Vinyl Life 'Vinyl Life' album

Hell with computers... this is the analog Sh!T... its Innovation baby! It's time to have some fun. The boys in Vinyl Life have been at it for years rocking classic Hip-Hop, rave and house cassettes while at the same time collecting an impressive array of vintage analog gear. Seriously pissed off with the lack of presentation in modern electronic music, Vinyl Life built their debut album from the ground up and it’s all about the live show. Think Joey Beltram meets The Jungle Brothers meets Fast Eddie meets The KLF.

A true live act, New York City’s Vinyl Life is comprised of founder/programmer Butcha, MC Phaze Future and Keyboardist Richie Roxx. The stage show is comprised of a full on “rig” of analog gear set up on the stage where Phaze Future stands front and center dropping his signature rhymes and making an instant connection with audiences. And since most Vinyl Life tracks feature lyrics, this show is much more exciting than 45 minutes of instrumentals. There’s a classic pop element here that’s hard to resist and it’s the "gear-only" philosophy that gives Vinyl Life a sound like no other. Studio tracks have a live feel because they are produced in a dub style - the mixing board is the main instrument.

With a needle-on-the-record crackle, “Hot Sauce” immerses in some fresh Hip-House packed with Phaze Future’s hysterical lyrics, vocodered choruses, P-Funk bassline and 4/4 beats. “Hi-Tops” takes it way back to the rave era, throbbing with all of those great elements that made it an inspirational time for dance music. Yes, sirens are included. “Bass Go Boom” ventures out into breakier territories matching jagged beats and heavy synths with lyrics that cite Brillo Pads, Weed and Blanka from Street Fighter. Next, we turn down another road and find the album’s ballad – “Electric Symphony (feat. Nite Club).” It’s pure robot love with vocals split between Richie Roxx and Butcha. We wash away the tears and get ready to boogie once again with “Innovation (Sebastian Marciano Remix).” This is the big room dance track of the album and it possesses quite an electro synth line. It’s simply massive.

“Like This” is the album’s first single and a classic sing-a-long for the breakdancers. You can listen to this song and imagine kids spinning on their heads. “Elevator Up,” “Future Beat” and “Etch-A-Sketch” provide some more Hip-House madness, while “Good Life (It's More Fun To Compute)” is Vinyl Life’s ode to Kraftwerk and a pretty sick cover. Next, for a real pace changer the boys visit the islands and recruit dancehall prophet Uzimon who spits some tropic thunder on "Press Rewind." And if Vinyl Life’s comedic side was not yet apparent, then look no further than their 2009 reworking of De La Soul’s “Take It Off.” This one features Prince Paul collaborator J-Zone and proves that the more times change the more they remain the same.

Recommended If You LIke: Afrika Bambaataa, De La Soul, Dynamix II, Fast Eddie, Hashim, Joey Beltram, Kraftwerk, Model 500, The Jungle Brothers, The KLF, Whodini

Vinyl Life biography
Looking back to the dance music explosion of the mid-1990’s there’s one common string that connects the genre’s most accomplished artists – an exciting live show. Whether it’s The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Underworld or Groove Armada, the live show is an element needed to make a connection with audiences. Dance music has often been considered a genre lacking excitement and one where DJs hide in a booth spinning unknown tunes for many hours. It’s no surprise then that artists delivering a dynamic live show are also the one’s making the biggest impact both critically and commercially.

Vinyl Life – comprised of true New York City boys Butcha, Phaze Future and Richie Roxx – understand the power of a live show. Blending the worlds of electronic house music and classic Hip-Hop, Vinyl Life have carved out a niche of their own at a time when live and actively touring acts are few and far between. With just a few EP and single releases under their belt, Vinyl Life has already brought their unique live show to venue across the United States and international territories.

Keeping with the “old school vibe” and love of classic Hip-Hop, Vinyl Life produces with real instruments and hardware both in the studio and on stage. It’s the "gear-only" philosophy that gives Vinyl Life a sound like no other and their studio tracks have a live feel because they are produced in a dub style - the mixing board is the main instrument. Club audiences love seeing Vinyl Life create live house music on stage with an energy and vibe that no single DJ could supply.

Beyond the music production, Vinyl Life’s Phil Moffa is also a contributing editor for dance music’s longest running magazine DJ Times; its sister publication Club World Magazine; and is a Production Master Class Instructor at State University Of New York at Purchase (all three Vinyl Life members also graduated from the school). He’s also once lent his classic Roland TR-909 to Detroit techno legend Jeff Mills for a live performance! 2009 will find Vinyl Life taking things to the next level. Paramount to the band’s growth is the summer release of a debut vinyl artist album via their Tape Theory label. The music will reflect the multiple tastes of Vinyl Life’s three members and is set to traverse multiple genres including house, Hip-Hop, hip-house, electro and reggae. Vinyl Life will tour extensively in support of the release; taking their unique approach to live electronic music to hungry audiences across the world.

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Vinyl Life - Vinyl Life