Bomfunk MC's
Encyclopedia
The Bomfunk MC's are a Breakbeat
, hip hop and electro group formed in 1998 in Finland
. The group's front man is the Finnish
rapper B.O. Dubb
(formerly known as B.O.W., born Raymond Ebanks) and the main producer is Jaakko "JS16
" Salovaara.
's album In Stereo
(Sony Music) with the singles "Freestyler
", "Uprocking Beats" and "B-Boys & Flygirls", all big hits in Finland. The success led to the release of "Freestyler" in Scandinavia and Germany. "Uprocking Beats" reached #1 position on Finnish Dance charts. In Stereo
sold over 600,000 units.
By 2000
, "Freestyler" had become a big hit in Europe
and it was the year's biggest-selling single in Europe
. The single reached number one in Australia
, New Zealand
, Ireland
, Denmark
, Norway
, Sweden
, the Netherlands
, Italy
and Germany
, and number two in the UK
. Also in 2000, they won Best Nordic Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards
.
Nevertheless, the single did spark a little controversy. The line "Who the fuck is Alice, is she from Buckingham Palace?" was censored on the UK radio version, and the video featured a lot of product placement
by Sony.
In 2002, the group released the album Burnin' Sneakers, spawning the singles "Super Electric", "Live Your Life" featuring Max'C, and "(Crack it!) Something Goin' On
" with Jessica Folcker
. This album gained less attention internationally, though selling well in Finland. "Something Goin' On" reached the German top 10.
In September 2002, DJ Gismo decided to leave the band (shortly afterwards joining the band Stonedeep), and was promptly replaced by Riku Pentti (DJ) and Okke Komulainen ("Hypnotic" featuring Elena Mady). Half of the album was produced by JS16, and the other half by The Skillsters Plus One.
"Reverse Psychology" and its singles did not garner much attention outside the Nordic countries. Both of the singles reached the German top 100, but did not chart elsewhere in Western Europe. Even fan reception was extremely mixed. A lot of fans still saw DJ Gismo as one half of the face of the band, despite DJ Gismo not being involved in the production of the bands music except for providing scratches (the remixes of Bomfunk-tracks carrying his name were produced by the band's producer, JS16).
The eastern European market is/was rife with bootlegs of Bomfunk MC's records, with many regularly surfacing on eBay
. In the early 2000s, this became somewhat of a standing joke among fans.
Despite being on a major label at the time, Bomfunk MC's music has been extremely hard to find in most record stores across the globe since 2001. Also, the Bomfunk MC's website was notorious among fans of the band for its lack of updates.
As of 2011, both the official Bomfunk MC's website and the band's largest fansite appear to be offline, with many smaller fansites having disappeared as well. The official page was back online briefly in Russian in 2010.
As of 2011, nothing is known of the current situation of the band, or if the band is indeed still active or not. Many of the band's collaborators have dedicated themselves to other (musical) projects or activities or faded into obscurity. The bands' main producer and mentor, JS16
, is still musically active as a solo artist; 2007 saw the release of his first solo track in over half a decade, "Rosegarden" (which achieved significant club play) and as half of the successful dance act Dallas Superstars
. He is also a successful remixer.
), during the auditions for SuperStar KZ
t, the Kazakh
version of Pop Idol
. The video of the audition has become a viral video
of sorts, even spawning remixes, although nothing points back at the original performing artists.
Hans Gruber has said that "They are legends within the electro and breakbeat scene. It's a shame they faded into oblivion. When will Bomfunk MC return?."
Andy Barton a.k.a Skeeta (Dance and MC) (left in 2008)
game: Firebugs. These two songs were 'We R Atomic', and 'Put Ya Hands Up', both from the album 'Burnin' Sneakers'.
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
, hip hop and electro group formed in 1998 in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The group's front man is the Finnish
Finnish hip hop
Finnish hip hop or rap is a variant of hip hop music from Finland. The rapping is mainly done in Finnish. Many rappers use Helsinki slang words, general slang and Finnish dialects are used too by some artists. Many early rappers used English language...
rapper B.O. Dubb
Raymond Ebanks
Raymond Ebanks, aka B.O. Dubb , , is a Finnish rapper in the band Bomfunk MC's. He is from London and has lived in Kontula, Helsinki since he was about one year old . He started Bomfunk MC's with DJ Ismo Lappalainen aka DJ Gismo...
(formerly known as B.O.W., born Raymond Ebanks) and the main producer is Jaakko "JS16
JS16
JS16, real name Jaakko Salovaara, is a Finnish musician and record producer. He owns the dance music record label 16 Inch Records.His first release was the vinyl Hypnosynthesis at the age of 16...
" Salovaara.
History
The debut release was the 19991999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
's album In Stereo
In Stereo
-Personnel:*B.O.W. – vocals, arrangement*Kari "Kärtsy" Hatakka – vocals *Mr. B – vocals *Rummy Nanji – vocals *J.A.K. – vocals *DJ Gismo – scratching, arrangement*JS16 – production-Sampling:...
(Sony Music) with the singles "Freestyler
Freestyler (song)
"Freestyler" is the third single released from the Bomfunk MC's' debut studio album In Stereo. It was released in January 2000 and was a worldwide success, topping the charts in Sweden, Germany, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy...
", "Uprocking Beats" and "B-Boys & Flygirls", all big hits in Finland. The success led to the release of "Freestyler" in Scandinavia and Germany. "Uprocking Beats" reached #1 position on Finnish Dance charts. In Stereo
In Stereo
-Personnel:*B.O.W. – vocals, arrangement*Kari "Kärtsy" Hatakka – vocals *Mr. B – vocals *Rummy Nanji – vocals *J.A.K. – vocals *DJ Gismo – scratching, arrangement*JS16 – production-Sampling:...
sold over 600,000 units.
By 2000
2000 in music
See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
, "Freestyler" had become a big hit in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and it was the year's biggest-selling single in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The single reached number one in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and number two in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Also in 2000, they won Best Nordic Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
.
Nevertheless, the single did spark a little controversy. The line "Who the fuck is Alice, is she from Buckingham Palace?" was censored on the UK radio version, and the video featured a lot of product placement
Product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
by Sony.
In 2002, the group released the album Burnin' Sneakers, spawning the singles "Super Electric", "Live Your Life" featuring Max'C, and "(Crack it!) Something Goin' On
I Know There's Something Going On
"I Know There's Something Going On" is a song recorded in 1982 by ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad . It was the lead single from her solo album Something's Going On. The song was a huge hit around the world during 1982 and 1983.-Song history:...
" with Jessica Folcker
Jessica Folcker
Jessica Folcker born , is a Swedish singer.-Biography:Folcker was born as Jessica Elisabeth Angelique Folcker in Täby, a Stockholm suburb, on . Her mother is Swedish and her father is from Senegal....
. This album gained less attention internationally, though selling well in Finland. "Something Goin' On" reached the German top 10.
In September 2002, DJ Gismo decided to leave the band (shortly afterwards joining the band Stonedeep), and was promptly replaced by Riku Pentti (DJ) and Okke Komulainen ("Hypnotic" featuring Elena Mady). Half of the album was produced by JS16, and the other half by The Skillsters Plus One.
"Reverse Psychology" and its singles did not garner much attention outside the Nordic countries. Both of the singles reached the German top 100, but did not chart elsewhere in Western Europe. Even fan reception was extremely mixed. A lot of fans still saw DJ Gismo as one half of the face of the band, despite DJ Gismo not being involved in the production of the bands music except for providing scratches (the remixes of Bomfunk-tracks carrying his name were produced by the band's producer, JS16).
The eastern European market is/was rife with bootlegs of Bomfunk MC's records, with many regularly surfacing on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. In the early 2000s, this became somewhat of a standing joke among fans.
Despite being on a major label at the time, Bomfunk MC's music has been extremely hard to find in most record stores across the globe since 2001. Also, the Bomfunk MC's website was notorious among fans of the band for its lack of updates.
As of 2011, both the official Bomfunk MC's website and the band's largest fansite appear to be offline, with many smaller fansites having disappeared as well. The official page was back online briefly in Russian in 2010.
As of 2011, nothing is known of the current situation of the band, or if the band is indeed still active or not. Many of the band's collaborators have dedicated themselves to other (musical) projects or activities or faded into obscurity. The bands' main producer and mentor, JS16
JS16
JS16, real name Jaakko Salovaara, is a Finnish musician and record producer. He owns the dance music record label 16 Inch Records.His first release was the vinyl Hypnosynthesis at the age of 16...
, is still musically active as a solo artist; 2007 saw the release of his first solo track in over half a decade, "Rosegarden" (which achieved significant club play) and as half of the successful dance act Dallas Superstars
Dallas Superstars
Dallas Superstars are a duo of Finnish record producers. Relatively unknown outside their home country, they have had international success with the club track, "Helium".-"Helium":...
. He is also a successful remixer.
Legacy
Despite their apparent hiatus or split, the song "Freestyler" still remains popular, being used as background music or being played alongside other dance songs of the same era in clubs. The hit was also performed, albeit in an unusual manner (accompanied a dombura, a traditional Central Asian musical instrumentMusical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
), during the auditions for SuperStar KZ
SuperStar KZ
SuperStar KZ was a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol, which aired from 2003 to 2007 on the Kazhak television station Perviy Kanal Evrasia. The talent contest determined the best young singers in Kazakhstan by allowing viewers to vote by phone or SMS...
t, the Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
version of Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
. The video of the audition has become a viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
of sorts, even spawning remixes, although nothing points back at the original performing artists.
Hans Gruber has said that "They are legends within the electro and breakbeat scene. It's a shame they faded into oblivion. When will Bomfunk MC return?."
Members
- Raymond EbanksRaymond EbanksRaymond Ebanks, aka B.O. Dubb , , is a Finnish rapper in the band Bomfunk MC's. He is from London and has lived in Kontula, Helsinki since he was about one year old . He started Bomfunk MC's with DJ Ismo Lappalainen aka DJ Gismo...
B.O.W aka B.O.Dubb (MC) - Ari Toikka aka A.T (drums)
- Ville Mäkinen aka Mr Wily (bass/keyboards)
- Riku Pentti aka DJ Infekto (DJ, keyboards)
- Okke Komulainen (keyboards)
Former members
Ismo Lappalainen aka DJ Gismo (DJ, left in 2002)Andy Barton a.k.a Skeeta (Dance and MC) (left in 2008)
Albums
- In StereoIn Stereo-Personnel:*B.O.W. – vocals, arrangement*Kari "Kärtsy" Hatakka – vocals *Mr. B – vocals *Rummy Nanji – vocals *J.A.K. – vocals *DJ Gismo – scratching, arrangement*JS16 – production-Sampling:...
1999 - Burnin' Sneakers 2002
- Reverse PsychologyReverse Psychology (album)Reverse Psychology is the third studio album by Bomfunk MC's, released in 2004 through Sony Music Entertainment.-Track listing:...
2004
Singles
- "FreestylerFreestyler (song)"Freestyler" is the third single released from the Bomfunk MC's' debut studio album In Stereo. It was released in January 2000 and was a worldwide success, topping the charts in Sweden, Germany, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy...
" (United States Edition) 1999 - "B-Boys & Flygirls (Y2K Mix)" 2000
- "B-Boys & Flygirls (Y2K Mix German Edition)" 2000
- "B-Boys & Flygirls (Y2K Mix Danish Edition)" 2000
- "Uprocking Beats (JS 16 Radio Mix)" 2000
- "Uprocking Beats (JS 16 Radio Mix UK Promo)" 2000
- "Uprocking Beats (JS 16 Radio Mix UK Edition CD1)" 2000
- "Uprocking Beats (JS 16 Radio Mix UK Edition CD2)" 2000
- "Uprocking Beats (JS 16 Radio Mix UK Master Promo)" 2000
- "Uprocking Beats (JS 16 Radio Mix US Edition 12" Vinyl)" 2000
- "Super Electric (CD Single/Maxi)" 2001
- "Super Electric (European Edition 12" Vinyl)" 2002
- "Live Your Life" (feat. Max'C CD Single/Maxi) 2002
- "Live Your Life" (European Edition 12" Vinyl) 2002
- "Live Your Life" (Germany Re-edition CD Maxi) 2002
- "Live Your Life" (Finland Promo) 2002
- "(Crack It!) Something Goin' On" (feat. Jessica FolckerJessica FolckerJessica Folcker born , is a Swedish singer.-Biography:Folcker was born as Jessica Elisabeth Angelique Folcker in Täby, a Stockholm suburb, on . Her mother is Swedish and her father is from Senegal....
CD Single/Maxi), partial cover of a track by Anni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
2002 - "Back To Back" (feat. Z-MC CD Single) 2002
- "No Way In Hell (CD Maxi)" 2004
- "No Way In Hell (European Edition 12" Vinyl)" 2004
- "No Way In Hell (European Promo)" 2004
- "Hypnotic" (feat. Elena Mady CD Single) 2004
- "Hypnotic" (CD Maxi) 2005
- "Turn It Up" (feat. Anna NordellAnna NordellAnna Sara Christina Nordell is a Swedish singer. "Drømmer jeg?", performed with Danish Johnny Deluxe reached the top 5 on the MTV Up North chart...
Radio Promo) 2005
Video
- Uprocking Beats 1998
- B-Boys & Fly Girls 1999
- FreestylerFreestyler (song)"Freestyler" is the third single released from the Bomfunk MC's' debut studio album In Stereo. It was released in January 2000 and was a worldwide success, topping the charts in Sweden, Germany, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy...
1999 - B-Boys & Fly Girls Y2K Mix 2000
- Uprocking Beats JS 16 Radio Mix 2000
- Super Electric 2001
- Live Your Life 2002
- (Crack It!) Something Goin' On 2002
- Back To Back 2002
- No Way In Hell 2004
- Hypnotic 2005
Firebugs
Two of the Bomfunk MC's songs have been inserted into the PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game: Firebugs. These two songs were 'We R Atomic', and 'Put Ya Hands Up', both from the album 'Burnin' Sneakers'.