A. J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire

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From the depths of Hackney come a band who are taking over the world with the unique Afro-pop sound of The New Electric High-Life. Led by A.J Holmes, this 6 piece are destroying everywhere they play, the ultimate Afro party disco machine. Born in Barking & Dagenham in the industrial far east of London, A.J. Holmes discovered a love for playing African music by a chance meeting with his Hackney neighbour, Folo Graff, a legendary musician from Sierra Leone who taught him to play the pan African guitar style. 


A.J. moved to Berlin where he met les Beaux Gosses de Berlin, one of the Congo's finest African Rumba bands, they quickly grabbed him to join their 20 strong band. Learning to rock the Afro Pop guitar style A.J. became obsessed with the good time sounds of Sierra Leon and The Congo.

Moving back to his native Hackney he started DJing and soon teamed up with white hot electro producers duo, Radioclit  (M.I.A., The Very Best, Amadou & Mariam) to join their Secousse Sound System, united by their love or African club music and world wide Ghetto tropical beats. The club night became a massive success since its birth in 2007 and went on to become an infamous tropical riot of good times and air horns while most of London's club scene became tired and lifeless.

A.J. recruited a party starting band of Hackney locals all sharing a love for tropical sounds and their early shows were a big success resulting in Radioclit inviting them to become the Secousse club's resident house band. The story goes that month after month they blew every guest off stage, their live sets leave no ass unshaken, regularly inciting frantic chaos on the dancefloor. The band’s special blend of Afro pop with a home grown British sensibility has become one of London's best kept secrets until now. Support slots with David Byrne followed and the band have been regularly collaborating with some of London's finest African musicians from Palm Wine legend, Abdul Tee-Jay to Nigerian grime star, African Boy. Their first single is released on Ghetto Bassquake, available here.

Recent Blogs About A. J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire

La Makina del Karibe – ‘Maki Man’

A few months ago, A.J. Holmes played me his great remix of a champeta track ‘Maki Man’. Its finally been released along with some other banging remixes from our dudes Moroka, Daniel Haaksman and Hat & Hoodie. Like most Colombian champeta tracks it has a strong west african soukous flavour and can’t fail to cheer up your January with its sunny caribbean party vibes. Grab the whole release from Chasuma records and here’s the Daniel Haaksman remix for gratis.

Makina Del Karibe – Kosmik Chankleta EP by Chusma Records

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Super Mom – The 4th Episode

This Friday 16th September, join myself Moroka, A.J. Holmes & MC Kastro raising some tropical hell with special guests The Ndote Project live. Info here.

SuperMom from GLB on Vimeo.

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Dancing Time – Sound Way

Hyped for this one. A very special one off warhouse party hosted by the amazing Sound Way label in Hackney. Featuring a live show by The Cambodian Space Project and DJ sets from Soundway’s Miles Cleret, Chris Menist & Maft Sai (The Sound of Siam), The Quietus DJs as well as myself & A.J. Holmes playing a special old school tropical set. Earlier on in the evening will be a film
screening of ‘Black Goddess‘, an award winning from the 1970s shot in Nigeria & Brazil – starts 7.30pm.

Grab your tickets at www.soundwayrecords.com.

And check out the Youtube mixes we made for Sound Way here.

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Super Mom – Summer Jam This Friday

This Friday, Super Mom is back!

After two riotous parties (sorry) The Very Best are back with an essential carnival warm up summer jam.

Join us this Friday at Villain in East london for more FIRE!

Get all the details here and on the Facebook page

The Very Best have teamed up with Invisible Children and just released a line of limited edition exclusive Tees. Available here for only $20.

They are also giving away 2 FREE remixes of Ndekha from the Super Mom mixtape. Grab the awesome remixes by tropical bass producer WILDLIFE! and the UK garage legend Wookie on The Very Best soundcloud.

The Very Best & Moroka – Ndekha (WILDLIFE! Remix) by The Very Best

The Very Best & Moroka – Ndekha (Wookie Remix) by The Very Best

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Secousse Family Mix for Domino Records Radio

Secousse family mix for Domino Radio by Secousse

The Secousse crew were invited to do a show for Domino Records on their new radio station launching soon. Everyone recorded a little mix and here it is spliced together, from Balani to screwed & chopped..hosted by Mo Laudi and edited togther by DJ Tron.

00’00 to 11’12: Mo Laudi
11’12 to 17’34: Vamanos
17’34 to 29’19: A.J. Holmes
29’19 to 37’58: Mo DJ
37’58 to 46’50: Moroka
46’50 to 57’12: Arthur & Jean Jacques
57’12 till end: DJ Tron

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