The Herbaliser

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Herbaliser

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Img_capt =
Img_size =
Background = group_or_band
Alias = The Herbaliser Band
Origin = London, England
Instrument =
Genre = Hip hop
Jazz
Funk
Years_active = 1995 – present
Label = Ninja Tune
Associated_acts = Kid Teeba
The Process
URL = [http://www.herbaliser.com/ www.herbaliser.com]
Current_members = Ollie Teeba
Jake Wherry
Past_members =

The Herbaliser is a Jazz / hip-hop band formed by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba and in London, England during the early 1990s. Currently one of the most well-known acts from the Ninja Tune independent record label, they have released 8 LPs, including two DJ mixes: one for Ninja Tune's Solid Steel series and the other for Fabric's Live Mix series.

Ollie Teeba has also recorded solo tracks as Kid Teeba and alongside Jonny Cuba of Dynamic Syncopation, under the band name The Process.

Jake Wherry has also recorded solo tracks as The Meateaters, released on the Parisian Big Cheese label, and has worked with The Propheteers.

History

Jake Wherry grew up in South West London and played guitar and bass in a number of jazz, funk and rock bands in his teenage years. During this time, he met Patrick Carpenter aka PC, later one of the DJs behind DJ Food, and through him became aware of the Ninja Tune label. Ollie Teeba, (real name Ollie Trattles) began DJing at 15 and played his first live sets to London audiences a year later.

Wherry and Teeba met years later at Wherry's Traintrax studio, and began recording together, collaborating with DJ Malachi, Kaidi Tatham of Bugz in the Attic and Ralph Lamb of Easy Access Orchestra. They developed a jazzy instrumental style of hip hop, due to an absence of available rappers. They passed their recordings on to Ninja Tune bosses Matt Black and Jonathan More of Coldcut and were signed shortly thereafter.

Inspired by the funk bands of previous decades, when Wherry and Teeba played live, rather than performing simply with turntables, they decided to take a seven piece band on tour, which included Tatham, Lamb, Andrew Ross, Micky Moody Jnr and percussionist Patrick Dawes.

As they progressed, they gained access to guest vocalists for appearances on their records, including What? What? (aka Jean Grae), Roots Manuva, MF Doom, Seaming To, Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, Blade, Phi Life Cypher, Bahamadia and Dream Warriors.

The pair were subsequently employed to produce music for the likes of Motorola, the soundtracks to Guy Ritchie's "Snatch" and the PlayStation 2 game "Tony Hawk's Underground". They were also commissioned to write the theme for ESPN's primetime NFL show "Sunday Night Football". [cite web
title = The Herbaliser
work = Biography
url=http://www.ninjatune.net/ninja/artist.php?id=9
publisher = NinjaTune.net
accessdate = 2008-08-01 ]

The group have also provided remixes for artists including DJ Food, Raw Stylus, and label Coldcut's "Atomic Moog", which reached number one on the UK singles chart. [cite web
title = The Herbaliser

work = Biography
url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fifqxqwhldhe
publisher = AllMusic.com
accessdate = 2008-08-05 ]

Discography

Albums

* "Remedies" (1995)
* "Blow Your Headphones" (1997)
* "Very Mercenary" (1999)
* "Session One" (2000) (live band instrumental album, under the name The Herbaliser Band)
* "Something Wicked this Way Comes" (2002)
* "Take London" (2005)
* "Same As It Never Was" (2008)

Compilations

* "Solid Steel Presents Herbal Blend" (2003)
* "Fabric Live 26" (2006)

EPs

* "The Real Killer/Blow It EP" (1995)
* "Repetive Loop/Scratchy Noise EP" (1995)
* "The Flawed Hip-Hop EP" (1996)
* "New & Improved/Control Centre" (1997)
* "The Blend EP" (1997)
* "Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks EP" (1998)
* "Road Of Many Signs/Moon Sequence EP" (1999)
* "Missing Suitcase EP" (1999)
* "8 Point Agenda/Who's Really The Reallest? EP" (1999)
* "Good Girl Gone Bad EP" (1999)
* "Time 2 Build EP" (1999)

imilar artists

* The Cinematic Orchestra
* Mr. Scruff
* Xploding Plastix
* Kid Koala
* DJ Vadim

External links

* [http://www.same-as-it-never-was.com/ Same As It Never Was Microsite]
* [http://www.herbaliser.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.ninjatune.net/ninja/artist.php?id=9 The Herbaliser] 's page @ Ninja Tune
* [http://www.myspace.com/theherbz MySpace Page - Herbaliser]
* [http://www.myspace.com/jakeherbaliser MySpace Page - Jake Wherry]
* [http://www.myspace.com/herbaliser MySpace Page - Ollie Teeba]

References