The band Groovenik is going digital in April 2010 with their debut 16 track album ‘Choose Your Frame’. The tracks will be available from over 50 major music download, subscription and streaming sites. These include iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Play.com, Emusic, Juno Download, Beatport and 7digital. Groovenik are from Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England. Their ‘Northern Funk’ Sound is an eclectic fusion of Funk, Soul, Jazz, Latin, Afro Beat, Hip Hop and Dance. By mixing influences from across the whole history of funky music, they aim to create a unique sound which moves both the body and the mind. The result is a carefully blended musical cocktail which is heavily groove based but also has a strong focus on song writing.
‘Choose Your Frame’ weaves from jazzy funk, reminiscent of early Jamiroquai and Brand New Heavies, to more laid back sounds that could be likened to Morcheeba, Massive Attack and Zero 7. Along the way it pays homage to such varied influences as Afro Beat legend Fela Kuti, Brazilian artist Jorge Ben Jor and Philadelphia Hip Hop outfit The Roots. North East producers Mike TV and Tim Shaw provide their own take on modern
dance floor styles, rounding off the album with remixes of the track ‘No More Tears’.
This ambitious album is all the more remarkable for the fact it is an independent release produced DIY style in a home studio. The painstaking development and production happened over a two year period, with around 500 hours of studio time, 200 cups of herbal tea, 23 musicians and a great deal of determination required to complete the project. The positive industry reaction shows it was time well spent. Based around the core writing and production team of Richard Owen (Bass) and Nicky Ortega (Drums), ‘Choose Your Frame’ features the talents of Ruth Silversides (Vocals) and Lloyd Wright (Guitar). Strong contributions also come from the Groovenik horns and various talented guest musicians from the North East,
including rapper Drop Dead Fred from The 27 Club, vocalist Brooke MacArthur, percussionist Brendan Murphy and saxophonist Dave Wilde.
In 2005 Groovenik held a sold out launch event, at the prestigious venue The Sage Gateshead, then racked up high profile support gigs including Gwen McCrae, Bonobo, Quantic Soul Orchestra, Kokolo, New Mastersounds and Antibalas. After winning a national competition with PRS and the Edinburgh fringe, the band then honed their unique sound with concerts in the North East and a self promoted UK tour. Recent achievements include supporting Alice Russell at the O2 Academy, Newcastle and playing at various UK summer festivals. ‘Choose Your Frame’ was produced between 2007 and 2009.
