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Freestylers

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(1996 – present)

The Freestylers formed in 1996 when DJs and dance music producers Matt Cantor, Aston Harvey and (initially) Andrew Galea joined forces. All three of them had been involved in the British dance music scene since the 1980s. Cantor had recorded as Cut n’ Paste and Strike with Andy Gardner (Plump DJs). Aston Harvey recorded as Blapps! Posse best known for the 1990 breakbeat dance hit “Don’t Hold Back” before working with Definition of Sound, Rebel MC and DJ Rap (as DJ Rap and Aston). Harvey joined with Galea under the name Sol Brothers before Cantor was recruited to form the Freestylers. The group took their name from their first sample “Don’t Stop The Rock” by Freestyle.

The trio’s first single “Drop The Boom (AK-48)” on their own Scratch City Records in 1996 becoming a dancefloor hit in the UK and Miami. The band released the Freestyle EP in 1996 on Freskanova (Freskanova’s parent label, Fresh, had released Cantor, Galea and Harvey’s previous work). Andrew Galea left the Freestylers shortly after the release of the Freestyle EP.

After the departure of Andrew Galea, Matt and Aston formed an 11-piece band (initially an idea of their record label, Freskanova). This consisted of the 2 producers (Cantor and Harvey), a scratch DJ (Mad Doctor X), a guitarist (Tony Ayiotou), drummer (Clive Jenner), bass guitarist (Joe Henson), 2 MCs (MC Navigator and Tenor Fly) and 3 breakdancers (Coza, Marat, Tim).

The band’s first album We Rock Hard was released in 1998. The single “B-Boy Stance” became a singles hit in the UK in 1998 featuring the contributions of rapper Tenor Fly. In 1999, the Freestylers enjoyed success in the U.
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630
2 Play
Now Is the Time full track
154
3 Play
Ruffneck full track
149
4 Play
Drop the Boom full track
146
5 Play
Intro full track
141
6 Play
Don't Stop full track
130
7 Play
Blowin Ya Brainz full track
124
8  
116
9 Play
Feel The Panic full track
109
10  
98
11 Play
Bass Odyssey full track
97
12  
91
13 Play
Weekend Song full track
89
14 Play
B-Boy Stance full track
80
15 Play
Warning full track
78
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T-shirts now available

2 Nov 2009 | from www.againstthegrainrecords.com

There's no better way to represent breaks and your favourite record label and club night than with this new brand new range of Against The Grain t-shirts. …

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