Shoulder to shoulder as the crowd beams bugged-eyed smiles through strobe flashes. Your legs wobble unsteadily from so much dancing but through the smoke-filled darkness a voice brings you back. The track slowly builds, climbing through unholy frequencies that split over the surging mass on the dancefloor. And then the time arrives for the master of this ceremony to herald the madness. MC Shureshock wields the mic, as if conducting the whole room's energy in his hand for one brief moment. His call goes out, like a primal scream for the battle ahead. The bassline drops. You're back off into the beautiful chaos. From its embryonic days in laser-filled rooms in the early 1990s to the commercial juggernaut it is today, the short history of Australia's dance music scene is a tapestry of innumerable stories born out of the late-night love we all share for this twisted kind of fun. During that time the industry, both locally and abroad, has sought to reinvent itself more times than Madonna on crack. But in its constant search for innovation MC Shureshock's voice has been there to guide the journey. MC Shureshock, aka Cameron James Brown, made his first forays on the mic in 1990 as an early player in Brisbane's burgeoning rave scene where his vocal dexterity and showmanship lit the fuse for now-legendary dance floor riots. It's a testament to Shureshock's durability in the disposable world of dance music that these pioneering events are now reminisced at "old skool" reunion rave parties almost 20 years later. As the decade neared its end, Shureshock turned his attention to the emerging underground sound of breakbeat coming out of the UK. This fresh style, which matched hip-hop party jams and electro synth lines with rumbling basslines, allowed Shureshock to build on his vocal range, providing him room to add lyrical flow to his already unquestionable ability to hype a crowd. Between his adventures taking breakbeat from small clubs around the country to festival stages, Shureshock found the time to help form Zephyr Timbre, a locally-revered Brisbane five-piece that quickly built a national reputation with its blend of tight rhythms, sultry vocals and party-rocking percussion. The band secured spots on the Big Day Out lineup and, most famously, supported Jamiroquai on the UK outfit's 2002 Australian tour. But breakbeat would re-assert itself as Shureshock's central musical focus around this time when he met Jesse Desenberg, aka Kid Kenobi, who was on his way to being voted Australia's number one DJ. With an instant friendship born out of a love of music and performing, the pair made the perfect accomplices both on and off stage, a formidable duo that would become the pin-up boys for breakbeat as Australia's love affair with the sound blossomed. Almost nine years on and thousands of frequent flyer miles later, Shureshock and Kid Kenobi remain crowd favourites wherever they go. Tours of the UK, US, Canada, Brazil, China, Switzerland and New Zealand have come and gone while Shureshock has taken his vocal skills to the studio on a string of Ministry of Sound compilation releases, including the high-selling Clubber's Guide to Breaks series. He still holds the title as the only MC to feature on a MOS compilation.ever. Reggae-dub outfit, Noiseshaper loved the remixes and his vocals on the dubbed-out disc 2 of the first 'Sessions' release so much they released that version on their own album. His next recording will be on Kid Kenobi's Klub Kids compilation which is expected to hit shelves in the first half of 2009. Along the way Shureshock has shrugged off the frustrating but apparently necessary pastime of pigeonholing, choosing instead to genre-hop his way through the business and work alongside an impressive list of renowned producers and DJs including the Stanton Warriors, Krafty Kuts, Goldie, Andy C, Fatboy Slim, Freq Nasty, The Crystal Method and, of course, Australia's finest talent like Kid Kenobi, Bexta, Pendulum, Q45 and DB Chills, Greg Packer. More recently the versatile MC has jumped off the stage and in front of the camera for http://www.unseentv.com.au, hosting spots and interviewing artists behind the scenes at the DMC Championships and some of Australia's biggest dance music festivals. Booking studio time to start preparations for his debut album is on Shureshock's agenda in 2009 as is a highly anticipated visit to indigenous communities in Far North Queensland to contribute to a project that aims to preserve ancient languages and dialects threatened with extinction through the use music. But after igniting thousands of gigs with unparalleled bursts of energy and an undeniable stage presence, you can bet Shureshock doesn't plan on letting the dance floor rest anytime soon. Here comes the drop.
For all recording, bookings or media enquiries please contact agency@jammusic.com.au - Kid Kenobi show or mcshureshock@yahoo.com - Solo bookings.
Mate spewin i missed your set.. i really dig ure tunes man, awesome creativity bro.. keen to collab and get sum ideas of u.. thanks 4 the words bro.. see u wen u up again. peace
sorry cam. I think I was hacked. logged in today and a msg from 'tom' saying my a/c was phished. hope it's ok now. I don't check it often enough so didn't notice
Hey, hope all is well! Stop by the page and check out the newest Mindstorm tunes "Midnight Rush" and "Gamer's Delight" recently added to the player when you get a chance.
"Midnight Rush" has a more Brookes Brothers/Futurebound vibe while "Gamer's Delight" is just full-blown dirty analog bliss. Leave some love if you like what you hear, it's always appreciated. Big up!
