- Astronomy Class
Infobox musical artist
Name = Astronomy Class
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Background = group_or_band
Origin =Sydney, New South Wales ,Australia
Genre = Hip hop /Reggae
Years_active = 2006–present
Label =Elefant Traks
Associated_acts = The Herd
Tooth
Frigid
URL = [http://www.astronomyclass.com.au/ Official webpage]
Current_members = Shannon Kennedy (aka Ozi Batla)Shane Roberts (aka Sir Robbo)Chris Hamer-Smith (aka Chasm)
Past_members ="Astronomy Class" are an
Australia n hip-hop /reggae group from Sydney. [ cite web |url=http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/interviews/astronomy_class_this_is_hip_hop_baby |title=Astronomy Class - “This is Hip Hop, Baby” |publisher=The Dwarf | date=April 11 2007 |accessdate=2008-03-10] The group comprises Ozi Batla (Shannon Kennedy), Sir Robbo (Shane Roberts) and Chasm (Chris Hamer-Smith).Kennedy is a member of The Herd, whilst Roberts is a member of Frigid and prog, downtempo and Krautrock band Tooth. [cite web |url=http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/article.php?article=1336 |title=Astronomy Class |publisher=
Cyclic Defrost |date=November, 2006 |accessdate=2008-03-10]Biography
The group formed when Kennedy decided to collaborate with producers Roberts and Hamer-Smith in 2006.
"The original concept for Chasm and I was to do a production album, with various MCs and singers," Roberts says. "We'd both worked separately with Batla in the past, he was our main MC, so we gave him the beats [first] . He was really taken with them and expressed a desire to have them all for himself. That was how it started." [cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/gig-previews--reviews/astronomy-class/2006/11/10/1162661883949.html |title=Astronomy Class |publisher=The Age Newspaper |date=2006-11-10 |accessdate=2008-03-10]
The resulting album, "Exit Strategy" was released in September, 2006 and was selected by
When asked how the name of the band came about, Kennedy advised (in an interview with Scene Magazine):
"A theme started to emerge that kind of had an astral flavour. There’s a bit of a history in hip hop and also reggae of doing astral/space themes. As I kept writing, there was sort of a narrative coming out about that same theme going on – it just started to stick after a while." [Cite web |url=http://www.scenemagazine.com.au/pages/interviews/astronomyclass.html |title=Astonomy Class - Space Madness |publisher=Scene Magazine |date=2007-06-06 |accessdate=2008-03-13]
Astronomy Class were the sole support artists for
Lily Allen 's Brisbane and Sydney tour dates in 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.accessallareas.net.au/data/EEylAEZpukrCsSYQqJ.php |title=Astronomy Class support Lily Allen! |publisher=Access All Areas |date=2007-01-16 |accessdate=2008-03-10]Discography
* "Exit Strategy" - Elefant Traks (September 9, 2006)
olo albums
Chasm
* "Chasm" (2004)
* "Beyond The Beat Tape" (2007)References
External links
* [http://www.astronomyclass.com.au/ Official webpage]
* [http://www.elefanttraks.com/chooser.cfm?view=artists&artistId=120 Elefant Traks Artist profile]
* [http://www.myspace.com/astronomyclass Myspace Page]
* [http://www.amo.org.au/artist.asp?id=4365 AMO artist profile]
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