Here is some info on the members of bomfunk mc's:
B.O.W. (the mc) a.k.a. Raymond Ebanks
Born in London, Grew up in Finland
Father jamaican, Mother finnish
Hip Hop pioneer in Finland (since the end
of eighties)
Has been involved in many underground hip
hop projects
Studiomaterial since 1994, many record projects
(example:Soup de Loop)
DJ Gismo (the dj) a.k.a. Ismo Lappalainen
Originated from Kokkola, has lived in Turku
for last 4 years
started as a DJ when 15 years old; mainly
house and techno
Fanatic music collector; soul, funk, groove
and hip hop from 1960s - 1990s
Has played at Funky Kitchen and Opera (both
in Turku)
JS16 (the producer) a.k.a. Jaakko Salovaara
Is not really a member but has a lot to do
with the Bomfunk mc's sound
Started making music when 16 years old(16
in his name after his initials)
Bomfunk mc's is his most successful project;
others include Darude
Has had couple club hits of his own (thumping
system, love supreme)
...and of course the breakdancers (more info about them coming soon)
Thanks for visiting and please check back soon (more to come: samples,
tour dates, pics, more info,
news, email etc.)
-MR. J
(p.s. this site will be totally non-profit so please spread the word
about this (banner is from the hosting
company))
HYPER! linkkivaihto
Biography by Sony Music Finland (some additions
by Spoiler)
Bomfunk Mc´s
What's the difference between house
and electro house?
Pretty much the same as between
a chair and an electric
chair.
You just have to be a bit more
extreme to try the
latter, or then you have to be
unfit for the society.
This time it's about letting yourself
go, making them
see and getting us convinced.
It's about warming up Run
DMC in Helsinki. It's about life,
commitment and love.
It's about electro house with
an old school flavored
rap. It's about Bomfunk MC's.
The band was put together in the
beginning of '98 by
two guys brought up by Hip Hop;
B.O.W. and DJ Gismo. In
July´98 Bomfunk MC's released
their debut single
"Uprocking Beats" which hit number
one on the Finnish
Dance Chart in a few weeks' time.
Ever since the track
was out, it has been on the playlists
of the essential
Finnish radio stations: Energy,
Kiss FM and Radio
Mafia. The Bomfunk-fellows are
doing it all the way; a
video is already available so
this radio star won't be
killed that easily. If you saw
them live, you would
call them eternal; the final detonation
of the Hip Hop
-the powerload is made by a group
of break dancers.
The producer of their single and
the upcoming album is
JS16 who has enjoyed success in
the clubs in the UK
with his singles: "Stomp To My
Beat" & "Love Supreme"
"Uprocking Beats" has to date been
released in
Australia, Germany, Belgium, Denmark,
Greece, Holland,
Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and Turkey.
The excellent video is shown on
MTV (Nordic, Central
and Italy) dance programs and
on N1 rotation on Viva.
"Uprocking Beats" peaked at # 77
on the German singles
chart.
The strong follow-up single "B-Boys
& Flygirls" was
released in February. The track
went to # 1 on the
Finnish Club Chart and stayed
over 6 weeks at number
one position.
"B-Boys& Flygirls" peaked at
# 12 on the Scandinavian
Club Chart.
The single peaked at # 6 on the
official Finnish
singles sales chart. The video
stayed 3 weeks at # 1 on
the official MTV3 (national) Video
Countdown Chart.
"B-Boys &Flygirls" has to date
been released in
Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland,
Italy, Spain,
Norway, Poland, Turkey etc…
The debut album "In Stereo" released
June 7th. It went
straight to #1 position in Offical
Finnish Album chart
and has sold DOUBLE-PLATINUM in
Finland (over 97.000
copies)!
"Freestyler" has sold Gold in Sweden
HYPER! linkkivaihto
The Guys
B.O.W. FACT FILE
real name Raymond Ebanks
age 27
born in London, has been living
in Helsinki since he
was a child
Jamaican father, Finnish mother
one of the early promoters of
the Hip Hop culture in
Helsinki since the mid '80's
several Hip Hop projects and bands
first studio recordings in '94,
after various record
projects, including Soup de Loop
as the latest
DJ GISMO FACT FILE
real name Ismo Lappalainen
age 22
born in Finland
DJ debuts at the age of 15 playing
house and techno
a music enthusiast collecting
mainly soul, funk, groove
and Hip Hop, from 60's to 90's
roots in the clublife of the City
of Turku, Finland
Also with at the gigs:
drummer
Ari Toikka
basist Ville Mäkinen
Savage Feet -breakdance group
B O M F U N K M C ' S
The Finnish
band Bomfunk
MC's was
formed by
Raymond
"B.O.W."
Ebanks
(father from
Jamaica,
mother from
Finland) and
Ismo "DJ
Gismo"
Lappalainen.
Jaakko
"JS16
Salovaara is the producer
of Bomfunk MC's, who
also has produced Darude
and done his own solo
project. Raymond Ebanks
has performed in JS16's as
well as on Waltari's records.
The live band
consists of the Savage Feet
breakdancers, drummer
Ari Toikka and basist Ville
Mäkinen. Their first
single Uprocking Beats,
was released in the summer
of 1998. It was a success
in Finland, Sweden,
Australia and Germany. They
have released five
singles in Finland (Uprocking
Beats, B-Boys &
Flygirls, Rocking Just To
Make Ya Move, Freestyler
and Other Emcee's). B-Boys
& Flygirls was their
real breakthrough in Finland,
but Freestyler was
the breakthrough single
in the foreign countries.
It has been number one hit
so far in Sweden,
Norway, Germany, Switzerland,
Australia, Austria,
Holland, Belgium, Italy,
Greece, New Zealand,
Romania, Slovakia and Estonia.
It has sold platinum
already in nine countries.
Freestyler was number
two on the English single
chart. The next single
after Freestyler, B-Boys
& Flygirls, has been also
successful. It has sold
gold e.g. in Sweden and in
Australia. Their debut album,
In Stereo, was
released in Finland in the
summer of 1999 and it
was the first in the album
chart even 10 weeks. It
is second most sold Finnish
album in English
language in Finland till
now. It has been released
already in almost every
European countries. Bomfunk
MC's received four Finnish
grammies in the Emma
Awards 1999. Bomfunk MC's
was chosen the best
newcomer, In Stereo the
best debut album,
Freestyler the best single
and JS16 the best
producer.
The best chart positions
on the foreign
countries: (27.10.2000)
F R E E S T Y L E R
Germany
1. (3 weeks, platinum)
Sweden
1. (10 weeks, 3xplatinum)
Australia
1. (3 weeks, 2xplatinum)
Belgium
1. (8 weeks, 2xplatinum)
Holland
1. (7 weeks, platinum)
Switzerland
1. (10 weeks, platinum)
Austria
1. (6 weeks, platinum)
Norway
1. (7 weeks, platinum)
New Zealand
1. (2 weeks, platinum)
Romania
1. (3 weeks)
Slovakia
1. (5 weeks)
Estonia
1.
Greece
1.
Italy
1.
Denmark
2. (platina)
Great Britain
2.
Irland
3.
Hungary
4.
Israel
5.
France
8.
Spain
8.
Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland,
Luxemburg TOP-10
B - B O Y S &
F L Y G I R L S
Sweden
3. (gold)
Belgium
4.
Denmark
6.
Australia
7. (gold)
Romania
8.
Greece
9.
Hungary
12.
Holland
15.
Germany
18.
Switzerland
20.
Austria
14.
U P R O C K I N G
B E A T S
Sweden
53.
I N S T E R E
O (album)
Norway
2. (gold)
Tanska
4. (gold)
Greece
4.
Sweden
6. (platinum)
Hungary
7.
Portugal
10.
Austria
11.
Belgium
11.
Switzerland
15.
Germany
16.
New Zealand
17.
Italy
23.
Australia
24.
Poland
24.
Great Britain
33.
Holland
35.
Czech
50.
France
73.
Picture & text: Antti
Niemelä
(antti.niemela@findance.com)
© Findance 2000
The Bomfunk MC's section
is a part of Findance - Finnish
Music Guide. Check
out the English version of Findance
in www.findance.com/english
Findance is also a
big music magazine in Finnish
language. Finnish
Findance contains news, interviews,
reviews, charts and
artist introductions in
www.findance.com
A L B U M S
In Stereo (1999)
01. Uprocking beats
3.41
02. Other emcee's
3.48
03. B-boys & flygirls
3.15
04. Freestyler
5.06
05. Rocking, just to make ya move
3.45
06. Sky's the limit
3.58
07. Stir up the bass
3.36
08. Fashion styley
4.40
09. 1,2,3,4
4.05
10. Rock, rocking tha spot
3.13
11. In stereo
4.47
12. Uprocking beats
(JS16 sound design)
5.01
13. B-Boys & Flygirls
(DJ Gismo goes funky mix)
4.01
14. Spoken word
4.42
S I N G L E S
Uprocking Beats (Nordic, Australia 1999)
01. Radio edit
3.41
02. JS16 sound design
5.01
03. DJ Gismo's groove
4.11
04. Original version
5.37
B-Boys & Flygirls (Nordic 1999)
01. Radio edit
3.14
02. JS16 sound design
6.42
03. DJ Gismo goes funky mix
4.00
04. Missing Link remix
5.12
05. Original version
4.20
06. Jori Hulkkonen deep
'n' smooth remix
7.25
Rocking, Just To Make Ya Move (Finland
1999)
01. Radio edit
3.45
02. JS16 powerplay
5.52
03. DJ Orkidea's 160719942330 remix
6.43
04. Extended mix
7.05
05. DJ Gismo's hot stuff
4.36
06. Missing Link 2step mix
3.57
07. Quincy freak mix
4.30
Freestyler (Nordic 1999, Europe 2000)
01. Radio edit
4.07
02. Skillsters remix
3.03
03. Happy Mickey Mouse mix
4.48
04. Missing Link remix
5.40
05. Album version
5.06
Freestyler (UK 2000)
01. Radio edit
2.52
02. Original mix
4.07
03. Dirty rotten scoundrels
surgical spirit mix
8.04
Other Emcee's (Finland 2000)
01. Album version
3.48
02. Sure shot master of the ceremony mix 3.36
B-Boys & Flygirls (Europe 2000)
01. Y2K mix
3.14
02. Original version
4.20
03. JS16 sound design
6.41
04. DJ Gismo goes funky mix
4.00