A.J.Holmes: The King Of The New Electric Hi-Life was made with the with the help of
my beautiful friends:
Folo Graff,
Dan Hayhurst aka Sculpture,
Anne Laplantine,
Robert Truscott,
Naomi Colvin,
Horton Jupiter,
Virginie Varlet,
João Orecchia,
Man Cascade,
Jeff Tarlton,
Shintaro Taketani,
Vanishing Breed
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THE HACKNEY EMPIRE:
Gedman: Drums/Samples
A.J. Holmes: Guitar / Vocals
Sabine Love: Percussion / Vocals,
Martyn Potter: Bass/Vocals
Dasi Xurrad: Percussion / Vocals
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Special thanks to the wonderful NINO, my beautiful stylist xxxx
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A.J. HOLMES FACEBOOK FAN PAGE FACEBOOK GROUP
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TO PUT A.J. HOLMES AS A TOP FRIEND USE: ALEX@ISAWTHEM.COM CHEERS!
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***************New Album Out Now on Pingipung Records*********************
********************40 in Spex top 50 albums of 2007**************************
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Influences
Adam and the Ants, Imagination, Folo Graff, S.E.Rogie, Emile Ogoo, Super Combo, Tabansi Records, Mahotella Queens, Queen (Feddie Mercury; the Queen of Pop), HM Queen of England, Ludwig zwei King of Bavaria, Franco (the king of Rumba), Pulp, Jarvis Cocker, Dünyayi Kurtaran Adam (Turkish Star Wars), They Came From The Stars I Saw Them, Anne Laplantine, Les Beaux Gosses de Berlin, The Heart of Darkness:Joseph Conrad, Tony Conrad (more his films then his music...sorry Tony!), Arthur Russell, Suicide, Martin Rev, Martin Creed, VA6, Add N Too X, The Incredible String Band, Love, Soft Cell, Human League, Vince Clark, Grandmaster Flash, Africa Bambata and the soulsonic force/Zulu Nation, Run DMC, The Massive Crew, Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Orhan Gencebay, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Flying Lizards, Led Zepplin, Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas, Leon Marks (18 Kingsland Rd), Leon Muraglia & klub Kosmischa, London Clubs: Dungeons ("I remember Acid House like it was only yesterday!") Smashing, Harder Loader Faster, Pig lingo, We Are Electric, Berlin club: Lumumba, Lord Kitchener (the king of Calypso), Honest Johns 'London is the place for me' compilations, The Smiths, The La's, The Stone Roses, Durutti Column, Stereo Lab, Joe Meek, Serge Gainsbourg, Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Roxy Music, Sparks, The White Sport, Gilbert and George, Klaus Nomi, Momus, Minty, Leigh Bowery, The Offset, The Paper People, Demon, Go Kart Mozart, La Grand Kelle, Zaiko Langa Langa, Fela Kuti, Michael Jackson, Prince, OutKast, Tarkan, Crazy Titch, Wiley (the king of Grime), The Roll Deep Crew, (actually most of the Grime scene), Smiley Culture (the cockney translator), The Congos, Lee Scratch Perry, Terry Reily, Steve Reich, Neu, Cluster, Harmonia, Kraftwerk ...some body stop me...the list could go on endlessly, but I need to go to bed now!
Sounds Like
A Europeans idea of African music, something like Vandike Parks 'Discover America' but with Highlife instead of Calypso...more like 'Discover Hackney East London!'
Due to a recent misunderstanding, A.J. Holmes would like to state that he in no way claims to be the 'King' of 'Hi Life' or 'High Life' music.
'New Electric Hi-Life' is Holmes’s blend of African music and European electronic Pop.
There for A.J. Holmes does not claim to be a 'Hi-life' or 'High Life' musician or to be playing 'Hi-Life' or 'High Life' music.
A.J. Holmes regrets (but can not take responsibility) for any confusion the tittle of his album 'The King Of The New Electric Hi-Life' may course.
ALL LOVE and PEACE! AJ xxx
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A.J. HOLMES: TRACKS ARTE TV AFRO POP PROFILE HERE
AJ NOW HAS A BAND 'A.J. HOLMES & THE HACKNEY EMPIRE'
A.J. HOLMES & THE HACKNEY EMPIRE RADIO SHOW ON DIESEL U MUSIC 23/10/09
W/ SPECIAL GUEST ABDUL TEE JAY
DOWNLOAD A.J. HOLMES RADIO SHOW ON DIESEL U MUSIC W/ PAPA MILO & THE HACKNEY EMPIRE LIVE SESSION PART 1PART 2
FREINDS OF STYLE PROFILE HERE
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A.J. Holmes is the artist formerly know as Vanishing Breed also as a fonding member of they came from the stars i saw them
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The New Electric Hi-Life is Holmes’s unique blend of African music and Electronic Pop.
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The phase 'Hi-Life' is from ‘Highlife’ a musical genre that originated in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria starting in the 1920's and is a hybrid of African and European music styles.
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March 6th 2007 saw the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s independence from Britain. It seems very apt that 2007 was the year that The King of the New Electric Hi-Life was released; it is a perfect contemporary example of the West African influence in Britain today.
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The story of the New Electric Hi-Life: African musician and teacher Folo Graff emigrated from Free town, Sierra Leone, West Africa to the birth place of A.J. Holmes (the East End of London) in 1976. In 1999 they became neighbours and a year later Folo Graff started to teach Alexander Holmes Palm Wine Hi–life guitar music.
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Mixing this with his background in English electric pop Holmes records an E.P. entitled 'The Seasons' released by Static Caravan in 2002 under the artist name Vanishing Breed .
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The same year he recorded the album 'Between arrive and departure' ("album of the year":Die Zweit) and was released by Pingipung Nov 2005.
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His lastest ablum The King Of The New Electric Hi-Life was released August 20th 2007 on Pingiung and is co produced by Sculpture and Anne Laplantine .
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Recording with Radioclit for Esau Mwamwaya's album.
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Connected projects:
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AJ is a member of the SESOUSSE SOUND SYSTEM and SECOUSSE CLUB London's monthly Tropical party
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LAST MINUTE OF SECOUSSE NOV 08
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Holmes plays guitar in Les Beaux Gosses de Berlin (the good looking boys of Berlin) a Berlin based 20 piece Congolese Rumba band.
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1st Single out on Our House Sevens DECEMBER 2008, and here's just a little taster of what's happening in a basment in an Afro shop in Wedding, Berlin! Germany!!!! every Wednesday and Sunday night. ENJOY!
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Also with partner Nilgün Serbest Holmes is Slammer Booster the DJ/VJ/performance team.
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Holmes was also one of the founder members of the infamous London band they came from the stars i saw them "Probably the UK's most pretentious group: Flux). Our long lost L.P. 'they came for the star i saw them Vs Reality' was released 2007...finally!!!!!!!! On Onomatopoeia, so cheers for that Nick;)
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A.J. HOLMES & THE HACKNEY EMPIRE @ RFH FRI's Friend Space (Top 24)
A.J. HOLMES & THE HACKNEY EMPIRE @ RFH FRI has 1619 friends.
My Brother moves to London in 2 weeks so we should have a place to stay if we are fortunate enough to play there. Hope we can see you at Secousse some time.. really enjoying the music!
how u doin?just passin through your page spreading some love.'ve put some nu house music trax that i just finished working on.please have a listen n drop n honest opinion/advise/comment.thanks for your time. Peace
KEVIN BLECHDOM - NEW ALBUM !!! OUT NOW !!!! OMG !!!
GENTLEMANIA!! GENTLEMANIA!! GENTLEMANIA!! GENTLEMANIA!!
An acoustic album chock full of palpitating love songs.
Kevin Blechdom plays piano and sings.
Available NOW on iTunes in Germany.
On Sonig.
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His lastest ablum The King Of The New Electric Hi-Life was released August 20th 2007 on Pingiung and is co produced by 
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