WOMAD

Moodphase 5ive

From South Africa

2001:Moodphase 5ive started four years ago as a collaboration between a trio called Boomslang (Brian de Goede , Jean and Fanus Tofte) consisting of live drums, bass guitar and Stratocaster, a freaked-out DJ with the weirdest record collection (Adam Lieber a.k.a the Bonanza Klone) and an MC called Ultrabuzzurkk!! After a couple of jam sessions Moodphase5ive were born and became the first live band in Cape Town to play with a DJ in their set using the turntables as an instrument, and to incorporate DJs to play before and after the gigs.Working as a collaborative force, incorporating nomadic Angolan pimp percussionists, beatboxers, freestylers and vocalists from all walks of life, Moodphase 5ive spread their dirty funk around and after playing almost all the venues and hole-in-the-wall-clubs in the Mother City while constantly working on developing their styles the band decided to record some of their music independently.At this point the band underwent some line-up changes as The bonanza Clone moved on to solo projects and Jean and Fanus pursued other creativities. Filling the gap left by these member is keyboardist Craig Damster, and Budi Cava (bass and hysteria) and Douglas Armstrong a.k.a Drugless Lovestrong (trumpet, wahwah and savoir-faire), who were taking a break from the Honeymoon Suites, saw the gap and took it.The new line up of Moodphase 5ive released their first full length album in December last year. The album was recorded, engineered, arranged and produced by Craig Damster over nine months during 2000 at Onyx studios in Cape Town. His musical direction adds subtle nuances and layers to the streetwise beats.These recordings were then tweaked into recordings of international standard, in a mammoth three week mix and master session by Krushed & Sorted, and will be released on their label African Dope Records.Broadly speaking Moodphase 5ive are a digital organic hip hop outfit, but embrace many hybrid styles from jazz, to dub, to downright funky.It’s futuristically ancient like a rusty spaceship, universal yet uncompromisingly South African, with a powerful positive message.Moodphase 5ive have played to both large and intimate audiences (geto3000, on the side at the Nico,Pickle, Oppikoppi 2000, Jo’burg on Long, and with too many other groups to mention) and shall continue to do so for as long as they all shall live.