- Mix n Blend
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Mix n Blend are a Cape Town based electronic music outfit.
Started by Jonathan Arnold, Kevin Ribbans and Ben Lewis around 2002, it originally was a radio show on the Local University of Cape Town radio station UCTRADIO 104.5fm.
The guys eventually started DJ'ing at various clubs around Cape Town. After leaving UCT they continued to play DJ gigs in and around Cape Town and kept the name of the radio show as the DJ outfit's name Due to the large variety of musical genres they played.
In about 2004 they linked up with Locally and Internationally renowned Cape Town record label: African Dope Records who were instrumental in moulding Mix n Blend into what they are today. The Musical styles were broadened even further by the likes of DJ and Publisher HONEYB. And Fletcher of KRUSHED n SORTED fame started to get them into music production.
From there, they began to play many a club night in Cape Town's LONG ST. the infamous party street of Cape Town, starting with a friday residency at one of CT's longest running venues Marvel Bar and moving onto play gig's at venues such as Joburg Bar and the Lounge to name a few.
It wasn't until Fiction Bar opened up and gave them the Saturday night residency that they started to really make a name for themselves in the Cape Town music scene. For almost a whole year they did 7 hours sets every Saturday night.
From there they started to get slots at many of Cape Town's festivals such as Earthdance and Rocking the Daisies and Origin.
Slowly they started to get more into production and around 2008 started to discuss producing an electronic album. They teamed up with Ross Finck of Dank fame and began work on their first album. The plan was to collaborate as much as possible with local artists from all walks of life. A year later and with a lot being learned, they released their first album Look Mom no Hands.
The album was a reflection of all the styles they would DJ as well as many Collaborations. Artists worked with include:
The album was well received in the South African community and did a lot to merge the lines between artists of different genre's in Cape Town. It also received 2 SAMA award nominations for best Alternative album and Best producer. From there Mix n Blend found themselves performing all over South Africa at most Club nights and all major festivals.
From this they decided it would be good idea to develop a live show to perform the music and through the years it has gone from 3 guys with samplers and Ableton to a full 6 piece band.
Today their Biography read as follows
"Mix n Blend are here to bring the noise. Consisting of the one of the baddest horn sections in the country in the form of Ross McDonald and Lee Thomson from seminal punk band Hog Hoggidy Hog (also doubling here on keys and guitar), cutting edge visuals supplied by Inka Kendzia of Krushed & Sorted fame, live samplers and effects controlled by Jon Arnold and Kevin Ribbans, and fronted alternately by EJ von Lyrik (formerly of Godessa) and Crosby Bolani (African Dope Soundsystem), expect everything from easy skanking reggae to face melting dubstep from this double SAMA nominated act."
With this band they have toured to Reunion Island to perform at the Sakifo festival and Kenya and are looking into getting to Europe in 2011.
Since the album they've had several releases:
They released a track entitled: Mix n Blend & Narch - I Got... on San Francisco based label Muti Music with remixes by Beats antique and Mochipet
On the UK Label Skanky Panky Records they released a track entitled Get Crunk wit Jesus which has had great Success.
They have also released a remix pack of the album done by local producers entitled: /mix-n-blend-look-mom-no-hands-the-remixes-ep/
Their latest release is Double 2 track Drum n Bass EP's:
Categories:- South African electronic music groups
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