MO VOLUME! LUCKY ME, BY EMA J.

LUCKY?

"Being deeply learned and skilled, being well trained and using spoken word. This is good luck." - Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.

When I started to write about the crew LuckyMe, I should have called it 'LuckyMe - The Novel' okaaaaaaaaaaaaay......

In underground clubs, bedrooms and studios located across Scotland a bunch of artists, producers and vocalists have been steadily honing their skills. Like Superheroes, they emerge at night under various pseudonyms' such as Summel, Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. Showcasing the collected superpowers to a dazzled public, disappearing before the sun creeps back into the sky.

The ever expanding family of LuckyMe are one of the most exciting movements on the Scottish map and are on the rise to national and international acclaim.

The meeting of minds took place at an open mic night running at Stereo in Glasgow (circa 2002) where every act played for free. Hudson Mohawke, a DJ and producer hooked up with an MC called Sum. Soon the two got to work on a six track EP called 'Lucky Me' under the moniker of Surface Empire. The emphasis was on hip-hop and was a successful release, selling out of its small press of 500. Still it was lost among the plethora of artists producing Scottish hip hop.

Fast forward, and as Jarvis would say "something changed" Surface Empire dislocated themselves from their beloved hip hop, and expanded their pallet to whole spectrum of influences including: grime, electronica, dubstep, bmore, and math rock, finding a sound true to them with creativity in full effect. The pair have just caught the eye of the ever elusive Various Production who are looking to release some of the material on their own imprint.

Hudson Mohawke's own new works started to leak out across the ether, and people began to freak. Mohawke is innovating rather than imitating. This year he released a banger "Freemo" on California's Ubiquity label, and "Trace" on the taste making label Beat Dimensions. Gigs across Europe poured in, and notably a spot at London's infamous Plastic People. Mr Mohawke has a bag full of forthcoming releases ready to blow. He's also fresh back from representing his skills at The Red Bull Music Academy in October. The music press are loving him...

XLR8R magazine touted: "...his small output has been enough to cause a major buzz, don't be surprised if cats like Radiohead and Bloc party start requesting his services shortly."

Jay Scarlett (Spacek/BeatDimensions Crew): "The thing I´ve noticed about this character is he has a real sense of die hard determination to construct music like no other beat maker I´ve come across in this field in the last 10 years. Hudson is coming with what most in British hip hop have been debating & waiting for."

Stretching their musical arm across the water to Dublin, Hudson hooked up with Mike Slott of All City Records. Under the guise of Heralds of Change they started a frenzy of remixes and released a string of vinyl, beautifully executed and packaged. Together they have collaborated with Oddisee from the Maryland crew, and Low B (Hollertronix) gathering healthy amounts of airplay. Their new material features Oliver DaySoul – a neo singer who seems to be possessed by Rick James on track 'Bopgunn'. Described as "near perfect synth pop" it's a clue to where the H.O.C sound is progressing.

With too much talent to contain LuckyMe's founding fathers Sum and Fine Art birthed, 'The Blessings'. Together they would concoct a dance driven soundscape "Sinden meets Sa-Ra, Dilla meets Diplo" Their latest mixtape clocked 2,700 in one week, and they somehow managed to fit in Lucky:me:drums, a party night at the now departed Octopus Diamond in Edinburgh.

The energy from the camp is infectious. Reflecting the current climate in the music industry, where networking sites and online distribution have opened up a whole new genre-bending world to artists, new found freedoms, and endless marketing possibilities.

Recently a 24 year old producer from Glasgow joined the ranks of L.M, his name is Rustie and he's causing a whole lot of fuss on the scene right now. When he dropped, and I mean dropped his debut EP "Jagz The Smack" it caused a buzz nearly as loud as his beats. Impresarios such as Flying Lotus (Warps new signing and John Coltrane's nephew) Modeselektor, Plastician and DJ Ayres all giving Rustie the nod for knowhow.

Boomkat the music connoisseurs favourite online record store, are positively salivating over "Jagz The Smack" with gorgeous hand printed cover art, making it record of the week.

"The production here is nothing short of TOWERING, double weight bass drops and sharp edits coupled with a filthy swing that permeates every moment of each one of the 5 tracks here with a primordial brilliance that's just too good to take in over one sitting. Wise up, you DON'T wanna miss out on this one...it's just TOO good. KILLER!!!!!!"

He's impressively 'OUT OF STOCK' (not so impressive if you didn't get a copy).

The LuckyMe camp are slick slick slick. You won't be getting their latest tracks handed to you on a sharpie scrawled blank cd. The iconic LuckyMe Eye design is representative of this incredible love of detail which exudes from the whole foundation.

Glasgow art School Graduate, Dominic Flannigan aka Sum of Surface Empire, was first given the job of designing the cover art for the Heralds Of Change EP. Since then he has been unstoppable. Laying out 20 cover designs for four independent labels including, Japans Circulations. Dominic's designs and use of typography is clean, dynamic and subject sensitive. His collaborations with ethereal photographer Christina Kerhonan are beautifully dramatic and haunting (see Heralds of Change: Puzzles). His Myspace Top 8 points to influences such as Keith Haring, John Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. In the daytime Dominic can be found firmly at the helm of Scottish streetwear label Oddities.

Dizzee Rascal - flexing some Oddities

The family of LuckyMe is ever growing. Dema who runs Glasgow's most open minded hip hop night Freakmenoovers joins forces with L.M to make banging instrumental club bangers.Jay P – a former Irish DMC and beatmaker. Mr Copy - a minimal techno via grime producer, who at just 18 has been signed to Soma. Finally : Nadsroic - LuckyMe's first lady, who's MC skills are being put to work on Hudson Mohawke and The Blessings soundscape to create "the best possible music for modern discos."

BALLER$ 5OCIAL CLUB running in Glasgow is the newest live arm of L.M who are ".. putting on the most discerning electronic music guests and let them play unadulterated southern hip hop to a small sea of un-pretentious beautiful people" It's super dumb, a club to let it all hang to the sounds of Parisian Hyphy and other eclectic fodder.

2008 will be LuckyMe's year. Expect to hear and see them everywhere from the radiowaves to the club floors and all over Tees. You might not know it's them at first, but slowly they will seep into your subconscious. The LuckyMe eye is projecting high above the city and beyond, when you see it, run to it.

First release "OOPS!" on LuckyMe's own label is due to drop early 2008!

Words by Ema J.
Pictures courtesy of LuckyMe.

RUSTIE - FINEART & JAY P will be repping LuckyMe at Volume! November 24th, at Club Ego, Edinburgh, on 24 November. YOU LUCKY PEOPLE!
www.myspace.com/movolume