Mantronix

Mantronix was an influential 1980s hip hop and electro funk music group from New York City. The band was formed by DJ Kurtis Mantronik (Kurtis el Khaleel) and rapper MC Tee (Touré Embden). The group is primarily remembered for its pioneering blend of old school hip hop, electronic, and club music. They underwent several genre and line-up changes during its seven-year existence between 1984 and 1991, and released five albums beginning with their 1985 debut '' The Album''.

History

Early years: 1984–1988

Kurtis Mantronik (Kurtis el Khaleel), a Jamaican-American émigré, began experimenting with electro music in the early 1980s, inspired by early electro tracks like " Riot in Lagos" (1980) by Yellow Magic Orchestra's Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 1984, while working as the in-store DJ for Downtown Records in Manhattan, Kurtis Mantronik met MC Tee, a Haitian-born, Flatbush, Brooklyn-based rapper (and regular record store customer). The duo soon made a demo, "Fresh Is The Word," and eventually signed with William Socolov's Sleeping Bag Records.

''The Album''

Mantronix's debut single, "Fresh Is the Word," was a club hit in 1985, reaching No. 16 on '' Billboard Magazine's'' Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, and was featured on '' The Album'' which was released the same year.

Mantronix's efforts on ''The Album'' and its effect on early hip hop and electronic music is perhaps best summed up by music critic Omar Willey's observation in 2000:

The influence of ''The Album'' is seen among other artists through the sampling of "Needle to the Groove" by Beck in the single " Where It's At" from the 1996 album, ''Odelay'' ("''we've got two turntables and a microphone''..."), as well as, "Fresh Is The Word" by the Beastie Boys in the single " Jimmy James" from the 1992 album, ''Check Your Head'' ("''for all the Blacks, Puerto Ricans, and the White people too''...") The Beastie Boys later sampled "Bassline" for the song "3 the Hard Way" on their 2004 album ''To the 5 Boroughs''.

''Music Madness''

Mantronix's second album, '' Music Madness'', was released in 1986. While MC Tee's rhyming style on the album continued in the traditional b-boy fashion of the times, Mantronik's club-oriented production and mixing in ''Music Madness'' tended to attract more electronic dance music and electro funk aficionados than hardcore hip-hop fans. During this period, while Mantronix was signed to Sleeping Bag Records, Mantronik was employed by the label in their A&R Department, while also producing other artists and groups, including Just-Ice, T La Rock, Nocera, and Joyce Sims.

''In Full Effect''

Mantronix signed with Capitol Records in 1987, in what was one of the first 7-figure deals for a hip-hop group, and released '' In Full Effect'' in 1988, which, according to the liner notes, was the first album to be mastered from DAT instead of reel-to-reel tape. The album continued in and expanded on the hip-hop/electro funk/dance music vein of its predecessor, eventually reaching No. 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Mantronix's highest showing for an album. ''In Full Effect'' marked the last Mantronix album with rapper MC Tee, who left the group to enlist in the United States Air Force.

Mantronix's 1988 track "King of the Beats" was one of the first songs to sample the Amen break.

Later era: 1989–1991

''This Should Move Ya''

Following the departure of MC Tee, rapper Bryce "Luvah" Wilson and Mantronik's cousin, D.J. D., joined the group. Mantronik met Wilson, a fellow Sleeping Bag Records label mate, while doing production work for Wilson's aborted solo project.

The album spawned two top-10 hits on the British singles chart, " Got to Have Your Love" at No. 4, and "Take Your Time (featuring vocalist Wondress)" at No. 10. In the United States, the album reached No. 61 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In a 1991 interview, Kurtis Mantronik commented on the commercial success of "Got to Have Your Love":

''The Incredible Sound Machine''

Mantronix's final release, with vocalist Jade Trini replacing D.J. D, was '' The Incredible Sound Machine'' in 1991. Grammy Award-nominated neo soul singer/songwriter Angie Stone co-wrote seven of the eleven tracks that appeared on ''The Incredible Sound Machine''. ''The Incredible Sound Machine'', which tended to favor R&B, new jack swing, and dance music over hip hop, was considered both a critical and commercial disappointment.

Shortly after a European tour and promotion related to the release of ''The Incredible Sound Machine'', the group disbanded, and Mantronik left the music industry altogether for seven years.

Kurtis Mantronik resurfaced in Europe in the late 1990s, producing house- and techno-music artists, and remains active in pop-oriented electronic music.

2023–present

Kurtis Mantronik reformed Mantronix in 2023. He produced and jointly released three hip-hop songs that featured New York hip hop rapper Bruse Wane. The songs "Money Talks", "Era of the AI", and "When the Doves Fly" were jointly released by Mantronik under his Mantronix Classics Label; and Bruse Wane's Wane Enterprises Label. Mantronik produced directed and edited three music videos for all three songs. They appeared on his Mantronix official YouTube channel. He also began doing production work for Bronx rapper Just-Ice.

Mantronix has been active as of 2023 and continues to regularly release singles under a category he calls "Arena Rap" specifically with Just Ice. Both artists have released tracks entitled "Rockin Worldwide, Don't Bring Me Nothing Soft and A Long Time. Mantronix has also remixed and released a rework of Debbie Deb "When I Hear Music", "Needle to the Groove 2025 & Beyond" and "Not Just Knee Deep" by Funkadelic. Mantronix and Just Ice released their first track in many years called "Get Your Drink On, Get Your Freak On" which is a reworking of the Cold Getting Dumb. Mantronix has stated in many recent interviews that he believes Cold Getting Dumb to be one of the most perfect beats he has ever produced. Cold Getting Dumb was originally played live in the studio with Just Ice recording vocals as the beat was never officially sequenced. Mantronix stated that Cold Getting Dumb only took 20 minutes to produce start to finish but is a beat he still believes to be a perfect beat.

Mantronix work from 2023 to present can be found on YouTube Music, YouTube and BandCamp with a steady output of new work each year. It remains to be seen whether Mantronix will continue to produce tracks with Bruse Wane or pivot to working with Just Ice moving forward.

Discography

Albums

Compilation albums

Singles

References

Further reading

*

External links

Mantronix at soulmovement.nl
* AllMusic.com Biography – Mantronixbr>Discogs Profile – MantronixAngie Stone 2016 Interview at Soulinterviews.com

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1984 establishments in New York City
1991 disestablishments in New York (state)
Electronic music groups from New York (state)
American hip-hop groups
American electronic music duos
Musical groups established in 1984
Musical groups disestablished in 1991
Musicians from New York City
American electro musicians
Capitol Records artists
Sleeping Bag Records artists
Virgin Records artists