Animate Objects

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Animate Objects
Origin Champaign, Illinois, USA
Genre(s) Hip Hop, soul, R&B, funk, rap
Years active 2003 – Present
Label(s) Nutta Records
Website Animate-Objects.com
Members
Brian Derstine
Steven Dobias
Antar “Czar Absolute” Jackson
Michael “DJ Mabbo” Mabborang
Artur “A-Dub” Wnorowski
Prashant Vallury
Former members
Alan "Wondur" Griffin
Farsheed Hamidi-Toosi
DJ Spinnerty

Animate Objects is a United States-based live hip hop band, originally formed in Champaign, Illinois in 2003. The founding members of the band, then students at the University of Illinois, were MC CZAR Absolute, drummer Farsheed Hamidi-Toosi, DJ Spinnerty, keyboardist Artur Wnorowski, guitarist Steven Dobias, and bassist Prashant Vallury. In July of 2004, DJ Spinnery and Hamidi-Toosi left the band and were replaced by current members DJ Michael “DJ Mabbo” Mabborang, and Brian Derstine.

During October of 2007, the band completed their first international tour, performing at US Military Installations in Honduras and Cuba (including Guantanamo Bay Naval Base) with Armed Forces Entertainment, as featured in Billboard Magazine.[1][2][3] The band has been featured in major newspapers in the Midwest[4] and its debut album, “Riding In Fast Cars With Your Momma,"[5] debuted on the CMJ Hip-Hop Adds radio chart at #2 on November 14, 2007.[6]

Contents

[edit] History

In 2003, CZAR, Hamidi-Toosi, Spinnerty, Wnorowski and Vallury were among the charter members of the Urbana-Champaign chapter of the Hip-Hop Congress. The current members, Vallury, Steven Dobias, drummer Brian Derstine, and DJ Mabbo were all members of the now defunct Chicago-based hip-hop band, Peoples of Paradox.

Animate Objects was born out of a performance request. CZAR Absolute was asked participate in the 2003 Triangle Fraternity Battle of the Bands at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since CZAR was a solo artist at the time, he needed to put together a band in order to compete. CZAR approached Larry Gates of the now defunct Urbana-based rock band Lorenzo Goetz, in order to find a guitar player. Gates, who knew of Peoples of Paradox, suggested Vallury, then a clerk at the legendary independent music store, and now closed, Record Service.[7] Vallury in turn referred Dobias, and both were asked to come to an impromptu practice session later that night.

On September 13, 2003, after only two practices and two weeks of preparation time, Animate Objects took the stage for the first time and won the Battle of the Bands.[8]

2003 - 2004
The local press was quick to praise the band and within no time, they had a series of local shows lined up. The band’s third gig was opening for Illogic, DJ PRZM, the Opus and Soul Position (RJD2 + Blueprint).

After this early series of shows, the original members got together to decide whether or not they wanted to continue performing. In the end, the band decided to stay together and record an album.

Heading into 2004, the band applied to Green Street Records (also known by the acronym GSR) to have a song included on the label's first compilation CD release, entitled "Emergence"[9]. Animate Objects were accepted, and their song, ‘Flipcut’ (later re-recorded as ‘Riding In Fast Cars With Your Momma’) became track #1 on Emergence.[10]. 'Flipcut' was the band’s first foray into a studio recording environment, and their first time working with Pogo Studio[11] head, Mark Rubel, who would later engineer much of the band’s debut record.

2004 - 2006
The band performed a much-remembered set at the 2004 University of Illinois Band Jam. A rainy day made conditions on the stage intolerable. But a large crowd witnessed what would be one of the band’s final performances as a home-grown artist.

In June 2004, the bulk of the band graduated from the University of Illinois. CZAR, Dobias, and Vallury moved to Chicago, A-Dub remained in Champaign to complete his degree at the University of Illinois, while Hamidi-Toosi and Spinnerty left the band to pursue solo music projects.

The band reached out to Peoples of Paradox members Brian Derstine and DJ Mabbo to fill the roles of drummer and dj, thus fusing the two acts together.

The first show was an open mic showcase at the Ice Factory, a commune for slam poets and underground musicians.

In 2005, the band was nominated for the first ever Champaign-Urbana WPGU-Buzz Local Music Award for Best Hip-Hop band[12], despite leaving town several months earlier. They won the award[13], becoming the first group to hold the "Best Hip-Hop Band" trophy in Champaign.

Throughout 2005 and 2006, the band continued to refine their live performance, playing shows at several Chicago venues[14] while continuing to record material for their debut record.

2007

On March 31, 2007, the band released their debut album, ‘Riding in Fast Cars With Your Momma’, at Subterranean, performing with fellow Chicago hip hop band, Berto Ramon, and New York's Jneiro Jarel.[15] The record, four years in the making, marked a watershed moment in the band’s brief history.

The record has since received critical acclaim worldwide[16] and is in its second pressing as of March 31, 2008.

In October of 2007, the band embarked on their first international tour, albeit located entirely in the western hemisphere. Shows in Cuba and Honduras as part of an Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) tour[17] introduced the band to a new fan base and yielded immense publicity. The tour was so successful, the band graced the cover of AFE's Cadence Magazine.[18]

In November of 2007, the band’s record debuted at #2 on the CMJ Hip-Hop Adds Chart, placing the record in rotation at nearly 200 radio stations across the country.[19]

At the close of 2007, Animate Objects received their first major independent award, winning the 2008 Independent Music Award for 'Best Hip-Hop Song' for El Dorado.[20]

2008
In March 2008, Animate Objects released their first music video for their award-winning song, El Dorado.

[edit] Awards

2008 Independent Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Song ("El Dorado")[21]
2007 Chicago Tribune/Metromix Rock N' Vote Champion[22] [23] [24]
2007 Going.com Battle of the Chicago Bands Champ
2005 Independent Media Award for Best Hip-Hop Group[25]

[edit] Friends & Associated Artists

Soulstice
Wes Restless
Charles Hammond Jr.
Peterson Ross
Dave Moss
Margaret Vagle

[edit] References

  1. ^ Harding, C: "Base Gratitude", Billboard, December 1, 2007.
  2. ^ http://www.armedforcesentertainment.com/Documents/Billboard12-07.pdf
  3. ^ http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003676652 (registration required)
  4. ^ Animate Objects, illustrious hip-hop; Group raps about struggle, triumph
  5. ^ allmusic ((( Riding in Fast Cars with Your Momma > Overview )))
  6. ^ results results results
  7. ^ Daily Illini - Record Service closes after 34 years
  8. ^ WPGU/Buzz Local Music Awards Nominees: the217.com
  9. ^ Green St. Records: Albums
  10. ^ Green St. Records: Emergence (2004)
  11. ^ Pogo Studio
  12. ^ WPGU/Buzz Local Music Awards Nominees: the217.com
  13. ^ the217.com: Lma/2008
  14. ^ Music Event Listings on Centerstage Chicago - Chicago City Life in Chicago, Illinois
  15. ^ Jakubiak, D: "Jarel at home as multiple-personality performer", Chicago Sun Times, March 30, 2007.
  16. ^ Dusty Groove America - Search: animate objects - All Categories
  17. ^ Armed Forces Entertainment
  18. ^ CadenceVol3
  19. ^ results results results
  20. ^ The Musicians Atlas - 2008 Independent Music Awards Winners
  21. ^ The Musicians Atlas - 2008 Independent Music Awards Winners
  22. ^ http://chicago.metromix.com/webtools/print/music/article/lets-rock/166966/content
  23. ^ Get ready to rock! | Metromix Chicago
  24. ^ Who rocks? | Metromix Chicago
  25. ^ the217.com: Lma/2008