ASTRONOMY CLASS [06.06.07] SPACE MADNESS Among the plethora of festivities happening in Brisbane this long weekend, Astronomy Class is an act hip hop and reggae fans alike ought to check out. Signed to Elefant Traks, the group consists of Sir Robbo, Chasm and Ozi Batla. Free from the constraints of their other bands and projects, this is a chance for all three members to take their music into space. “A theme started to emerge that kind of had an astral flavour,” explains Ozi Batla, when asked about the group’s name. “There’s a bit of a history in hip hop and also reggae of doing astral/space themes. As I kept writing, there was sort of a narrative coming out about that same theme going on – it just started to stick after a while.” Each of the group’s members brings something from their respective backgrounds and influences to create the unique Astronomy Class sound. According to Ozi: “Sir Robbo, he’s got a really good understanding of reggae music. He’s been a record collector and player for many years. And Christo [Chasm] brings fantastic programming and ideas on MP3. My input, I suppose I’ve brought something a bit more personal, a bit more abstract, more wordplay stuff. The Herd is very narrative driven, issues driven. [This] was a clean slate; we were able to pretty much approach it however we wanted.” For Ozi, there seems to be a congruity between reggae and hip hop that compels him to both juxtapose and harmonise the two. “Reggae music has a lot in common, I think, with hip hop – a lot more than the purists of either form recognise sometimes. I’ve always been a fan of the politics and beliefs that reggae holds. That was always what attracted me to hip hop as well – people like Ice T and Chuck D, Rakim… people who had something to say. It was Kool Herc from Jamaica who took the idea of DJing over to New York in the 70s.” Astronomy Class’ debut album, ‘Exit Strategy’, takes samples from old funk and reggae records and was recorded using vintage analogue equipment; something Ozi feels contributes to the production quality. “Apart from any live playing on the album, I don’t even know if there are any samples after 1980, which just gives it that really organic, earthy production vibe in that era. The equipment that we then went to use to mix the album on was probably the same kind of stuff that they were using. It just gives the album a warmth that I don’t think you can get using all new gear.” Having a broader scope on this project than with The Herd, Ozi saw the album as an opportunity to touch on all sorts of different issues in his lyrics. “There’s a sci-fi theme running through the album, and there’s stuff about my relationship with hip hop and growing up, and there’s a couple of more politically angled tracks in there about police states and industrial relations… all sorts. I really tried to make it as broad and as layered as possible, so people would benefit from repeated listenings to the album. We approached that from top to bottom – the beats, the lyrics, the packaging. We just wanted to load it with as many meanings as possible and keep it interesting. There’s a lot of throwaway music out there. Probably an attitude that purveys all our relations with [our label] Elefant Traks is that there needs to be something that gives it that timeless quality, so if you listen to it five years from now, it’s still going to have some relevance.” As for politics, Ozi sees it as a large aspect in his work, something he doesn’t hold back on. “In Australia I think when someone takes a strong position on something, people respect them for that,” he says. “I stand by everything I say, so I’m usually more interested when it does get a reaction and it does push people to think about what they stand for. That’s just a part of me, part of my upbringing. I think that stuff’s important, and I understand that it’s not for everyone. For me, the political power of hip hop, or the polemic power, is what’s interested me most, rather the ‘braggadocio’ aspect of it – you know the ego aspect, the talking yourself up, the straight wordplay stuff. I get down to MCs who are just really good technically, but I’m always looking out for someone who’s got something to say.” Yen Tran Astronomy Class play the Roots Rap Reggae Festival at The Globe this Saturday, June 9, along with Illzilla, The Winnie Coopers, Grassroots Street Orchestra, The Cool Calm Collective, Mista Savona and The Lowdown. ‘Exit Strategy’ is out now on Elefant Traks. back to top ^

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