As we’ve said numerous times it’s no secret that we’re long time fans of woozy-avant hip hop duo Milwaukee Banks. From their string of attention commanding singles and stunning music videos to their Rose Water EP in 2014, each release sees these guys nudge the bar a little higher when it comes to producing quality local hip hop, and their anticipated release of the debut LP Deep Into The Night is no exception (out now via Remote Control).
To celebrate the release of their killer record the duo will be hitting up Perth on Friday 13th May, Sydney on Friday 27th May, Adelaide on Saturday 28th May, Melbourne on the 4th June and Ballarat on Saturday 11th June. Full tour details and ticket links below.
Ahead of the tour, Edo and Dyl took us through some of the records that have shaped their musical journey.
Outkast- Aquemini
1998, Arista/LaFace Records
Dyl: I was listening to a lot of East Coast and West Coast rap and hip hop when this album dropped in ’98. Coming out of the south, I had never heard anything like this, I had their other two albums, which were cool, but this was (to me) their turning point in owning their sound and craft.
No one sounded like this. Aquemini, in my personal opinion is Outkast’s best body of work to date. This thing just doesn’t ever sound old. It’s so layered and deep that I still find myself hearing things in it that I didn’t all the way back in ’98.
The Avalanches – El Producto
1997, Wondergram Records
Edo: I went to Melbourne to see them play live and couldn’t stop listening to this EP.
This and the Beastie Boys were the albums that swayed me from listening to stuff like Radiohead and got more into turntablism and sample based music and hip hop.
To hear a sound like this coming out of Australia really blew my mind, still does in fact. But it was through seeing these guys live that inspired me to find out everything I could about sampling, turntables and synths.
The Doors – The Doors
1966, Elektra
Dyl: My teens were full of lots of weed and not much school work.
Sitting in my dark bedroom, light up, sit back and get lost in the lizard king’s world. This album made me look at the universe in a different way.
DJ Shadow – Endtroducing….
1996, Mo’ Wax
Edo: I didn’t get onto this album in ’96, it was a bit later than that, but when I did get onto it I was fascinated by the multiple layers and sampling in this record.
This crazy mix of hip hop, turntablism, funk and soul amongst other things got me hooked. I was also into the cooler, moody downbeat vibe throughout the album, and it got me really into instrumental hip hop music for a number of years.
Hudson Mohawke – Butter
2009, Warp
Dyl: This album made me want to push my sound and do shit none else was doing, in my production. Drums that sounded like nothing I’d ever heard and cheesy midi shorn sounds that none else would even think of using, except HudMo.
He had crafted an aesthetic that people would copy and mimic still today. The sped up vocal sounds, huge kicks contrasted by cheap shitty snares alongside amazingly intricate sample chops. This album is a ride that I didn’t want to get off.
Kanye West – ‘808’s and Heartbreak’
2008, Roc-A-Fella Records
Edo: This record was a brave shift and is still my favourite Kanye record. The drums, synths and production on this album are amazing, and his ability to explore the darker side and depths of his production and lyrical content were simply astonishing.
I remember how much I liked the record when it first came out and so many people couldn’t vibe it because the auto tune on his vocals, but I was totally sold on it. Using vocal effects added to the twisted emotions and I felt it was really pushing hip hop into some cool and exciting new territory.
Upcoming Tour Dates
13 May | Hussle Hussle, Mojo’s Bar, PERTH
27 May | The World Bar, SYDNEY
28 May | Rocket Bar, ADELAIDE
4 June | Hugs & Kisses, MELBOURNE
11 June | Karova Lounge, BALLARAT
