Platnum

Last updated

Platnum
Origin Manchester, England
Genres Bassline, R&B, UK garage, grime
Years active2004present
Labels All in Recordings Hard2Beat
MembersAaron Evers
Michelle McKenna
Mina Poli
Past membersTerrance Hayashibara
Website Platnum's Official Page

Platnum are a British bassline vocal group from Manchester, England, consisting of male vocalist Aaron Evers and female vocalists Mina Poli and Michelle McKenna. [1] The trio are best known for providing the vocals on H "Two" O's 2008 single, "What's It Gonna Be?", which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart in February 2008. [2] Platnum, who formed around 2004, have worked with DJs Jamie Duggan and Q as well as producers Virgo, H "Two" O and Nastee Boi. [3]

Contents

The group's highly anticipated second single, "Love Shy (Thinking About You)" was released on 29 September 2008; they then started work on their debut album which became a mixtape and also toured, supporting N-Dubz, in the UK in Autumn 2009.

Formation and early success

The group formed for a local talent show. The selected name for the new band was Urban Superstars, in around 2004. [3] They did not win the competition; they then used their entry track "Over the Heartache" to showcase their talents to established members of the UK bassline scene. [4] The track proved popular, and a remix, by DJ Jamie Duggan, was awarded Bassline Heaven's 'Tune of the Year Award' in 2006. [5] Damien Thompson (a.k.a. D-Tox) engineered and co-produced the track, but was not credited, as he was signed to the Reflective record label at the time. Nocturnal Records released the track on vinyl, in the same year. The track also had major interest from Ministry of Sound, with the prospect of a major release, but an agreement could not be made between the singers and producers as to whose name would be credited first in the title. The group have met many other singers and producers such as Sacha and S.U.D. [6]

2004 and onwards

Teaming up with the Black Eyed Peas producer DJ Poet, the Mancunian trio Aaron Evers, Michelle McKenna and Mina Poli grew through the UK bassline scene in 2012. Having already created an album called Lost in the Music, the group released the first song, "Solar System", on 6 May 2012 via All In Recordings.

Previously when Michelle was a solo rapper and Aaron and Mina a duo, the three formed at a talent contest in Manchester at a young age. The song that they chose to sing in the final, "Over the Heartache", went on to become one of the most played bassline tracks of all time, combining a love song with a heavy bass. The group toured nationwide with N-Dubz and entering the UK Singles Chart with "What's It Gonna Be" (featuring H “Two” O) in early 2008.

After a coincidental meeting, Michelle was able to hand will.i.am, front man of the Black Eyed Peas, a demo of their work. In the not so glamorous setting of her car, she then played another to producer DJ Poet, and the deal was sealed.

"Solar System" fuses a mix of universal dance with a house beat, being compared to the likes of the Black Eyed Peas, not unexpectedly, and Far East Movement. “I haven't heard a sound or seen a group as original and exciting since the Peas” says DJ Poet himself, and Platnum will be heading onto our radio airwaves within the next few months. [7]

Discography

Singles

YearSingleChartCertifications
UK IRE
2007"Over the Heartache" (Jamie Duggan Remix)--
2008"What's It Gonna Be?" (with H "Two" O)26
2008"Naughty" (feat. Wiley)--
2008"Love Shy (Thinking About You)"12-
2009"Trippin" [9] --
2010"Emotionally Tired"--
2010"Signals"--
2011"Blind" (feat. TS7)--
2011"Fire in My Eyes" (feat. TJ Lyricz & TS7)--
2012"Solar System"--
2012"Do It Different"--
2013"Love You Tomorrow"--
2018"Looking for Love" (with Sweet Female Attitude) [10] --
2020"On My Mind" [11] --

Related Research Articles

Lethal Bizzle Musical artist

Maxwell Owusu Ansah, known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" charting in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. His debut solo single "Pow! (Forward)" attracted attention for its aggressive content, charting at number 11 despite being banned from airplay and clubs. Although known notably for his single releases, Lethal Bizzle released his debut studio album, Against All Oddz, in 2005, followed by Back to Bizznizz in 2007.

Sweet Female Attitude English electronic music act

Sweet Female Attitude is an electronic music act from Manchester, England. They are known for the UK garage remix by Sunship of their track "Flowers", written by Martin Green a.k.a. Shine MC and Mike Powell, which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in April 2000.

Lisa Maffia Musical artist

Lisa Maffia is a British singer-songwriter, musician, rapper, actress, fashion designer, model and presenter, who originally came to the public's attention as the main female member of So Solid Crew. Whilst in So Solid Crew, the singer notched up five top 20 hits, including a platinum-selling single "21 Seconds" and a platinum selling album They Don't Know. As a solo artist, she has released two top 10 singles and an award-winning album including the platinum selling single "All Over". Her most recent release to date, was 2017’s "Wah Gwarn". Maffia is mixed race, born to a half-Italian mother and a Jamaican father.

Matthew James Firth Coleman, better known by his stage name MJ Cole, is an English garage DJ, record producer and remixer.

Kano (British musician) British rapper

Kane Brett Robinson, better known as Kano, is a British rapper, songwriter and actor from East Ham, London. A significant contributor to grime music, Kano is widely considered one of the pioneers of grime music and culture, alongside artists such as Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. In 2004, Kano released his debut single "Ps and Qs", which was an underground hit within the grime community.

Hinda Hicks Musical artist

Hinda Hicks is a British and Tunisian-born singer, actress and artist who first gained notability with her musical career in the late '90s. She is best known for her debut album Hinda, that charted at #20 on the 1998 UK Top 40 Chart, and led to three nominations in the MOBO Awards and nominations for Best British Female Artist and Best British Newcomer at the 1999 Brit Awards.

Dumb (The 411 song) 2004 single by the 411

"Dumb" is a song by British R&B group the 411. It was written by band members Suzie Furlonger, Carolyn Owlett, Tisha Martin and Tanya Boniface along with Gandalf Roudette-Mushcamp and Joshua Thompson for their debut studio album Between the Sheets (2004). Production was helmed by Dave McCracken, based on an original production by Redeye, with Fitzgerald Scott credited as additional and vocal producer on the track.

N-Dubz British hip hop group

N-Dubz are an English hip hop trio from Camden Town, London, consisting of cousins Dappy and Tulisa, and Fazer. After winning a MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2007, N-Dubz briefly signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World. Released the following year, the trio's debut album Uncle B was certified double platinum and spawned four UK top-40 singles.

Bassline is a music genre related to UK garage that originated in Yorkshire and the Midlands in the early 2000s. Stylistically it comprises a four-to-the-floor rhythm normally at around 135–142 beats per minute and a strong emphasis on bass, similar to that of its precursor speed garage, with chopped up vocal samples and a pop music aesthetic.

Whats It Gonna Be (H "Two" O song) 2008 single by H "Two" O

"What's It Gonna Be" is a song performed by British bassline duo H "Two" O and British bassline vocal group Platnum. Digital formats were released to online retailers in the UK on 11 February 2008. Physical formats, including a two-track CD single, a maxi-CD single, and a 12-inch vinyl disc, were released in the UK the same month. The track was licensed by dance label Hard2Beat and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.

Ouch (song) 2008 single by N-Dubz

"Ouch" is a song performed, written and produced by the English hip hop group N-Dubz. It was released as the group's fourth overall single, first single with the record label All Around The World and the first official single for their debut Platinum-selling album, Uncle B.

You Better Not Waste My Time 2006 single by N-Dubz

"You Better Not Waste My Time" also known as "Better Not Waste My Time" is the debut single by British MOBO-award winning hip hop group N-Dubz. It was released on 19 August 2006 as a digital download only single, whilst the group was still self-funded. It was then later re-released on 22 October 2007, this time with a physical release and under the group's new record label at the time – Polydor Records. The single was later featured on N-Dubz's Platinum-selling debut album Uncle B which was released in November 2008.

Strong Again 2009 single by N-Dubz

"Strong Again" is a song by British hip hop trio, N-Dubz. It is the sixth single from their debut album Uncle B and was produced by Kano and Fraser T Smith. It was later the B-side to "We Dance On", which would eventually be the first single from their third studio album, Love.Live.Life. Both songs were included on the StreetDance Soundtrack. On 28 January 2009, the song was added to Radio 1's A-List, becoming their first single to do so. The single was released as a digital download on 9 February 2009. The song "Wouldn't You" was originally intended to be the sixth single, however, it was later released as the seventh single instead.

Number 1 (Tinchy Stryder song) 2009 single by Tinchy Stryder

"Number 1" is a song composed by Tinchy Stryder featuring vocals from Dappy of N-Dubz, and co-written by Dappy, James Lavelle and Fraser T. Smith, who is responsible for the production, from Tinchy Stryder's second studio album, Catch 22. The song was released as a single on 20 April 2009 from Tinchy Stryder's studio album Catch 22 and a remix was later included on N-Dubz's second studio album, Against All Odds.

DJ SFR Musical artist

DJ SFR is a South African drum & bass, dubstep producer and DJ from Cape Town. SFR's sound is known for its jump up and dub influences.

Best Behaviour (N-Dubz song) 2010 single by N-Dubz

"Best Behaviour" is a song by British hip hop group N-Dubz. The song was produced by Dino Contostavlos and Richard Rawson and co-written by Tula Contostavlos, Mr Hudson, Tony Dixon, Fazer and Dappy. It was released on 17 October 2010 as the second single from N-Dubz's third studio album, Love.Live.Life. Musically, the song is a R&B ballad with prominent British hip hop characteristics. The initial writing consisted of the group being inspired to pen a song for their launch in the United States in addition to Dappy's feelings for his girlfriend, Kaye Vassell. It was inspired by the group's touring lifestyle and their enthusiastic fans. Lyrically, it is about trading one-night stands with people in favour of real love.

<i>Love.Live.Life</i> 2010 studio album by N-Dubz

Love.Live.Life is the third studio album released by English hip-hop trio N-Dubz, released on 29 November 2010, as a collaboration by All Around the World and Island Records. Following the release of the album the group announced an indefinite hiatus to focus on all three individual solo projects.

Krishane Musical artist

St Aubyn Antonio Levy better known as his stage name Krishane, also dubbed as The Melodic Bird is a Jamaican pop artist from the parish of Manchester, Jamaica. He currently lives in London and is signed to 1 2 One Entertainment who discovered and developed Krishane following his arrival to the UK from Jamaica. He is best known for his BBC Radio 1 hit single "Drunk and Incapable" featuring Melissa Steel, reggae chart topper "Inconsiderate" featuring Patoranking, "Rebel Yell" with Klingande which amass over 20 million hits and Eastern Europe hit collaboration track "Lock My Hips" with Romanian singer Karmen, which Krishane co-wrote and co-produced. Krishane is also a rising star in songwriting circles worldwide; he has co-written songs for the likes of Tinie Tempah, including the UK No. 1 hit "Not Letting Go" featuring Jess Glynne. He also co-wrote "Mamacita" featuring Wizkid.

Ruleta (Inna song) 2017 single by Inna featuring Erik

"Ruleta" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna, featuring collaborative vocals by Romanian performer Erik, for her fifth studio album, Nirvana (2017). It was made available for digital download and streaming on 21 June 2017 by Global Records as the album's second single. The track was written by Inna, Erik, Marius Dia and Breyan Isaac, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan and David Ciente. "Ruleta" features lyrics in English and Spanish. It is an EDM and reggaeton-influenced song, with touches of Indian and Caribbean music.

"Love Shy" is a song by the Danish singer Kristine Blond, released as a single in 1998. It peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. Two years later, it reached the top forty in the UK again, landing at number 28 in November 2000, due to the Club Asylum remix of the track becoming a UK garage club hit. The theme of the song discussed incelibacy and overcoming it.

References

  1. "Platnum's Myspace page". Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  2. "Official Singles Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  3. 1 2 RWDmag.com Archived 2007-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
  4. H 'Two' O & Platinum Interview with Bennee Gee on Freeze FM , retrieved 30 July 2022
  5. Escape Swansea
  6. Nocturnal Records
  7. mobo.com
  8. "British certifications – Platnum". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 May 2022.Type Platnum in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  9. http://www.radio1.gr/music/forthcoming_uk_singles.htm
  10. Currinn, Jonathan (12 January 2018). "Platnum & Sweet Female Attitude Drop "Looking For Love" Single And Remixes". CelebMix. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  11. Currinn, Jonathan (4 April 2020). "Platnum Are Back With The Unforgettable Dance Track "On My Mind"". CelebMix. Retrieved 4 April 2020.