The Album (Mantronix album)

Last updated
The Album
Mantronixthealbum.jpg
Studio album by
Mantronix
Released1985
Studio New York City, New York
Genre Electro, hip-hop
Length35:53
Label Sleeping Bag [1]
Producer Mantronik, MC Tee
Mantronix chronology
The Album
(1985)		 Music Madness
(1986)
Alternative Cover
Mantronix 2008.jpg
2008 Expanded Edition

The Album is the debut album by the group Mantronix. The group was a New York-based duo composed of MC Tee and Kurtis Mantronik. Following some live performances together, they recorded a demo tape version of the song "Fresh is the Word" which was noticed by Will Socolov of Sleeping Bag Records. The label released the single and signed them to record an album.

Contents

From contemporary reviews, American critics J. D. Considine and Ken Tucker predominantly complemented the hip hop production of the album in lukewarm reviews, while it received greater praise from British press magazines Melody Maker and the NME who included it in their Top 10 albums of 1986. Later review, from Pitchfork and AllMusic predominantly commented again on the production, with AllMusic finding it being closer related to club music than hip hop while Pitchfork noting the albums production seeming to forbearer to Southern bounce and hyphy scenes.

Background

Kurtis Khaleel (known on the record as Kurtis Mantronik) was raised in Canada, and moved to New York when he was in his teens. While some sources have claimed Mantronik was born in Jamaica, but is unknown where he was born as he refused to comment on his country of Birth. [2] Initially more into rock music, Mantronik became more interested in club music and began working at Downtown Records. Mantronik stated that he was "a nerd and really into technology [...] I always used the latest technology, just like I do today." Mantronik used the Roland TR-808 drum machine on the album stating that he loved the bass the record gave. [3] MC Tee was born in the Bronx and had family whose roots were in Jamaica. He had lived there from ages 10 to 15 and then returned to New York. MC Tee was working for Burns Telecommunications in Manhattan selling equipment, which was near Downtown Records where Mantronik worked. [2] Before recording anything, Tee had performed at clubs like The Roxy with rapper MC Tee. [3] According to Tee, he gave Kurtis his DJ name, in which he suggested "Mantronik" stating "you're a man who is electronic." [4] Initially, MC Tee wanted to be a DJ but felt that he could also be an MC. [4]

Mantronik saved $80 for studio time and cut a demo for the song "Fresh is the Word" with MC Tee. [3] Tee recalled that Kurtis wanted to do a record like Davy DMX's "One for the Treble" when they first talked about working together. Tee did not recall where "Fresh Is the Word" was specifically recorded, suggesting it was "some fashion institute or art school". [4]

The demo caught the attention of Will Socolov of Sleeping Bag Records. [5] Socolov recalled that Mantronik had bumped into him and fellow Danceteria DJ Freddy Bastone on the street and that Mantronik "started begging "Please let me go with you guys to the studio!". [6] Mantronik later took him to Downtown Records where Tee was to do a live version of "Fresh is the Word". Socolov stated that "There were probably 20 kids there and they were all grooving to it. I signed it immediately. It was hot." [4] The label released the single as a single in 1985. [7] While Mantronik has said the demo version of the song is the same version on heard on the album, Tee has said in interviews that the original demo for "Fresh is the Word" was not how the single turned out as the original was "a lot rougher around the edges." [5] [4]

Production

Among the first things the duo did was re-record "Fresh is the Word" at INS studio on Murray Street in New York. [6] The engineer for that session for Mantronix was John Poppo. Tee felt that the engineers were important for the album, as Mantronik was "learning each time he went into the studio, a little more with each song we did. But the engineers helped us find the sound that we were looking for." [8]

Tee recalled that Mantronik would work on beats on his Roland drum machine and they would meet up at his apartment or at the Sleeping Bag Records offices. Tee would pick a beat he enjoyed and take home a copy to write to it or finish some of them at the studio. [9] After the financially successful release of the single, Socolov quickly moved to have the group record a studio album. [10] Mantronik spoke positively working with the label stating they were a "cool label, they let me do my thing." [11]

The duo arrived at the studio with an 808, which was purchased with advanced money from Socolov. [12] Poppo recalled that Mantronik "wasn't a technician in the studio back then by any stretch, but he was deep into music and hip hop culture. He was more of a beat guy than a producer. As I recall, he didn't even produce Tee's vocals." [8] Poppo recalled that Socolov was in the studio at all times and that Tee, Mantronik and Socolov were "almost a trio" and that Socolov was "very hands-on and deserves a lot of credits for those songs as well." [9] Socolov suggested to the group bring in the Latin Rascals to edit the "Bassline". Mantronik used a Juno synthesizer, with Mantronik recalling it only took about a day to record. For other music, Tee used a vocoder for the song "Needle to the Groove". [11]

Two songs were recorded at ING with Poppo as the engineer: "Fresh is the Word" and "Needle to The Groove". The four other songs were completed at Al Cohen Studio. Scocolov stated that Al Cohen Studio was at the Chelsea Hotel where Al lived, with the music recorded at his apartment. [10] Cohen recalled that he was not familiar with the group, and most likely met them to record through ads for recording services in the Village Voice . [13] It is not clear where the "Mega-Mix" by the Diamond Two was completed. [10]

Music

Songs like song "Hardcore Hip-hop" was about the roots of hip hop while other tracks like "Get Stupid Fresh Part 1" were done "on the spot" according to Mantronik. [14]

Release

The re-done version of "Fresh is the Word" was released by Sleeping Bag Records by mid-1985. [10] Mantronik recalled that the singles from the album sold well, specifically "Fresh". [7] Socolov stated that the album "did OK, maybe 150,000 units" in the United States but that "it was massive in Europe. It was more than double our American sales over there." [15] Socolov said it was the labels biggest selling album at that point. [16]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [17]
Pitchfork Media 8.08/10 [18]

From contemporary reviews, J. D. Considine gave the album a three star rating, noting its sound was "pretty run-of-the mill for hip-hop" with its "vintage electronic percussion" and M.C. Tee's "standard-issue raps." [19] Considine specifically noted that Mantronix "definitely has a way with the music. They assemble their jams with funky finesse, revving up the machiner behind "Bassline" until the rap evaporates into pure rhythm" and that "Mega-Mix" was "about as CONCRETE as this music gets." [19] "The Album"'s track "Bassline" was praised by Ken Tucker who called it the most well-known cut as "a slinky dance-music composition that employs rap-music cadences to achieve a choppy frenetic effect" while stating the rest of the album "Isn't as innovative" with the exception of "Mega-Mix" which was "almost abstract collage of sound effects, comes close." [20] Paul Mathur of Melody Maker proclaimed the album went "for the paint stripper approach, burning away electro's lesser indulgences and leaving hard core hip hop of the highest order." [21] The NME placed the album at number 10 on its year-end list of best albums of 1986. [22]

From retrospective reviews, Nate Patrin of Pitchfork found the album to have "undergone a strangely accidental evolution" finding that it was "Beloved by veteran heads yet considered incredibly dated in the sample-artisan Dre/RZA/Pete Rock/Primo 90s, it's since started sounding a lot more like a well-aging and prescient forebear of Southern bounce and hyphy". [18] Patrin found the 2008 Deluxe edition was mostly strong for its original tracks and that the songs "Hardcore Hip-Hop" and "Needle to the Groove" "boast some of the most intricately assembled syncopated beats heard in any digital production to that point" [18]

Track listing

  1. "Bassline" (Kurtis Mantronik, MC Tee) – 5:26
  2. "Needle to the Groove" (Mantronik, MC Tee) – 3:41
  3. "Mega-Mix" (Mantronik, MC Tee) – 5:35
  4. "Hardcore Hip-Hop" (Mantronik, MC Tee) – 6:18
  5. "Ladies" (Mantronik, MC Tee) – 6:55
  6. "Get Stupid "Fresh" Part I" (Mantronik, MC Tee) – 3:52
  7. "Fresh Is the Word" (Mantronik, MC Tee) – 5:31

Bonus tracks

In February 2006, Virgin/EMI re-released the album in the UK with five bonus tracks and new cover art.

  1. "Ladies (Revived)"
  2. "Bassline (Stretched)"
  3. "Hardcore Hip Hop (NME Mix)"
  4. "Ladies (Dub)"
  5. "Ladies (Instrumental)"

Double-CD deluxe edition bonus tracks

On February 12, 2008, Traffic Entertainment Group released a double-CD edition of the album, titled simply Mantronix, with an extra disc and new cover art. The extra tracks are as follows:

  1. "Bassline (Club Version)"
  2. "Needle to the Groove (12" Version)"
  3. "Fresh is the Word (12" Version)"
  4. "Ladies (UK Remix)"
  5. "Bassline (Radio Version)"
  6. "Bassline (12" Version)"
  7. "Needle to the Groove (Alternate Version)"
  8. "Jamming on the Groove"
  9. "Needle to the Groove (Live)"
  10. "Ladies (Live)"
  11. "Ladies (A Capella)"
  12. "Get Stupid "Fresh" Part 1 (A Capella)"
  13. "Fresh is the Word (Radio Version)"
  14. "Fresh is the Beat"
  15. "Fresh is the Word (A Capella)"

Legacy

Some tracks on the album were sampled on by artists who made them into hit songs, such as Beck's "Where It's At" without acknowledgement of the source. Mantronik later stated that "It bothers me when I'm not even acknowledged, but it's even worse when they sample your shit and you don't get any credit." while acknowledging other artists who have spoken positively about him such as DJ Shadow and The Chemical Brothers. [7]

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1986)Peak
position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums47

Singles

YearSingleBillboard chartPosition
1985"Fresh Is the Word"Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales16
1985"Needle to the Groove"Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales23

Related Research Articles

Miami bass is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit lyrical content differentiate it from other hip hop subgenres. Music author Richie Unterberger has characterized Miami bass as using rhythms with a "stop-start flavor" and "hissy" cymbals with lyrics that "reflected the language of the streets, particularly Miami's historically black neighborhoods such as Liberty City, Goulds, and Overtown".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mantronix</span> American hip hop band

Mantronix was an influential 1980s hip hop and electro funk music group from New York City. The band was formed by DJ Kurtis Mantronik and rapper MC Tee. The group is primarily remembered for its pioneering blend of old school hip hop, electronic, and club music. They underwent several genre and line-up changes during its seven-year existence between 1984 and 1991, and released five albums beginning with their 1985 debut The Album.

Kurtis el Khaleel, known by the stage name Kurtis Mantronik, is a Jamaican-born hip hop and electronic-music artist, DJ, remixer, and producer. He was the leader, DJ, and keyboardist of the influential 1980s hip hop and electro-funk group Mantronix. He currently lives in South Africa where he has produced and remixed house and techno music tracks by artists such as India, Junior Senior, Kylie Minogue, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Michael Gray, Victoria Beckham, Liberty X, S Club, and Mim. Mantronik was influential in the development of hip hop music: notably, he laid the foundations for Southern hip hop genres such as Miami bass and trap music, and helped popularize the Amen break.

Bryce Wilson is an American record producer/entrepreneur and actor. He was one half of the 1990s duo Groove Theory, and a former member of the dance/electro hip-hop group Mantronix.

Love City Groove were a musical group who represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995, with their self-titled song after being the winner in a public vote. The song finished tenth with 76 points; and peaked at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Music Madness</i> 1986 studio album by Mantronix

Music Madness is the second album by old school hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix. Music Madness was the final Mantronix album released on the independent Sleeping Bag Records label. The hip hop album features club-oriented production by Kurtis Mantronik and MC Tee's b-boy-based rapping.

<i>In Full Effect</i> 1988 studio album by Mantronix

In Full Effect is the third album by the hip hop-electro funk group Mantronix, released in 1988. It was the first Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. In Full Effect was the highest charting hip-hop album for Mantronix, reaching #18 on the 1988 Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The album peaked at No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. In Full Effect was rapper MC Tee's final Mantronix album.

<i>I Sing the Body Electro</i> 1998 studio album by Kurtis Mantronik

I Sing the Body Electro is the debut solo album of former Mantronix member Kurtis Mantronik. The album was released in 1998 on the Oxygen Music Works label and featured female MC Traylude on lead vocals.

<i>This Should Move Ya</i> 1990 studio album by Mantronix

This Should Move Ya is the fourth album by the American hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix, released in 1990. It was the second Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. This Should Move Ya featured new members Bryce "Luvah" Wilson and Kurtis Mantronik’s cousin D.J. D, who joined founding member Mantronik following the departure of rapper MC Tee.

<i>The Incredible Sound Machine</i> 1991 studio album by Mantronix

The Incredible Sound Machine is the fifth and final studio album by old school hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix, and the third Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. The Incredible Sound Machine featured new member, vocalist Jade Trini, who replaced D.J. D. Trini joined rapper Bryce "Luvah" Wilson, and founding member, DJ Kurtis Mantronik.

Touré Embden, known by the stage name MC Tee, is a Hatian American emcee and co-founder of the 1980s old school hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeping Bag Records</span> American record label

Sleeping Bag Records was a New York City-based independent record label founded by musician Arthur Russell and entrepreneur Will Socolov. It was active between 1981 and 1992, and specialized in dance music and hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fresh Records (US)</span> American record label

Fresh Records was a New York City-based independent record label that operated from 1985 to 1992. The label was a subsidiary of Sleeping Bag Records that sold hip hop music. The label's roster included EPMD, Nice & Smooth, Just-Ice and T La Rock; house-music pioneer Todd Terry; and electro artists Hanson & Davis and Chocolette.

<i>The Best of Mantronix 1985–1999</i> 1999 greatest hits album by Mantronix

The Best of Mantronix 1985–1999 is a compact disc compilation album by hip hop/electro-funk group, Mantronix. The album was released by Virgin Records on March 15, 1999.

<i>Thats My Beat</i> 2002 compilation album by Mantronix

That's My Beat is a compilation album by hip hop–electro funk musician Kurtis Mantronik and features tracks selected by Mantronik and cited as influences to his work with his hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix. The album was released on the Soul Jazz Records label in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got to Have Your Love</span> 1989 single by Mantronix

"Got to Have Your Love" is a song by American hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix, featuring vocals from American recording artist Wondress. It was released by Capitol Records in December 1989 as the lead single from Mantronix's fourth studio album, This Should Move Ya (1990). The song is written by band members Bryce Wilson and Kurtis Mantronik along with Johnny D. Rodriguez, and produced by Mantronix. It reached number four in the UK, number seven in Finland and number eight in Ireland. It is recognized as the group's signature song.

<i>The Best of Mantronix (1986–1988)</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Mantronix

The Best of Mantronix (1986–1988) is a compact disc and vinyl record compilation album by hip hop/electo funk group Mantronix. The album was released on the Ten record label in 1990.

<i>The Tunnel</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Funkmaster Flex and Big Kap

The Tunnel is a collaborative album by American DJs Funkmaster Flex and Big Kap. It was released on December 7, 1999, via Def Jam Recordings.

Big Fun in the Big Town is a Dutch music documentary made by the VPRO in 1986. It was directed by Bram van Splunteren and presented by Belgian TV presenter Marcel Vanthilt. The documentary was shot on location in New York City and consisted of two parts, one about rock singer Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the other about the American hip hop scene. The latter turned out to have a much bigger impact on the Dutch music scene and enjoys a cult classic status among hip-hop fans.

<i>Reggae Owes Me Money</i> 1991 studio album by the Ragga Twins

Reggae Owes Me Money is the debut album by British duo the Ragga Twins, produced by hardcore duo Shut Up and Dance and released on the latter's record label of the same name in May 1991. After establishing themselves as dancehall artists from the Unity soundsystem in the 1980s, the Ragga Twins switched direction in the early 1990s, combining into a duo after signing to Shut Up & Dance's label. The production duo stirred the Ragga Twins' change in direction, fusing their previous reggae and dancehall style into the Shut Up & Dance rave dance music.

References

  1. ↑ Chin, Brian (1 February 1986). "dance trax". Billboard . 98 (5). ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 Coleman 2014, p. 346.
  3. 1 2 3 Coleman 2005, p. 141.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Coleman 2014, p. 347.
  5. 1 2 Coleman 2005, p. 144.
  6. 1 2 Coleman 2014, p. 348.
  7. 1 2 3 Coleman 2005, p. 142.
  8. 1 2 Coleman 2014, p. 349.
  9. 1 2 Coleman 2014, p. 350.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Coleman 2014, p. 351.
  11. 1 2 Coleman 2005, p. 143.
  12. ↑ Coleman 2014, p. 348-349.
  13. ↑ Coleman 2014, p. 352.
  14. ↑ Coleman 2005, p. 143-144.
  15. ↑ Coleman 2014, p. 353-354.
  16. ↑ Coleman 2014, p. 354.
  17. ↑ Henderson.
  18. 1 2 3 Patrin 2008.
  19. 1 2 Considine 1986.
  20. ↑ Tucker 1986.
  21. ↑ Mathur 1986.
  22. ↑ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME . Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2023.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.