NOBODY
"SOULMATES"
"100 New Bands You Need To Know In 2001: The [Soulmates]
disc is so dope, the FDA ought to be alarmed." -Alternative
Press
"A jazz-tinged low-ride into dankest Los Angeles." -Revolution
Magazine
"Seductive tracks that bleed together like an epic dream."
-Spin Magazine
"One of the boldest production jobs in a long time."
-The Wire
Oddly enough, Nobody, aka Elvin Estela, never intended to create
"Soulmates" as a full-length album for commercial release.
"It was supposed to be an instrumental beat tape that I was
planning on selling out of my backpack to make some dough,"
the 23-year-old producer says. However, the underground hip hop
scene in Los Angeles is so vibrant that quality work cannot go
unnoticed for long.
Ubiquity Records learned of Estela via a recommendation from veteran
hip hop DJ Mike Nardone, which led to his signing in 1998. Since
then, three well-received 12"s have been released featuring
the likes of LA-based peers Cut Chemist, Z-Trip, Aceyalone, Freestyle
Fellowship, and 2 Mex. On August 22, 2000, Nobody's full-length
album "Soulmates" will shed light on another segment
of the ever-expansive Los Angeles hip hop community.
"Soulmates" is a collection of works that came to fruition
between 1996 and 2000. This is not an easy album to pigeonhole,
but it is built on elements that make up the LA underground sound:
fast rhymes, unique delivery, left-of-center beats, and experimental
topics. Few funk and soul samples were used, Estela preferring
to venture into psychedelia and jazz. This is a laid-back, streetwise,
abstract yet funky-as-hell album.
"It's very introspective," says Estela, "because
it spans four years of my life, my emotions - good or bad - were
captured in my music. My goal was to help create a certain mood
for the listener. This mood is not necessarily a dark mood, but
one that will enable those that listen to the album to tap into
powerful emotions."
"Soulmates" features many talents from LA's underground
hip hop scene. Among the guests are: Medusa, winner of the Rap
Sheet Emcee World Championship, member of the Organized Noize
Crew (Outkast, Goodie Mob, etc.) and an original from the Los
Angeles based Heavyweight Crew (Freestyle Fellowship, Volume 10,
Ganjah K, etc.); 2 Mex from the Visionaries, SonGodSuns, and Of
Mexican Descent; and underground legends Aceyalone and Freestyle
Fellowship. Regarding his guest artists Nobody says, "I really
enjoyed working with them, they came with their own concepts and
ideas, but were still open to suggestion." Equipment used
to create this album included the DJ70 sampler, a Power book 160,
and turntables.
Born and raised in Carson, CA, Nobody began his love affair with
hip hop in Junior High School. Inspired by conscious hip hop acts
such as X-Clan and Public Enemy, Nobody created music with fellow
freshman who owned samplers and 4-tracks. He had graduated to
self-sufficient production by his senior year. In college, he
became music director at KXLU where he still hosts an eclectic
weekly show. You can also currently hear Nobody flexing his music
director skills for the influential www.dublab.com web site.
The Nobody moniker refers to Estela's desire not be categorized.
His music reflects inspirations that range from avant-garde jazz,
experimental space rock, mariachi music, and everything in between.
He sites legendary left field artists such as David Axelrod, Brian
Wilson ("He heard music like no one else"), Love's Forever
Changes, and De La Soul as major influences.
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