Pioneer Unit

Get ready for the Planetary Assault!!

Hip Hop ain’t dead, but the revolution starts now.

25-06-07: As of 16:00 CAT- One of African hip hop’s most eagerly anticipated releases is unleashed on the urban music landscape; Planetary Assault smashes its way into the global hip hop music scene with 21 blazing tracks, bringing fire straight from the streets eKasi, the dusty ghetto vlaktes and the grimiest clubs in Cape Town.

Africa is the birthplace of rhythm. Through the songs of slaves, that rhythm found its way to the Caribbean where it evolved into what we now recognize in the forms of Reggae and Dancehall. From there it travelled to the US where it became Hip Hop. Soon after, it spread out around the world and back to Africa, constantly evolving and mutating on its way. Planetary Assault represents one completed circle in Hip Hop’s journey. It also keeps that journey alive by creating African Hip Hop that continues to blaze trails around the world.

Planetary Assault is the first major release from Cape Town-based independent label Pioneer Unit. The label’s unique sound reflects the many influences that have shaped the course of Hip Hop today. Listen closely and you will hear everything from classic Boom Bap, to Dancehall and Dub, to Electro, Detroit Techno and UK Grime. All these influences are brought together to form an epic journey into the future of South African hip hop.

The 21-track project was produced by label founder Dplanet (a Hip Hop veteran of more than 20 years and a pioneering name behind classic material by Pro Kid, Ben Sharpa, Trusenz & Middle Finga). It features a total of 19 different MCs spitting in a combination of six of South Africa’s eleven official languages. The artists featured on the project smashed down cultural, language and political barriers, as well as inter-crew rivalry, to come together and bring this vision to life.

Besides Ben Sharpa, Middle Finga and KONFAB, Planetary Assault is made complete by the inclusion of the unquestionable vocal skillz of Rattex, Jaak, Oracle Flo, Driemanskap, Macho, Terror MC, Purple Simba, Shyam, Rato, T.O.P., Trusenz, Cozi G and the Archetypes.

Don’t believe the hype? After hearing pre-release copies of Planetary Assault, influential cult British radio personality Mary Anne Hobbs was moved to state that Ben Sharpa and KONFAB are “two of the most inspired and agile lyricists in the world today.” Planetary Assault dub plates have featured regularly on her legendary ‘Experimental’ show on BBC Radio 1 since the start of 2007, creating big international buzz around the project’s imminent release. Ben Sharpa and KONFAB performed at Glastonbury Festival and ‘You Don’t Know’ (a Ninja Tune/ Big Dada event) respectively as a result of this exposure.

Planetary Assault is released locally in association with cult Cape Town independent label African Dope Records and distributed nationally by Soul Candi distribution. For heads, limited copies of the album have been made exclusively available to buy at the African Dope online shop and Mabu Vinyl (Rheede Street, Cape Town), or listen & buy tracks off the album at the great South African music portal that is Rhythm Records!

The album is also marketed and distributed globally in a number of digital formats thru dig.it.all solutions in Cape Town.

The album will be officially launched at a star-studded event in Cape Town on the 29th of Auguest at The Roosevelt. (Watch the press for details!)

For a taste of what’s to come, a different free mp3 single will be made available each week leading up to the main launch event on the 25th of July. The first free track ‘Go and Ask’ (Hamb’ubuza) by Driemanskap featuring Macho is available as of today at www.cnet.download.com and www.podshow.com.

Listen to Planetary Assault at Last FM

Make friends with Pioneer Unit at Myspace

Join the Pioneer Unit Facebook group!

Visit www.pioneerunit.com for behind the scenes and frequent updates.

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Note to media: for more information, artist biogs, audio samples and other press opportunities, please contact Plus 1 Media Productions. E-mail: monsoon@p1mp.co.za. Call +27 (21) 426-1623.

For label information, please contact Pioneer Unit. E-mail: dplanet001@gmail.com. Call 083 658-8921.

For national distribution enquiries, please contact Soul Candi. E-mail leyton@soulcandidistribution.co.za Call (011) 880-5662

For global distribution and marketing enquiries, please contact dig.it.all music solutions.

E-mail: dig@itall.co.za.

That is how we rrrroll!

Flyer for the Big Dada / Ninja Tune night curated by Mary Anne Hobbs in London.

(click it to see bigger version, innit).

That’s how we rrrrroll!!

Just when we thought our trip to London couldn’t get any more exciting! The BBC will be launching a new stage at Glastonbury this year and we’re performing there!

24 acts will play on The BBC Introducing stage, which will feature artists nominated by BBC new music shows all across the country and picked by a panel of music experts (including Radio 1 DJs Steve Lamacq, Bobby Friction, Ras Kwame and Huw Stephens, and Glastonbury’s own Emily Eavis).

The stage will be located in the new Park area of the festival and will start at 3pm and run until 11pm each day. Catch Ben Sharpa live at 9:20pm!

Glastonbury Festival will take place at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th June (with the gates opening next Wednesday).

Check Ben on the BBC Glastonbury website.

That’s how we rrrroll!!

The Planetary Assault CDs have come back from the manufacturer so we’ve got stock. If you’re in Cape Town contact us and we’ll arrange to get you one.

We’re still working on physical distribution in South Africa so make sure you go into your local music store and demand that they get stock - it really does work!

We’ll announce extensive international digital and physical distribution in the near future. Hold tight!

That’s how we rrrrroll!!

Day 2 was fantastic. Another very early start. We started in Paarl to film Jaak at his house for the braai scene that leads up to him and KONFAB eating boereworst rolls (‘rolls’ get it?). We also filmed Jaak ‘rolling’ his tyre down the road chased by all the neighourhood kids. Jaak had to lose his usual streetwear in favour of the more tradition tight jeans, checked shirt and tekkies. He was a good sport though and didn’t complain.

We then went to the ‘fletse’ in Paarl where Jaak grew up and we were quickly mobbed by hundreds of kids who wanted to get into the scene. It was all good and really added to the energy.

The last location of the day was back in Cape Town to shoot at Marvel on Long Street. Otis Larynx, Writers Block, Ben Sharpa, Breeze, Terror MC, Linda (Dice Life) and Nastie Ed all came through to add to the toilet scene. Marvels toilets are infamous for all kind of illicit activities as well as packed ciphers - it was only right to recreate such a scene for the shoot.

After 2 exhausting days we finally wrapped at 6pm. The whole shoot was a huge success. Now the post-production work begins. Look out for the video exclusively on Channel O in early July.

You know that’s how we rrrrroll!!

Just came off the set of the first day of shooting the video for ‘How We Roll’. It was a long day but the energy was intense. Our first location was Bux-4-Tyres in Epping. The owner Shiraz was kind enough to let us film on his premises despite being his busiest day of the week. After we finished there we moved on to Mercury Live to film the club scene.

Everyone came through,,, we had krump dancers, hot girls and a big crowd of extras. We even got an unexpected visit from Mizi, Simone and Black Lez from Hype magazine who also blessed us with cameos.

Tomorrow we’re up early again to shoot Jaak’s verse in Paarl (his hood). Later in the day we’re shooting the final scene in Marvel on Long Street.

That is most definitely how we rrrroll!!

Catch the brand new exclusive Dplanet remix of Into the Black by Ben Sharpa on Mary Anne Hobbs’ Experimental show on BBC Radio 1.

Go to Mary Anne’s page on the BBC Radio 1 website and Click the ‘Listen to the show’ link.

The show will be online until June 15th so don’t sleep.

That’s how we rrrroll!

Ninja Tune & Big Dada Presents

• The Bug + Ricky Ranking + MCs
• Vex’d
• Oris Jay
• Ben Sharpa
• KONFAB
• Virus Syndicate
• Mary Anne Hobbs

Where:
The Big Chill House / 257-259 Pentonville Road / King’s Cross / London / N1 9NL / Tel: 020 7427 2540

When:
Saturday July 7th

Time:
9pm - 4am

Price:
 £5.

Funktion One sound system & heated roof terrace!

That’s how we rrrrrroll!

Pre-production has started on the video for ‘How We Roll’, the first single from Planetary Assault. Naturally the video will focus on performances by KONFAB and Jaak, but there will also be cameos by other artists on the project.

The video is going to be directed by spo0ky from Apartment Studios. She’s the director who made the video for ‘Go Against Us’ by Trusenz that’s currently blazing up MTV Base so we’re expecting big things.

That’s how we rrrroll!!!