Ism Records present Birmingham's multi talented Genius Collective, a live 7 piece hip hop, soul & jazz band offering an eclectic sound to get your body moving, your heads bopping and your brain thinking.
Genius Collective evolved from 7 musicians' love of soulful, funky music. Effortlessly blending Hip Hop, Jazz and more, this Collective create good vibes and rock it live every time through down to earth lyrics, beautiful vocals and funky rhythms! Fronted by the sultry sounds of Zoe Green alongside a host of top-notch guest vocalists including Keiza Johnson and Carvalho, they're complimented by MC and producer Vice, and have honed their live sound with a relentless performance schedule, these guys and girls are a modern day funk force to be reckoned with!
Already being championed by scene makers Norman Jay, Mr Scruff, Los Charly's Orchestra, Femi Fem, Ashley Beedle as well as receiving radio support from Craig Charles (6 Music Funk & Soul Show) the band hooked up with Ism Records & Yam Who? in early 2012. Sam Redmore the man behind the Freestyle club night at the Bullshead in Birmingham has played an integral part in promoting and booking the group. They regularly tear it up at his weekly parties and are often compared to bands from the early 90's Hip Hop & Acid Jazz scene, think Brand New Heavies, The Roots and Young Disciples from a new era.
The live show and repertoire is a stunning balance between the past and present, both rich in depth history and culture. Ism has selected two fine tracks, the Genius original 'Future' and the sublime cover of the Amy Winehouse 'Stronger Than Me' which see's the GC delivering a classic version of a legendary track.
Sam Redmore's interpretation of 'Future' is a stripped, heavy, beatdown classic, staying closely to the live arrangement whilst Yam Who? brings in the synths, 80's B-Line and slams some beats working the song into a timeless party joint. The second Yam Who? remix is again a total workout, more laidback but still another finely tuned bonafide anthem for which he pulled in additional players from the NYC Odyssey disco band, Rob Aitken (Guitar) & Tiernan Godel (Bass).
Currently working on a number of collaborations with Great Scott, Why G? (Zulu Nation) and DME / Da Mighty Elementz to name but a few, GC are spreading the musical word across the country this summer, with gigs and festivals planned in Birmingham, London, Bristol, Norfolk, Harrogate and more.