known as bass guitar player and songwriter in the band Super Furry Animals.
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore, plus Nicky Wire. They form a key part of the 1990s Welsh Cool Cymru cultural movement.
The Music of Wales, particularly singing, is a significant part of Welsh national identity, and the country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song".
"You Love Us" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was initially released as a single on 7 May 1991 by record label Heavenly. The song was re-recorded and released on 16 January 1992 by record label Columbia as the third single from their debut studio album Generation Terrorists.
Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum and bass, dubstep and various other influences into their music. They are well known for their energetic and involving live performances and have won several awards including "Best Live Band" at the 2011 UK Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the "Devotion Award" at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards.
The music of Cardiff has been dominated mainly by rock music since the early 1990s with later trends developing towards more extreme styles of the genre such as heavy metal and metalcore music. It, along with the nearby music scene in Newport, has brought a number of musicians to perform or begin their careers in South Wales.
Jonathan Tudor "Jonny" Owen is a British producer, actor and writer who has appeared in TV shows including Shameless, Murphy's Law and My Family. Owen won a Welsh BAFTA in 2007 for the documentary The Aberfan Disaster which he co-produced with Judith Davies.
Al Lewis is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He became known in the Welsh language media after his song came second in the Cân i Gymru contest in 2007.
We're No Heroes are a three-piece band from Cardiff, Wales, composed of Tom Collins, Michael Owen, and Luke Llewellyn. They first formed in the summer of 2009 at a downtown South Side recording studio in Chicago, US.
Owain Elis James is a Welsh comedian, broadcaster and actor originally from Haverfordwest. He grew up in Carmarthen and later lived in Cardiff. He is now based in South London. He is bilingual in Welsh and English and has performed stand-up in both languages.
Winter and Williams Band are an alternative acoustic band from Cardiff, Wales, which formed in 2006. The band's current line-up includes singer/songwriter Peter Winter (guitar/vocals), bassist Deej Williams, violinist/vocalist Ellie Burton and drummer Tom Rabaiotti. Former members included co-songwriter Gareth Williams (guitar/vocals), bassist Mark Watson, drummer Ben Harris, saxophonist Tom Jackson and percussionist Samuel Bigot.
The Gentle Good is the stage name of Gareth Bonello, a singer-songwriter and folk musician from Cardiff who performs in English and Welsh. The stage name is inspired by Bonello's, with "Gareth" traditionally meaning "Gentle" in Welsh. In addition to his own material, Bonello has had a longstanding partnership with musician Richard James and has also collaborated with other artists as a session musician.
Bacon Dream is an EP by Cardiff-based grime music band Astroid Boys. Originally released in 2013 on the label Pinky Swear Records, it was later re-released in 2016 when they signed with Music For Nations.
CF10 is an EP by Cardiff based grime music band Astroid Boys. Originally released in 2015 on the label Pinky Swear Records, it was later re-released in 2016 when they signed with Music For Nations.
Estrons were a Welsh alternative rock band from Cardiff, Wales. The band's final lineup featured Tali Källström (vocals), Rhodri Daniel (guitar), Steffan Pringle (bass), and Adam Thomas (drums).
Boy Azooga are a Welsh indie rock group from Cardiff, Wales. Formed in 2017, the group is led by front man Davey Newington, who is joined live by band members Dafydd Davies (drums), Sam Barnes (bass), and Dylan Morgan (keyboard).
Adwaith (transl. Reaction) are a Welsh language indie rock group from Carmarthen in West Wales, formed in 2015. The group consists of Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony and Heledd Owen (drums). Signed to Libertino Records, they released their first album Melyn in 2018. Both Melyn and its follow-up Bato Mato (2022) won Welsh Music Prize awarded for the best album from Wales, making Adwaith the first act to receive the award twice.
Welsh hip-hop is a genre of Welsh music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in Wales.