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Sound Unlimited

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For the 1980s TV show, see Sounds (Australian TV series).

Sound Unlimited
Also known asWestside Posse
Sound Unlimited Posse
OriginSydney
GenresHip hop
Years active1990–1994
LabelsCBS Records
MembersRosano (El Assassin) Martinez
Tina (T-Na) Martinez
MC Kode Blue
Vlad DJ BTL

Sound Unlimited, formerly known as Sound Unlimited Posse and Westside Posse,[1] was an Australian hip hop group from Sydney and the first Australian hip hop act signed to a major label (Sony BMG) during the 1990s.[2][3][4][5] The band's members were: Rosano (El Assassin) and Tina Martinez (who were brother and sister), MC Kode Blue and Vlad DJ BTL.[6]

History

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Westside Posse originated from the western suburbs of Sydney in the Burwood subdivision in 1983. Their first recording, "Pull the Trigger", was a track on a compilation album, Down Under by Law, released by Virgin Records in 1988. Later in 1989 they became a dance, hip hop and pop group, Sound Unlimited Posse, with the line-up of Rosano "El Assassin" Martinez as rapper, Vladimir "DJ B.L.T." Cherapanoff (ex-Digits) and rapper Alan "Kode Blue".[7] The group had members of Russian and mixed Spanish and Filipino origin.[8] They rapped about "the evils of racism and the power of positivity" in their single, "Peace by Piece (By Piece Mix)", released in 1990.[7][9] Also in that year they supported the Australian leg of tours by visiting international artists, Public Enemy, De La Soul and New Kids on the Block.[7][10] After Martinez's younger sister, Tina, joined the group they shortened their name to Sound Unlimited.[7]

They released three singles from their debut album, A Postcard from the Edge of the Underside (1992), with "Kickin' to the Undersound" (April 1992), "Saturday Night" (October 1992) and "One More from the City" (April 1993).[7][11] Members Def Wish and Sereck of Def Wish Cast appear b-boying in the film clip for "Saturday". The album title is inspired by the 1990 film, Postcards from the Edge, which is about a recovering drug addict. A Postcard from the Edge of the Underside was the only Australian rap album to be released by a major label (Columbia Sony) in the 1990s.[12] This "breakthrough recording deal" was negotiated with the help of Public Enemy.[10]

The group's origins in Sydney's western suburbs impacted the music they created.[13][14] Those suburbs have residents, who are "traditionally regarded as real people, working-class, underprivileged and crime-ridden," and have substantial immigrant communities. They have significantly less access to the cultural and social capital of residents in more affluent, serviced suburbs, creating space for a different cultural form, that of underground hip-hop. Sound Unlimited publicly declared their underground status in that album title.[15]

Despite major label support, the group received criticism from some in the Australian hip hop community[5] as their music was, "slick and heavily instrumental" and also because of claims by the band to represent Sydney Hip Hop.[16] They contributed to the Australian Hip Hop scene by supporting several other bands. They performed at the Big Day Out Music Festival in 1992.[17]

The group split up in 1994, with Rosano and Tina forming the UK-based[citation needed] acid jazz band Renegade Funktrain with Tina's husband, Derek Antunes (a former drummer for New Kids on the Block's touring band).[18]

In 2004, the A.S.K. Mix of "One More from the City" featured on the various artists compilation album. 15.Oz Vinyl: 15 Years of Australian Hip Hop on Vinyl. It showcased early and important tracks in Australian hip hop. For the first time Sound Unlimited appeared with other key artists of the genre such as the AKA Brothers, Koolism, Def Wish Cast and Hilltop Hoods.

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Album details
A Postcard from the Edge of the Underside
  • Released: 1992
  • Label: CBS Records Australia
  • Format: Vinyl, LP

Singles

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Title Year Peak chart positions Album
AUS
[19]
"Peace by Piece" 1990 97 A Postcard from the Edge of the Underside
"Unity" 1991 40
"Kickin' to the Undersound" 1992 20
"Saturday Night" 59
"One More from the City" 1993 56

Awards and nominations

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ARIA Music Awards

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The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
1994 "One More from the City" Best Pop Release Nominated [20][21]

References

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  1. ^ Mitchell, Tony. "Indigensing hip-hop: an Australian migrant youth culture". Local Noise. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  2. ^ Pollard, Mark (10 May 2003). "Australian Hip Hop – Ministry Magazine article". Stealth magazine. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  3. ^ "15 MOMENTS IN SYDNEY HIP HOP by Mark Pollard". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  4. ^ Australian Ministry magazine, "Australian hip hop", Issue 04, April 2003
  5. ^ a b Colman, Tim (8 April 2005). "The Great hip hopes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  6. ^ "Sound Unlimited (2)". discogs. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Renegade Funktrain'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 9 August 2004.
  8. ^ Global Noise: Rap and Hip-hop Outside the USA – Page 273, by Tony Mitchell, (Google Books)
  9. ^ Murphy, Jason (Blaze) (March–April 1991). "Sound Unlimited Posse". Vapors. No. 7. Code of Reason.
  10. ^ a b Maxwell, Ian. "Sydney Stylee: Hip-Hop Down Under Comin' Up." Global Noise: Rap and Hip-Hop Outside the USA. Ed. Tony Mitchell. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2001: p. 268.
  11. ^ "Soundbuzz". Soundbuzz Australia. 6 February 2004. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  12. ^ "Australian hip hop as a 'glocal' subculture" (PDF). The Ultimo Series Seminar. 18 March 1998. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  13. ^ Bennett, Andy (2001). "Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture". Cultures of Popular Music. UK: Open University Press. p. 101. ISBN 0-335-20250-0.
  14. ^ Mitchell, Tony (1996). Popular Music and Local Identity: Pop, Rock and Rap in Europe and Oceania. London: University of Leicester Press. p. 8.
  15. ^ Mitchell, Tony. "Australian hip hop as a 'glocal' subculture." Presented at The Ultimo Series Seminar. 18 March 1998: 5. <http://www.snarl.org/youth/>
  16. ^ Phat Beats, Dope Rhymes: Hip Hop Down Under Comin' Upper – Page 49, By Ian Maxwell (Google Books)
  17. ^ Big Day Out – Past Lineups, 1992 Archived 30 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Mitchell, Tony: Indigensing hip-hop: an Australian migrant youth culture Archived 7 September 2012 at archive.today, Local Noise (Australian Research Council).
  19. ^ Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
    • Top 50 peaks: "Discography Sound Unlimited Possé". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
    • Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 261.
  20. ^ "Winners by Year 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 9 January 2012.
  21. ^ "Australia 1994 ARIA Awards". ALLdownunder.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
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