Sounds by Sonic Villain - aka Damian John
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093-Dm-07a-MC-LYTE-ColdRockAParty-Damian-John-2019-rmx-320.mp3 | Download – Vocal Mix MP3
instrumental cut available via contact page.
My Influences
Firstly, my greatest influences – The Red Hots. Not because they are the greatest of all time. Nope, because as a band, their style encompasses the most important parts of music that resonate with me. Which is – funk, character and flavour. All 5 of these motherfuckers, including Josh are so talented and are always in such radical form – fucking amazing! I put them up there as the Led Zeppers of my generation.
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095-DamianJohn-MassConfusion-5.4C.mp3 | Download
After the Red Hots…
Everything hip-hop would follow… Musically, from Grand Master Flash, Marley Marl, Rick Rubin, the mighty, mighty Bomb Squad [nuff respect!!], Sir Jinx, The Dust Brothers [Grand Wizards of sampling], DJ Premier [most favourite of all], Large Pro, Pete Rock, Dr Dre [most favourite Chemist], DJ Muggs and The RZA[The most Grimy and Slimy beats ever pushed out of a sampler]. Also, the turntable aficionados that changed the game point blank – The Beat Junkies, Invisible Scratch Pickles and the X Men [Xecutioners], Salute to them all!
Lyrically
Vocalists such as Krs One, LL Cool J, Chuck D, Rakim, The Whole Native Tongue Collective[The JB’s, Tribe, De La, Black Sheep & Busta], Ice Cube and the Lynch Mob, MC Ren, Del, Pharoah Monch, Nas, Craig Mack and Biggie, Beatnuts, Artifacts and Brand Nubian. And, me being a white boy, of course – The Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass, House of Pain and Cypress Hill were all major influences and still, to this day, are some of my most favourite tunes to listen to. Go get yourself a copy of The Beasties’ – Paul’s Boutique. Now, that’s the Dust Brothers sampling records to make songs, like Pablo or Basquiat using paint to… well, you know!
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090-01a-Amb-BIGGIE-KIM-GetMoneyDamianJohn2017rmx1.2C.mp3
Then, the imperatives…
Who through Hip-Hop, I was introduced to – James Browns’ band and George Clintons’ Funkadelic Posse, one in the same really. Also – Earth, Wind and Fire, The Meters, Kool and The Gang, Sly and the Family, Issac Hayes’ Band and The Isley Brothers just to name a tiny smidgen of all the Funk and Soul that truly matters and, to this day, has had such a massive undercurrent influence on popular music produced for the masses, for the last thirty odd years.
Then even further backward to the 80’s – Kiss, ZZ Top, Guns And Roses, Hendrix, Zappa & Zepplin and of course through my folks – The Beatles, The Kinks, Elton and Fleetwood Mac.
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089-04a-Fm-ONYX-SlammHarderDamianJohn2017rmx-1.6C.mp3
Fast forward to now…
Champion Producers like Mark Ronson, Dre’s prolific writer/producer – Dem Jointz, South Australian Rhymer/Producer – Trails, West Australian outfit – Downsyde. Canadian Maestro – Marco Polo and also, one of Brooklyn’s finest underground DJ’s – PF Cuttin, all inspire the hell outta me. Even Kanye! Sometimes… If you know, you know!
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097-DamianJohn-ReachForTheFunk.mp3
I’m also diggin’…
The now-don’s of Hip-hop and experimental Soul artists like Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, Pusha T, Curren$y, Boogie & Vince Staples. English Singer/Song Writer – Bea Munro. Also, Pop Rockers – Jagwar Ma and a euro outfit – Disaster In The Universe. All these artists are pushing into amazing new frontiers, creating new flavours and owning their sound. Love it!!
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114-E-12b-DamianJohn-SpaceJam1.21mix.mp3
Thanks for checkin’ me out
And, I hope you get as much enjoyment from listening to the sonics here, as I did making them. Follow the below link to check out my latest mixtape series – Fuxwidit Vol.01 & 02.
Stay gold and peace out for now! DJ.