When the music industry is rife with untalented voices and the weakest tunes somehow climb to the top of the charts the struggling artist can only despair. UK duo, Ear Dis have the credentials and the tracks to make chart toppers, but how is it that they still struggle to be heard by the mainstream? Spoonface defends the art and points the finger elsewhere. ‘There is nothing wrong with the music and nothing wrong with the artists. It’s just that these days music needs to go through all these specialists to get to Radio 1.’
The few DJ’s that support experimental and broken beat music is not enough. Giles Peterson is a big influence on the worldwide circuit but in the UK, his support is not enough for this style of music to be lucrative. ‘We need Chris Moyles; we need Jo Wiley to show support.’
Dynamic duo
Ear Dis have a solid history and a formula which has not yet been picked up on by the big wigs. Roxy ‘Arms’ Harris and Spoonface met at a Top of the Pops performance a few years ago. ‘Arms’ has a background in production and has worked with Vanessa Mae and Omar to name drop a few.
Spoonface is not only familiar for his tremendous facial hair but he once reached number one as the voice of Black Legend and the single You See The Trouble With Me. They’ve been around the block but aren’t particularly famous yet. ‘I get people saying, ‘I know you from somewhere, but I can’t pinpoint it.’ It would be pretty hard to forget the lyrics at least. While they sound like gentlemen, the lyrics to Hey Girl suggest a hint of naughtiness; Hey girl, look over your shoulder, why don’t you come over to me, got something to show you’. So it had to be asked, what exactly do you have?
‘I’ve got something in my pocket!’ Oh really? ‘No, I was speaking to a female friend and she was saying that sometimes you’ll be out and see a guy and think ‘I like the way he looks’ and you’ll make an effort to get in front and see the rest of him. I think guys go through that too.’
The track is a catchy number and has created a buzz on the house and broken-beat dance floors but while the mainstream determines the next movement in the industry, it is the only way Ear Dis can bring broken boogie to the charts. Nonetheless, the veterans of urban music Radio 1xtra and Choice FM have shown full blown support. Flavour says, rush out and buy the album Welcome to Floor Boogie when it reaches the shops in summer ’08 since we know what’s really hot!
Words by Selina Campbell
