Kurtis Mantronik
Kurtis el Khaleel (born Graham Curtis el Khaleel, September 4,
Kurtis Mantronik
1965),[3][4] known by the stage name Kurtis Mantronik, is
Jamaican-born hip hop and electronic-music artist, DJ, remixer, and Birth name Graham Curtis el
producer. Mantronik was the former leader, DJ, and keyboardist of the Khaleel
influential 1980s hip hop and electro-funk group Mantronix. Born September 4,
Currently, Mantronik lives in South Africa, where he has produced
1965
and remixed house and techno music tracks by artists such as India,
Jamaica
Junior Senior, Kylie Minogue, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers,
Michael Gray, Victoria Beckham, Liberty X, and Mim.[5] Mantronik Origin New York City
was influential on the development of hip hop music; notably, he laid (previously)
the foundations for Southern hip hop genres such as Miami bass and London, England
trap music,[1][2] and helped popularize the Amen break.[6] (current)
Genres Hip hop,
Electronica,
Contents house, big beat,
trip hop, trap[1][2]
Early years and Mantronix era (1984–1991)
Mantronix: The Album Occupation(s) Dj, producer
Music Madness Instruments Turntables,
A&R career with Sleeping Bag Records synthesizers,
In Full Effect keyboards, drum
This Should Move Ya machine,
The Incredible Sound Machine sampler,
sequencer,
Solo career (1998–present)
programming
I Sing The Body Electro
Journey to Utopia Years active 1984–1991
1998–present
Remixing and production career
Labels Sleeping Bag
Discography
Records
Solo albums
(Mantronix)
Solo EPs/Singles
Capitol/EMI
Mantronix albums (1985–1991)
Records
References (Mantronix)
External links Oxygen Music
Works
Southern Fried
Early years and Mantronix era (1984– Records
Eye Industries
1991) Street DNA
Mantronik was born in Jamaica to a Syrian father and a Jamaican Associated acts Mantronix, T La
mother.[4] He emigrated to Canada with his family at age 7, before Rock, Just-Ice,
eventually settling in New York City.[4] It was around this time that Maria Nocera,
his interest in electro music began when he heard "Riot in Lagos" Joyce Sims,
(1980) by Yellow Magic Orchestra's Ryuichi Sakamoto on the radio, EPMD
inspiring him to experiment with electro music a few years later.[5]
While working as the in-store DJ for Downtown Records in Manhattan, Mantronik met Haitian-born,
Brooklyn-based emcee MC Tee (né Touré Embden) in 1984.[5] The duo soon made a demo, and eventually
signed with William Socolov's Sleeping Bag Records.
Mantronix: The Album
Mantronix's debut single, "Fresh Is The Word", was a club hit in 1985, reaching #16 on Billboard Magazine's
Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, and was featured on The Album, which was released the same year. His efforts
on The Album and his impact on early hip-hop and electronic music is perhaps best summed up by music critic
Omar Willey's observation in 2000:
Featuring 'Fresh is the Word' and the new tracks 'Bassline' and 'Mega-Mix,' Mantronix defined
the new sound of electro-funk. Mantronik used a polyrhythmic style, similar to West African log
drumming, but instead of acoustic drums, the rhythm would be carried by the combination of
electronic drums, synthesizer, vocoder, [or] synthesized voice over a bass line completely played
on the synth. No samples of James Brown here. This was truly electronic music: spare, funky and
immensely danceable, an homage and simultaneous extension of old-school hip hop's electronic
template that had started with 'Planet Rock' in 1982. The feeling of Afrika Bambaataa,
Grandmaster Flash, Kraftwerk, and Neu! [were] all combined in Mantronik's music. It was a neat
tie between old-school and new jack, and Mantronix had the field to [itself].[7]
Music Madness
Mantronix's second album, Music Madness, was released in 1986. While MC Tee's rhyming style on the
album continued in the traditional b-boy fashion of the times, Mantronik's club-oriented production and mixing
in Music Madness tended to attract more electronic dance music and electro funk aficionados than hardcore hip
hop fans.[8]
A&R career with Sleeping Bag Records
From 1984 to 1986, during the same period Mantronix as a group was signed to Sleeping Bag Records,
Mantronik was also individually employed by the label in its A&R Department, where he signed hip-hop
group EPMD to its first recording contract with sister label Fresh Records. In addition to being an A&R
representative for the label, Mantronik also produced recordings for other Sleeping Bag and Fresh Records
associated artists and groups, including emcees KRS-One, Just-Ice, and T La Rock; freestyle vocalist Nocera;
and R&B singer-songwriter Joyce Sims.
The origins of trap music's beats have been traced back to the work of Kurtis Mantronik during this era. The
earliest song to be identified as an early form of trap music is Mantronik's single "Bass Machine" (1986),
featuring rap vocals by T La Rock. Mantronik's backing track for the song featured key trap elements,
including Roland TR-808 bass, hi-hats, triplet snares and pitching down.[1][2] Mantronik's work, particularly
"Bass Machine" (1986), was also pivotal to the development of Southern hip hop's Miami bass genre.[2]
In Full Effect
Mantronix signed with Capitol/EMI Records in 1987, and released In Full Effect in 1988, which continued in
and expanded on the hip-hop/electro funk/dance music vein of its predecessor, eventually reaching No. 18 on
the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Mantronix's highest showing for an album.[9] In Full Effect marked the
last Mantronix album with emcee MC Tee, who left the group to enlist in the United States Air Force.
Mantronik's 1988 track "King of the Beats" was one of the first songs to sample the Amen break. "King of the
Beats" itself became one of the most sampled songs in music history, having been sampled more than 200
times, rivaling that of "Amen, Brother" itself.[6]
This Should Move Ya
Following the departure of MC Tee, emcee Bryce "Luvah" Wilson and Mantronik's cousin DJD joined
Mantronix for 1990's This Should Move Ya. Mantronik met Wilson, a fellow Sleeping Bag Records label mate,
while doing production for Wilson's aborted solo project.[10]
The album spawned two top-10 hits on the British singles chart, "Got to Have Your Love" at No. 4, and
"Take Your Time" (featuring vocalist Wondress) at No. 10. In the United States, the album reached No. 61 on
the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[11] In a 1991 interview, Mantronik commented on the commercial
success of "Got to Have Your Love":
When I did "Got to Have Your Love", I did it for a reason: I did it because I wanted to get a song
on the radio.[10]
The Incredible Sound Machine
Mantronix's final release, with vocalist Jade Trini replacing D.J. D, was The Incredible Sound Machine in
1991,[12] which favored R&B, new jack swing, and dance music over hip hop. It was considered both a
critical and commercial disappointment.[12] Shortly after a European tour and promotion related to the release
of the album, the group disbanded, and Mantronik left the music industry altogether for seven years.[5]
Solo career (1998–present)
Mantronik dropped out of the music industry after the breakup of Mantronix in 1991. According to a July
2002 interview with Hip Hop Connection magazine:
I dropped out of the scene from 1991 to about '98. I stopped making music because I was burned
out. I had to deal with some legal issues and it all took its toll on me. I started doing all this stuff
when I was 17—I was working for the label (Sleeping Bag Records) day-in, day-out, and I had
no time for myself. Sometimes I'd stay in the studio for two or three days and sleep on the studio
floor because I didn't want to lose the settings on the console...[B]y the time we'd come out of
that place we were green! I began to resent it and eventually started backing off from a lot of
stuff. Then new jack started coming in and house started to take over.[5]
I Sing The Body Electro
Mantronik moved from New York and resurfaced in Britain in the late 1990s, producing his first solo album,
the well-received I Sing the Body Electro (which featured female MC Traylude), in 1998.[13]
Allmusic critic John Bush noted:
I Sing the Body Electro is that rare exception to the rule that influential artists should never
attempt a ten-years-later comeback trying the same style their current inheritors have made
commercial. Mantronik's production methods are completely up to date (and then some), resulting
in an album that perfectly balances old-school sampladelic hip-hop with the breakbeat-energized
dance music of the late '90s.[14]
Journey to Utopia
Mantronik was most recently signed to London-based record label Street DNA, a sister label of the
StreetSounds label, which released his newest studio album, Journey to Utopia, in late 2014.[15]
The somewhat reclusive Mantronik opened Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud pages in connection with the
promotion of the album.
Remixing and production career
Since 1998, Mantronik has produced and remixed tracks for pop, house-music, and techno-music artists and
groups such as Kylie Minogue, Junior Senior, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Victoria Beckham,
Michael Gray, Liberty X (which, in 2002, covered Mantronix's "Got to Have Your Love" from Mantronix's
1990 This Should Move Ya album), and Mim (the featured vocalist on Mantronik's 2003 EP release How Did
You Know).[5] He remixed classical composer Steve Reich's Drumming for release on the Reich Remixed
album in 1999, and he was enlisted for two remixes of the title track of the Shirley Bassey remix album
Diamonds Are Forever in 2000.
In addition to record production, Mantronik produced music for the Dance Dance Revolution and TrickStyle
video game series.
Mantronik remains active in pop-oriented electronic music, such as house music and big beat.
Discography
Solo albums
Album information
I Sing the Body Electro
Released: September 1, 1998
Chart positions:
RIAA certification: N/A
Singles: "Push Yer Hands Up", "Mad", "King of the Beat (v3.0)", "Bass Machine Re-tuned"
Journey to Utopia
Released: November 28, 2014
Chart positions:
RIAA certification: N/A
Singles:
Solo EPs/Singles
Album information
TrickStyle EP
Released: March 14, 2000
Chart positions:
RIAA certification: N/A
How Did You Know
Released: June 16, 2003
Chart positions: #16 British Hit Singles
RIAA certification: N/A
Mantronix albums (1985–1991)
Album information
Mantronix: The Album
Released: 1985
Chart positions: #47 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
RIAA certification: N/A
Singles: "Fresh is the Word", "Bassline", "Needle to the Groove", "Ladies"
Music Madness
Released: 1986
Chart positions: #27 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
RIAA certification: N/A
Singles: "Who Is It?", "Scream", "We Control the Dice"
In Full Effect
Released: 1988
Chart positions: #18 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
RIAA certification: N/A
Singles: "Simple Simon", "Join Me, Please...", "Do You Like...Mantronik?"
This Should Move Ya
Released: 1990
Chart positions: #61 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
RIAA certification: Gold
Singles: "Got to Have Your Love", "Take Your Time (featuring Wondress)", "King of the Beats"
The Incredible Sound Machine
Released: 1991
Chart positions:
RIAA certification: N/A
Singles: "Step to Me", "If You Could Read My Mind"
References
1. "The Birth of Mantronix" (http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/07/the-birth-of-mantronix).
Red Bull Music Academy. July 30, 2015.
2. "Check It Deeply: Did Kurtis Mantronik Pioneer The Trap Beat?" (http://www.largeup.com/2013/
09/06/top-honors-is-kurtis-mantronik-the-real-king-of-the-trap-beats/). LargeUp. September 6,
2013.
3. Chairman Mao. "The Birth Of Mantronix" (http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/07/the-bir
th-of-mantronix). Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
4. Mohamedou, Kemal. "Music With Balls!" (https://web.archive.org/web/20061102113715/http://w
ww.cheebadesign.com/legends/article2.htm). cheebadesign.com. Archived from the original (ht
tp://www.cheebadesign.com/legends/article2.htm) on November 2, 2006. Retrieved
November 13, 2006.
5. "When Recorded hip-hop was in its infancy, one man was responsible for really pushing the
sonic envelope. It's been far from plain sailing since, but the Mantronix legacy will run forever"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20110524234641/http://www.cheebadesign.com/legends/articleX.
html). cheebadesign.com (original article printed in Hip Hop Connection Magazine). July 2002.
Archived from the original (http://www.cheebadesign.com/legends/articleX.html) on May 24,
2011. Retrieved November 4, 2006.
6. "King of the Beats: 5 Songs sample Mantronix hit" (https://mn2s.com/news/features/king-beats-t
op-5-songs-sample-mantronixs-classic/). MN2S. May 25, 2016.
7. Willey, Omar. "Do You Like...Mantronix?" (https://web.archive.org/web/20061212184924/http://
www.cheebadesign.com/legends/articleQ.html). cheebadesign.com. Archived from the original
(http://www.cheebadesign.com/legends/articleQ.html) on December 12, 2006. Retrieved
March 30, 2007.
8. Henderson, Alex. "Allmusic Music Madness Review" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/r74559).
AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
9. Wynn, Ron. "Allmusic In Full Effect Review" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/r12395).
AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
10. Jones, Phillip. "Messin' With Mantronix" (https://web.archive.org/web/20061102113745/http://w
ww.cheebadesign.com/legends/articleE.html). cheebadesign.com. Archived from the original (h
ttp://www.cheebadesign.com/legends/articleE.html) on November 2, 2006. Retrieved March 30,
2007.
11. Wynn, Ron. "Allmusic This Should Move Ya Review"
(https://www.allmusic.com/album/r12394). AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
12. Henderson, Alex. "Allmusic The Incredible Sound Machine Review" (https://www.allmusic.com/
album/r12391). AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
13. Bush, John. "Allmusic I Sing the Body Electro Review" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/r3745
30). AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2006.
14. Bush, John. "Allmusic I Sing the Body Electro Review" (http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-sing-t
he-body-electro-mw0000241195). AllMusic. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
15. streetsounds.co. "Journey to Utopia—Kurtis Mantronik" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150330
174631/http://streetsounds.co/journey_to_utopia.php). Street Sounds. Archived from the
original (http://www.streetsounds.co/journey_to_utopia.php) on March 30, 2015. Retrieved
April 4, 2015.
External links
Official Web Site (http://www.kurtismantronik.com)
AllMusic.com Biography—Kurtis Mantronik (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p189527)
The King of the Beats: Kurtis Mantronik—Fan Site (https://web.archive.org/web/200611021129
29/http://www.cheebadesign.com/legends/)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kurtis_Mantronik&oldid=981921979"
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