- Tue, 2010-10-26 17:31
With an ethos founded upon the connections between hip hop, free-jazz, rock and soul, Cincinnati based, renegade trio ISWHAT?! formed in 1996 with a direct focus upon live performance. Combining the vocalist and beatboxer Napoleon Maddox with saxophonist Jack Walker and bassist Matthew Anderson, their first album Landmines dropped in 1999.
More releases landed and in 2006 the line-up received expansion pack number 1; Joe Fonda replaced Matthew on bass, Claire Daly arrived with baritone sax and Hamid Drake took up drums. Continual artistic development has now led to an ever changing organic live set-up with members including; Chris Walker, Anthony Lee, Eddie Bayard, DJ Apryl Reign, Benjamin Sanz, Flip Barnes, Cocheme'a Gastelum, Brent Olds, Jeremy Cunningham, Rashawn Murph, Archie Shepp, Oliver Lake and Champion Battle DJ SPS (phew...!)
2008 saw projects develop to include visual art and new methods of composition, resulting in the Nu Takes EP. With Napoleon Maddox still at the forefront, ISWHAT?! recently released the below video to fall in line with their UK tour and Big Appetite album launch, described by Napoleon as more than a collection of delicious audio treats. It's a diary, a chronicle of overconsumption, real cautionary tales about lust, desire, greed and hunger.
Big Appetite was released on Oct 25th 2010: www.iswhat-flavor.com
