ABOUT

I actually wrote a long paragraph explaining what Heads High is all about. It’s something that’s very important to me and I wanted to communicate it properly…Then I read it back and thought again. It’s not about words and descriptions. The best way to know us is, well, to know us. Read the blog, peep the events, check out our community projects and it’ll all start to make sense. in the meantime, read on for a little more depth on our members, groups and close affiliates…

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DUKE ETIENNE

Born in London to Swiss/St. Lucian parents, diversity is a consistent keyword in the Duke’s existence. Inspired by late 80’s pirate radio stations, a young Duke aka Etienne Joseph applied this diverse doctrine to his music, learning his trade cutting and pasting Hip-Hop, Hip-House, Hardcore and early Jungle onto fresh C90 cassette tapes.

Fast forward a decade or so and the evidence of the Duke’s affection for variation was clear to see. Having spent his teens digging for old school gems and new school freshness, London began to reap the rewards as he pushed out his musical message through Reggae/Hiphop/Dubstep jam Sky Juice and global music monthly Kalabash.

In that period, the foundations were laid for Heads High, which is in truth the brainchild of the Duke. Retaining the diversity of his musical upbringing, whilst adding the essential ingredient of innovation, Etienne is at the heart of a movement undoubtedly providing a fresh approach to musical performance. The Heads High Soundsystem, the vehicle for this new direction in sound, features the Duke where he is most comfortable – in a DJ/producer capacity. He dubs, constructs, mixes and blends alongside turntablist DJ Judge, singer Connie Bell, Saxophonist Wayne Francis and percussionist Steve Rahman; providing the musical backbone necessary for each member to shine.

The future will see Duke Etienne continue to do what he does best, bring his unique sound and musical approach to the people. Watch the ride….

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HEADS HIGH SOUNDSYSTEM

Dreamt into being as a challenge to the 20 year long reign of the DJ, the Heads High Soundsystem places the record selector in a whole new context, encouraging him to interact with live musicians as a co-creator rather than placing him on an autonomous pedestal above the crowd. An ambitious project (and not without its share of setbacks), the Soundsystem was born out of early Heads High sessions which saw Duke Etienne and Cal Jader improvise with a host of musicians, producers and vocalists. Striving for a more controlled, repeatable experience, the Duke formed the Soundsystem as the primary carrier of the Heads High message. Having long been inspired by early reggae soundsystems and movements such as Afrika Bambaata’s Zulu Nation, creating a musical collective based upon the DJ was a natural step. The twist being the inclusion of live instrumentation and interactive visuals.

Presently, the Heads High Soundsystem is working deep underground, experimenting late into the night to get their sounds right.

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CONNIE BELL

Jamaican born singer, poet and actress Connie Bell provides the feminine Yin to the Yang heavy Heads High organisation. Straddling the fence between Jazz and Reggae, Connie’s vocal stylings are evident in the back-catalogues of Damien ‘Junior Gong’ Marley, Roots Manuva, Congo Natty and and eccentric dubmaster Lee Perry. Describing her affiliation with Heads High as her ’soul-distinction’, Connie has grabbed the chance to experiment and push boundaries with both hands; contrasting mystical jazz explorations with rough and rugged Kingston DJ stylings in her explosive performances with the collective.

Her talents don’t end there, with previous training as a Theatre-Therapist, and a wealth of experience working with disadvantaged youth, Connie’s skills have proven invaluable in the establishment of Heads High’s community projects.

Hold tight for her debut release for Heads High, and in the meantime, check out her transmissions for Conscious Sound Studios.

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DJ JUDGE

Bringing the streets to the session, DJ Judge’s contribution is that raw, uncut, boom-bap as he mixes, scratches and cuts his way through his Heads High DJ selections. Between holding down regular dates with the Shotcallers, and his Sensei FM radio show, you’d be forgiven for thinking Judge propagations were strictly Hip-Hop….wrong. This is no one-dimensional cat! A quick flick through his crates will have you silent in apology as you begin to understand the extent of his tastes. Boogie, Broken and Bashment rub shoulders with Brazilian Funk, Dubstep and Bassline in any one of DJ Judges essential Heads High selections. Add this to a bewildering array of beat-dug gems and his recent acquisition of an SP303 and you have all the ingredients for a true soundbwoy burial!

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SOUNDS OF THE COSMOS

aka Wayne Francis is a young saxophonist/composer with an extremely bright future awaiting him. Aside from flexing his creative muscles in compositional, improvisational and organisational roles for Heads High, Wayne is a member of the explosive United Vibrations quartet and a key figure in the 12 Tone organisation.

A true visionary, Wayne’s innovative approach to the arts reaches far beyond the obvious, urging us to visit places we’ve never been but definitely need to go to….

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STEVEN RAMAN

One-time Trinity student and Wayne Francis collaborator, Steven Rahman joined Heads High in early 2009 to exercise his percussive gift in a progressive setting. Having brought his kick-drums, congas and electronic transients to the Heads High stage for the last 6 months he’s now focussing on laying down grooves, fills and accents for Heads High’s studio projects.

A versatile musician, you can also witness Steven’s percussive prowess in his work with {info to follow}. Oh, did we mention he likes his food?

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EDWARD CAWTHORNE

Formerly known as E. Segundo, Edward’s Dilla-esque boom-bap contributions to the Heads High movement have been held in high esteem by many. A long-time jazz connoisseur, his penchant for synthlines and MPC drum hits on the 1 and 3 (swung, naturally) has been superseded by an altogether more avant-garde exploration of musical forms using his soprano saxophone and reams of manuscript paper as a guide.

Currently, Edward is working on compostions for his quartet and scheming on ways to introduce his electronic mistress to his acoustic wife….

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CAL JADER

As co-founder of the Heads High collective Cal tries to keep up with the Duke in their shared love of forward thinking dance floor music, incorporating a quality selection of Dub, Hip Hop, Jazz, Afro-centric beats and whatever music makes sense.

In another guise as part of the Movimientos collective Cal is pioneering the future of the global Latin underground music in the UK. From folkloric to electronic, his Latin DJ sets provide the freshest rhythms with a universal dancefloor appeal. With their legendary sessions at the Salmon and Compass (RIP), and monthly live Latin and cultural events at the Notting Hill Arts Club and Passing Clouds, Movimientos have revitalised the London scene.

Cal has DJ’d at various festivals including Glastonbury and Rise Festival, and has played alongside Manu Chao, as well as Ojos de Brujo’s DJ Panko, Mexico’s finest Toy Selectah, and supported a nationwide Cuban music tour in 2007. He also hosts a monthly residency at London’s finest Spanish bar Camino and collaborates with Russ Jones on his Arriba La Cumbia & Hackney Globe Trotting events. International club appearances have included spots in Istanbul, Beirut, Sydney, and Llubjana.

Cal programmes live music acts through Movimientos for Continental Drifts’s Global Local project and regularly DJs for their festivals and events.

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ZACH WALKER

Coming with a deep appreciation for the arts and several hard-drives full of visuals documenting everything from urban sprawl to tropical sunsets and African diasporic customs, Zach is the perfect choice to direct the visual aspect of each Heads High event. A long time friend of the Duke’s, Zach’s understanding of humanity, the soul and its expression is clearly evident in his work which celebrates movement, colour and depth in a truly unique way.

A consumate geek, when he’s not coding, editing and manipulating his own work, he’s busy helping the youth on their way to a future of artistic expression via the Uplift project; a workshop based scheme empowering young people to create using film, music and spoken word as a foundation.

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UNITED VIBRATIONS

Forging an initial link via the professional friendship between Duke Etienne and Wayne Francis, the United Vibrations four-piece has continually energised and enhanced the vibe at Heads High events not to mention blazing their own trail via their 12 Tone promotions and performances everywhere from the Vortex to the Roundhouse.

Famed for their unique approach to event promotion (busking with the addition of a large, yellow Rickshaw-mounted soundsystem) and their charitable, forward thinking ethics (20% of all proceeds from their events and record sales go towards the establishment of a self-sustainable housing co-op in London), UV are a valuable affiliation to the Heads High organisation. With plans to work together on a string of London based promotions and a strong presence at each other’s events, Heads High are proud to be linked with a group that not only has energy, but also a great deal of focus and direction. As Heads High’s DJ Judge puts it ‘…if they don’t bus’, there’s no justice in the world!’

LONERIDER & FRIENDS

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DYLAN SAGE

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