Following on from the huge success of their eponymous debut long-player, everyone’s favourite East London brass and drum ensemble return with one of the album’s highlights on 7-inches of heavyweight fat wax. This version of “No Diggity”, the 90’s r&b hit by Blackstreet, has been a favourite in HCB’s live shows for some time now, long before it was committed to tape. Following on from the album’s release, this sousa led hip hop/funk hybrid has become a dance floor staple for many a discerning DJ. Not a difficult decision then to make this club smasher the band’s third vinyl release, but to add extra value to the package we’ve put something rather special and exclusive on the flip! “House Arrest” is an original, party starting Balkan monster, complete with frenetic hand-claps and singing (yes singing!) from the 9-piece outfit, showing another side to the HCB sound, and adding another huge anthem to their repertoire. Hackney Colliery Band is East London’s unique take on the brass band phenomenon.
Featuring trumpets, trombones, saxes, sousaphone and marching percussion, the band are totally acoustic and yet able to blow the roof off any room. Hackney Colliery Band’s members have hugely diverse musical backgrounds, ranging from work with cutting edge jazz group Porpoise Corpus to the Bollywood Brass Band, and from Jarvis Cocker to major orchestras. This breadth of musical talent is clearly on display in their eclectic repertoire. Mining nuggets of funk, hip-hop and hi-octane rock from the musical coalface and throwing in a few chunks of Balkan brass, ska and contemporary jazz for good measure, the Hackney Colliery Band’s setlist is as diverse as the London borough that gave them their name.
