FORM OF AUDIO
Genre:
Hip Hop
Region:
Melbourne, VIC
Three emcees, a DJ and a producer from Melbourne inject some funk into their beats and rhymes. From the wah guitar effect to their tight lyrics, these guys will get your booty shaking.
Interview: 12 November 2007
Describe your music...
As far as our sound goes we would classify our music as funky soulful hip-hop with a tinge of reggae vibes. Lyrically we try to keep it interesting ranging in topic from summers in Melbourne to issues in politics. The vocals jump back and forth from each lyricist, stopping to harmonise occasionally before picking up the pace once again. DJ Vawnagraphic's cuts remain tight and strengthen each track with aggressive samples and impressive scratches.
How did Form of Audio come about?
Most of us have been in FOA since high school. Originally it was just rhyming for fun but as we got older we've been taking things more seriously. It used to be the three MC's and DJ and we kept that format for a long time. Eddie (Mr. Boomkat) got in contact with us asking to do some work with FOA. After a little while of doing a few songs with Eddie we realized he was a big asset to our new sound and we asked him to be part of the crew. Now FOA consists of 5 members.
How hard is it to get your voice heard in the Melbourne hip-hop community?
The Melbourne hip-hop scene has grown rapidly in the past few years with groups constantly emerging and joining the scene. It's so big now that it's not hard to get your voice heard within the local hip-hop community but to stand out and get your voice heard by the wider community is quite a task.
Studio or stage? Why?
I would have to say that when it comes to our music there is really nothing better than hitting the stage. We like to keep every performance feeling fresh and unique so we approach each one differently. The feeling of performing in front of a group of people who are enjoying what you're doing for them is something you can never get from a studio. It feels a lot more genuine when you're expressing yourself directly to an audience and to hear them react back.
What's the best advice you've been given and who was it from?
Years ago, before we had all the members we have now, Joelistics of TZU advised some of us to start working together. That's how the original line up of FOA started. He was running some workshops that some of us were attending. They turned out to be a good place for us to get together and work collaboratively.
What have you got planned for the future?
Our EP is due to launch in December. You should find it in most good hip-hop stores nationally as a promotional give-away. We're currently writing new tracks for our LP which should follow not long after. With the new year we hope to get a chance to visit the rest of the country and perform wherever we can. From there it's anyone's guess but we don't plan to stop doing what we do for a long time.
Australian music is...
...never the same. Anywhere you go you can find something worth listening to. The various scenes are so diverse, culturally and musically. Sometimes it's hard to draw lines between genres which is a great thing. Australia has one of the best music scenes the world has to offer and we're just grateful to be a part of it.