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Edenheight
Edenheight are a deep-groovin' and original outfit with a soulful urban sound. Forged in Bristol, their list of influences favour more percussive styles including Afro, Funk, Hip Hop & Dub, and as such dance-ability is a precedent.
This standard owes as much to an evolution in the city's underground live scene as to their appreciation of high energy musicianship and production.
The Breakin Bread Crew met the band at a party held in Coventry a couple of years ago by the Color Climax mainstay Paul T. They were immediately impressed by the capability of the players and a different sound from most other modern soul/funk outfits. Bandmembers play regularly in The Southwest with other bands like The Manfredi Funk Initiative and 100 Strong.
Members have also played around the UK and Europe in various other bands including The Haggis Horns and are a regular support act, recently playing with DJ Shadow's Introducing Endtroducing and Osaka Monaurail.
Picking up on the infectious rhythms of boogie piano was the beginning of a largely self educated musical journey for Edenheight originator, Evan Newman. His earliest significant experiences of rare funk and latin soul began at the Jelly Jazz club night at the Quay Club in Plymouth. This brand eventually formed a label and released an E.P. of the ferociously funky "Big World Skunk" (a band in which he toured with the Jazzcotech dancers and the messin' around crew, also playing at both the Jazz Cafe and Ronnie Scotts, alongside musicians who since worked with Kasabian, Mark Ronson, Super Furry Animals, The Haggis Horns and recent Record Kicks' signees "The Underbelly").
Spells in art rock outfit "Suncoil Sect" (Rocket Records) and then in Europe with his own project "Contraband Sessions" and "Regis T" (Tuff Gong), brought in broader influences such as dub, reggae, Drum and bass and Psychedelic styles.
Edenheight came from an idea in tight collaboration with Bristol friends and funk lovers including Stef Manfredi of "Manfredi Funk Initiative", Patrick Leith and Sam Brown of "The Subversions", and long-time geetar pickin' Badman formerly known as Balrog. After a spell in development, the band emerged on the live music scene scene and quickly found their groove.
Since then Newman has worked with The Haggis Horns (who may feature in future releases with the band), Hundred Strong (Bristol Hip Hop mainstays), The Skatellites, Vin Gordon, Manfredi Funk Initiative, the Contraband Sessions crew and many hugely talented individuals whose unique abilities have all been of marked influence along the way.
Artists he's supported as part of the various bands above include Maceo Parker, War, Tower of Power, Horace Andy, JTQ, Snowboy and the Latin Section, Marva Whitney and Osaka Monaurail, Baby Charles and The Sweet Vandals to name a few.
The sweet tones of Elle Dee, the singer on the single, have also featured in live shows and studio works by old school Bristol heads "Smith and Mighty". Now in collaboration with Edenheight, she aims to co-produce further interesting collaborative releases in the near future.
Madlox features heavily in the current live show, bringing his raw flow from Bristol's Hip Hop culture to the band stage.
Arj Magee has found himself on drums with the band after first joining Manfredi Funk Initiative, and only a couple of years on looks set to work with Dennis Rollins in a new branch of his fledgling career.
Marcel Osborne is the bass player joining Magee and Newman at the helm of the rhythm section, never failing to groove the ass off the bands repertoire.
Percussionist Mark Claydon (The Get Up, Gene Drayton Unit and more recently of The Fantastics) has been collaborating with the band for a while now, bringing his positive influence to the studio and the live stage whenever possible.
In addition to axeman Martin Badman, the band work with ex-Big World Skunk guitarist Jon Friesner in some capacity too.
The Horn Section currently consists of Aussie tenor saxophone player John Pratt, and Andrew Neil Hayes on alto/soprano.
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